Pierce County To Open Cooling Centers For Hot Weekend

PUYALLUP, WA — Pierce County Emergency Management has announced plans to open several cooling centers just in time for the heatwave this weekend.

The National Weather Service has issued an Excessive Heat Warning for Friday through Monday, during which temperatures are expected to push past the 80s and potentially even into the triple digits.

That's dangerously high for some residents, especially those without convenient access to AC or other means of cooling off. Older adults, young children, and people with mental illnesses or chronic diseases are at particularly high risk, the county said.

To help out, Pierce County Emergency Management and other county partners will be opening three cooling centers for the hot weekend.

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

Cooling Center at South Hill Mall, located at 3500 S Meridian Unit 494 in Puyallup. The South Hill Mall cooling center will be open Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

Chapel Hill Church in Gig Harbor, located at 7700 Skansie Ave in Gig Harbor. The chapel's cooling center will also be open Saturday through Monday.

Church For All Nations, at 111 112th St E in Tacoma. The Church for All Nations will have a cooling center set up in its parking lot Saturday.

Metro Parks Tacoma is also opening its Spraygrounds beginning Saturday. More information on Spraygrounds times, dates, and locations can be found here.

Elsewhere, the City of Puyallup has partnered with the Puyallup Food Bank to host a cooling center Saturday through Monday at the food bank's facility at 217 W Stewart Ave. That facility will be open from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. daily.

The City of Lakewood is also opening Lakewood City Hallas a cooling center Sunday and Monday, from noon to 7 p.m. each day.

Can't get to the cooling centers? The county also has that covered: from Friday through Monday, Pierce Transit will be offering free trips to and from cooling centers. 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: 'Dangerously Hot': Historic Heat Wave Ahead For Washington