The National Weather Service issued a hazardous weather advisory for heat today and tomorrow, with temperatures expected to rise to 100 degrees on Friday. Today the Mayor signed an emergency declaration due to extreme heat. The declaration takes effect at midnight on Friday, July 30 and will be in effect until 11:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 31, unless it is extended, modified, or terminated.
The tragic losses in June’s Heat Dome event showed the increasing risk of extreme heat in our region, and the importance of responding proactively to heat risks. Although this week’s weather is predicted to be much milder than June’s record-breaking heat, the National Weather Service still described the heat as creating “Risk for much of the population, especially those who are heat sensitive and those without effective cooling and/or adequate hydration.” Accordingly, the City is modeling a proactive response to heatwaves.
“I said this just earlier today, but as Mayor of Portland it is my civic responsibility to do everything I can to protect your health and safety,” Mayor Wheeler stated this afternoon. “Whether it’s a pandemic or life-threatening hot temperatures, health and safety of our community is my highest priority.”
Heat is a public health risk. As the local public health authority, Multnomah County has a leading role in the response to severe heat. However, recent events show us that heat events may increasingly require multiple agencies and the community to work together to meet the needs of the whole community. Therefore, the City opened three of its own cooling centers earlier today, at Charles Jordan Community Center, Matt Dishman Community Center, and The Portland Building. The City also opened three outdoor misting centers in Glenhaven Park, Knott Park, and Mt Scott Park. These resources give residents more choices and build the City’s capacity for independent and robust response to heat.
Interim Portland Bureau of Emergency Management Director Jonna Papaefthimiou said the City was eager to step up and help the community. “We are increasing our ability to directly assist the community during severe heat. Climate change is here. This was an opportunity to strengthen muscles we will need to use more in the future,” said Papaefthimiou. “These experiences will also help us respond to future smoke events.”
The City also assisted regional heat related efforts by coordinating the emergency notifications that most Portland metropolitan area community members received earlier today. Working with both Multnomah County and the City of Gresham, the City was able to send out alerts in the form of a text, phone call or email to over 800,000 contacts, warning them about the upcoming increased temperatures, letting them know about resources to beat the heat, and asking them to check on others.
Declaring a state of emergency means that the City will have an easier time tracking expenses for heat response and planning for these costs in the future. “We were grateful for the County’s assistance in setting up our own shelters for the first time. We didn’t realize they would hand us a list of 137 items that we needed in order to open a cooling space,” Papaefthimiou said. “But we mobilized quickly, recruited City workers and experienced volunteers to co-staff our shelters, and we’re ready to welcome anyone who needs a cool and safe place to be.”
For a complete list of the City and County’s cooling centers and other heat safety related information please visit Multnomah County’s hot weather resource page.
For additional City resources, including locations of splash pads and interactive fountains please visit the City’s summer heat wave resource page.