PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Four overnight cooling centers in Portland will remain open until at least Saturday morning.
Multnomah County health officials made the announcement amid a triple-digit heatwave that has continued into Thursday, when the centers were previously scheduled to close.
The cooling centers are located at:
- Charles Jordan Community Center on North Foss Ave.
- East Portland Community Center on Southeast 106th Ave.
- The Portland Building on Southwest 5th
- Sunrise Center on East Burnside
The centers opened on Tuesday, and officials estimate there is room for 250 people overnight, with more being promised if needed.
Officials say about 170 people stayed at the overnight cooling shelters on Wednesday.
The heatwave, which is forecasted to remain in the upper 90s and break 100 degrees again on Saturday, has already proven dangerous.
As of Thursday afternoon, the Oregon State Medical Examiner is reporting four deaths officials suspect to have been from the heatwave this week, although none of them can yet be confirmed. Three deaths occurred in Multnomah County on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, while one took place in Umatilla County on Tuesday.
The examiner’s office says that the designation of a heat-related death is preliminary and further investigation may reveal a cause of death that’s unrelated to hyperthermia.
The City of Portland’s emergency medical services has responded to 51 heat-related calls since the beginning of the week.
For a full directory of Multnomah County cooling centers open both overnight and during the daytime, see the list here. For the latest on the July heatwave, check out continuing coverage from KOIN 6 News.