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With 105-degree conditions expected Monday, Multnomah County officials opened three cooling centers this afternoon, seeking to provide relief to people who are unhoused or otherwise without air conditioning.
The centers will operate until 8 pm tonight. Monday hours have not yet been announced. Here are the locations:
- Multnomah County East, 600 NE 8th St., Gresham
- Cook Plaza, 19421 SE Stark St., Gresham
- Old Town Cooling Center, 435 NW Glisan St., Portland
Update, 11:20 am Monday, Aug. 14: The three shelters will operate for the same hours today, 1 pm to 8 pm.
Lloyd Center Mall is inviting people to take shelter inside during operating hours: 11 am to 6 pm.
The opening of the centers, along with an emergency declaration by county and city officials, indicated growing concern about the heat wave headed for Portland. The latest National Weather Service forecast predicts a high of 105 to 106 degrees Monday, easily the hottest temperatures the city has experienced this year. Tuesday doesn’t look much better, with a forecasted high of 104.
On Saturday, local officials warned Portlanders not to seek relief in the stretch of the Willamette River south of downtown because a toxic algae bloom makes the water hazardous to swallow. (It could kill dogs.)
One footnote to the cooling centers’ opening is worth noting: Two of the three centers are being staffed by Multnomah County contractors, rather than by county employees and volunteers. That’s a change from previous weather events, when county officials struggled to find enough volunteers to keep doors open.