Multnomah County Extends Cooling Center Hours
9/05 UPDATE: In response to today’s heat, Multnomah County has extended cooling center hours until 9 tonight and from noon to 9 tomorrow night.
There are also three cooling centers open in Hillsboro and one at the Beaverton City Library Main.
PORTLAND, Ore. –
Multnomah County will open two cooling centers and extend library hours beginning Thursday, Sept. 5, as temperatures are forecasted to reach 100 degrees or higher.
Cooling centers will be available from noon to 9 p.m. on Thursday at the following locations:
- Cook Plaza at 19421 S.E. Stark St., Gresham
- Portland Covenant Church at 4046 N.E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Portland
TriMet will offer free rides to and from the cooling centers between 10 a.m. and 10 p.m. on Thursday. Riders should inform the bus operator if they are traveling to or from a cooling center. Due to the extreme heat, MAX and WES trains will operate at reduced speeds, which may result in delays of up to 30 minutes for MAX and 10 minutes for WES.
Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson has declared a state of emergency effective at 10 a.m. on Thursday. Officials will announce on Thursday whether cooling centers will remain open on Friday, Sept. 6.
In addition, the Central Library at 801 S.W. 10th Ave., Portland, and the Gresham Library at 385 N.W. Miller Ave., Gresham, will extend their hours until 8 p.m. on Thursday and Friday. The Transition Projects’ Bud Clark Commons Resource Center at 650 N.W. Irving St., Portland, will also extend its hours until 6:30 p.m. on Thursday.
The Multnomah County Department of County Human Services is providing heat safety information and resources to vulnerable populations, particularly those in older buildings without air conditioning. The department is also distributing cooling kits to community organizations.
The Joint Office of Homeless Services has expanded street outreach efforts, working with teams, mutual aid groups, and volunteers to distribute hot weather gear to those without shelter. Outreach efforts will continue through at least Friday.
For information on splash pads and other cool spaces, residents can visit the Portland Parks & Recreation website.
For additional transportation assistance, residents can call 211.