4th day of heat wave prompts Portland, Multnomah County to reopen cooling centers

Charles Goetz, left, and Jay Lamb rest inside the Old Town Cooling Center on Northwest Glisan Street in Portland. The center was one of a handful of cooling centers in the city that were operating Monday. It is staffed by Do Good Multnomah. August 14, 2023.Beth Nakamura

Portland and Multnomah County officials will reopen three cooling centers Wednesday, as the region endures a fourth day of triple-digit heat that is suspected to have killed one person Monday.

The cooling centers will again welcome pets and people with food and water from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the following locations:

On Tuesday, 335 people visited the three cooling centers, up from 220 on Monday, county officials said.

Lloyd Center also welcomes guests Wednesday during regular mall hours from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and the Portland Water Bureau has opened misting stations. Cool water will spray 24 hours a day through Thursday at these 14 Portland locations:

TriMet won’t charge anyone headed to a cooling space, including public libraries. For more transportation needs, call 2-1-1.

Anyone visiting a natural body of water should wear a life jacket and take precautions to avoid deadly cold water shock — or stay cool by visiting a splash pad or interactive fountain from Hillsboro to Sandy. Toxic algae in the Willamette River continues to bloom, so county officials encourage people to avoid swimming or boating from the Ross Island Lagoon to Cathedral Park.

More information about Washington and Clackamas counties’ cooling centers may be found at their websites.

— Beth Slovic; [email protected]; 503-221-8551

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