Cooling shelter to open Thursday and Friday afternoons
By Morgan Rothborne, Ashland.news
A heat advisory has been issued by the National Weather Service for soaring temperatures expected Thursday and Friday and Ashland residents are encouraged to use available resources to stay cool, according to a release from the city of Ashland.
Thursday is anticipated to reach 101 degrees, while Friday will climb to a comparatively cooler 98 degrees, but night time temperatures are expected to remain in the 50s and 60s, triggering a heat warning for much of Jackson, Josephine and Siskiyou county areas, according to the National Weather Service. According to a Dept of Homeland Security Website linked in the city’s release, the coming heat wave constitutes extreme heat with inherent risks to human health.
“Extreme heat is a period of high heat and humidity with temperatures above 90 degrees for at least two to three days. In extreme heat your body works extra hard to maintain a normal temperature, which can lead to death. Extreme heat is responsible for the highest number of annual deaths among all weather-related hazards,” the website said.
Ashland residents are encouraged to wear lightweight loose fitting clothing, drink fluids, avoid direct sunlight and stay in air conditioned spaces as possible. For those who need it, the city will activate its severe weather shelter at 2200 Ashland St. during the heatwave. The shelter will be open from noon to 7 p.m. Space is limited at the “no frills” shelter, the release said.
Ashland residents were also encouraged in the release to take refuge at the Ashland Public Library at 410 Siskiyou Blvd., which is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Fridays, and noon to 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays,
or in several city parks offering shade or the ability to cool off with water, such as the Garfield Park splash pad or the Daniel Meyer Pool. For a complete list of Ashland Parks and recreation offerings, visit the APRC page.
The city of Ashland’s shelter relies on volunteers to operate, the release said. To learn about how to help, contact the shelter’s volunteer coordinator Avram Sacks at avramsacks@gmail.com or 541-220-7307.
To receive notifications about when the Severe Weather Shelter is activated, text 97520SHELTER to 888777. Email Ashland.news reporter Morgan Rothborne at morganr@ashland.news.
