Excessive Heat Warning: Cooling Centers Open Across Pierce County

TACOMA, WA — Pierce County leaders want to make sure everyone is able to escape the upcoming heat wave.

Wednesday marked the start to yet another summer heat wave, one which is only expected to get worse as the week marches on and temperatures soar to near 100 degrees Thursday and Friday.

To help Pierce County residents beat the heat, cities across the county have begun opening cooling centers, offering free AC, water, and a chance to get out from under the blazing sun.

Older adults, young children, and people with mental illnesses or chronic diseases are at particularly high risk during heat waves, and are encouraged to take advantage of the cooling centers, especially if they don't have convenient access to AC or other means of cooling off.

Here's a look at which cooling centers will be open and when:

Puyallup Public Library, located at 324 S Meridian, Puyallup, will serve as a cooling center during normal business hours, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

South Hill Mall, at 3500 S Meridian in Puyallup, will serve as a cooling center during regular business hours as well.

Lakewood Public Library, located at 6300 Wildaire Rd SW, Lakewood, will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday and Friday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday.

Steilacoom Public Library, at 2950 Steilacoom Blvd. in Steilacoom, will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday and Friday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday.

Steilacoom Community Center, found at 2301 Worthington St. in Steilacoom, will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday.

Tillicum Library, at 14916 Washington Ave. S.W. in Tillicum, will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday and Friday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday.

University Place Public Library, located at 3609 Market Place West, University Place is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday.

The RISE Center, at 2136 Martin Luther King Jr Way in Tacoma, will open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday.

Chapel Hill Church, at 7700 Skansie Avenue in Gig Harbor, will be open Friday from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. Anyone is welcome to visit, but residents who live within city limits can also call Gig Harbor police for a ride to the chapel by dialing the police department's non-emergency line, (253) 798-4722.

Fife Community Center, located at 2111 54th Ave E in Fife, will be open from noon to 5 p.m. Thursday and Friday.

If you know of any other cooling centers opening this week, feel free to post them in the comments below. Patch will be updating this list as more cooling centers are announced.

Can't get to the cooling centers? The county also has that covered: Pierce Transit will be offering free trips to and from cooling centers Thursday through Saturday. All passengers have to do, is tell the bus driver they're heading to a cooling center to cool off.

>> Read more about Pierce Transit's free bus program.

If you can't make it out to the cooling centers this weekend, the county is offering a few heat safety tips:

• Spend time in air-conditioned spaces. If not a cooling center, consider an air-conditioned mall, theater, or another cool public place.
• Cover windows that receive morning or afternoon sun.
• Dress in lightweight clothes.
• Check on your elderly neighbors or relatives. Encourage them to stay cool and drink lots of water.
• Limit time spent in direct sun.
• Do not leave children, pets, or people with limited mobility in parked cars.
• Stay tuned for emergency updates.

Related: Excessive Heat Warning Issued Across Puget Sound