A City of Yakima facility will open tomorrow, Sunday, June 27th, to serve as a cooling center for those seeking relief from excessive heat in the area.
The Washington Fruit Community Center (WFCC), 602 N. 4th Street, will open Sunday from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. Community members are invited to cool off at WFCC, where they can also refill water containers.
During the excessive heat warning in effect through Thursday, July 1st, both WFCC and Harman Center, 101 N. 65th Avenue, will be available as cooling centers during regular operating hours.
WFCC is open 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, Monday through Friday. Regular operating hours for the Harman Center are 8:00 am to 4:00 pm Monday through Friday and 9:00 am to 3:30 pm on Saturday.
Temperatures are expected to exceed 110 degrees next week, with highs of 113 degrees on Monday and 114 degrees on Tuesday. The Yakima Health District (YHD) recommends the following to stay cool and safe:
- Stay indoors and in an air-conditioned environment as much as possible.
- Drink plenty of fluids, water is best.
- Never leave any person or pet in a parked vehicle or outdoors without any protection from the sun for an extended period.
- Limit outdoor activity, especially midday when the sun is the hottest.
- Use sunscreen and wear loose lightweight, light-colored clothing.
The Red Cross recommends:
- Check on family, friends and neighbors who do not have air conditioning, spend much of their time alone or are more likely to be affected by the heat.
- Those who don’t have air conditioning should seek relief from the heat during the warmest part of the day in places like schools, libraries, theaters, malls, etc…
- Check on animals frequently to ensure they are not suffering from the heat. Make sure they have plenty of cool water.