Extreme Heat Response

September Relief for a Late-Summer Heatwave (September 204)

As summer drew to a close, Portland wasn’t quite finished with the heat. The September 2024 heatwave brought another reminder that extreme weather doesn’t always follow the calendar. Lloyd EcoDistrict once again activated its Cooling Room at the Lloyd Center mall, offering a much-needed refuge during the intense heat on September 5th and 6th. Over two days, we served 127 guests, providing a cool, comfortable space to escape the high temperatures. Read more about this activation here.

Record-Breaking Heatwave in Portland (July 2024)

Portland’s recent long-duration heatwave once again set record-high temperatures, peaking at 104 degrees on July 9, 2024. This extreme heat posed significant dangers and in response, Lloyd EcoDistrict activated our “Extreme Heat Response” program.  We operated a pop-up emergency cooling center at the Lloyd Center mall, converting the former store into a safe space. Over two days, we welcomed 244 guests, providing relief from the intense heat with supplies like cooling towels, water, electrolytes, and snacks. Attendees could stay for a few minutes or several hours as they recovered from the heat outside or in their homes.

This effort was made possible through the generous support of our partners: the Lloyd Center donated the space, Multnomah County Emergency Management donated supplies, and PBEM covered additional costs. We’re particularly grateful to the volunteers who contributed more than twenty hours over the two days.  Learn more about our July 2024 Cooling Room here.

Keeping Our Community Cool: Summer Heatwave Activation (2023)

Anticipating that people would need to seek refuge from the historical heat wave in August of 2023, we decided to take action. We approached the Lloyd Center management with a proposal – could we use the Ulta space as an official cooling area during the impending heatwave? They saw the urgency of the situation and gave us the green light.

Our Cooling Room was a no-frills solution to a pressing problem. We offered cold water bottles, ice otter pops, cooling towels, and snacks – simple essentials to combat heat and hunger. The room, equipped with tables and chairs from our Resource Fair, became a space where people could find respite, recharge their devices, and escape the relentless heat. We got coloring books, crayons, puzzles, books, cards, and games for guests to have something to do while in the space and make it feel more welcoming.

Over three days we ended up having around 376 guests in the Cooling Room. Learn more about our 2023 Cooling Room here.

1. Get a cooling unit
   If your residence already has a cooling unit, such as an air conditioner or heat pump, check that it is running effectively. If you do not have an air conditioning unit, you may qualify for a free one:

• Multnomah County is distributing cooling units to eligible clients. Learn more here.
• Cooling Portland: A PCEF-funded climate resilience program: see if you are eligible to receive a cooling unit.
• Oregon Health Plan: Certain OHP participants may qualify for a free unit.

A note of air conditioners and apartments: In March of 2022, the Oregon Legislature passed Senate Bill 1536 which established tenants’ rights to have a cooling unit in their residence. Additionally, the bill requires landlords to allow most types of air conditioning units. If you are a tenant, it is essential that you know your rights related to cooling units. To learn more, please refer to this article by the Oregonian.

2. Make/acquire indoor shades
   Covering windows limits the amount of sun and heat that can enter the room, ultimately increasing the room’s temperature. You can cover windows with various shades such as blankets, aluminum foil, and curtains.
3. Learn how to adapt your home
   Community Energy Project Home Weatherization and Repair: Servicing people who earn 50% of median income or less or are 55 or older and/or have a disability.
   Multnomah County Weatherization Program: Recieve a free energy audit and energy upgrades for free for households earning 200% or less of the Federal Poverty Level.
4. Sign up for public alerts
   Signing up for public alerts before an emergency, like a significant heat wave, occurs can give you more time to prepare, as well as important information regarding the emergency. Sign up for alerts for Portland/Multnomah County.
5. Get prepared by attending a workshop
   DIY Cooling Workshops: The Community Energy Projects teaches DIY Cooling Workshops on low-cost cooling and energy saving techniques for renters and homeowners – includes free kit of materials for qualified participants.

Even if you prepare for the heat, it is possible that high temperatures appear suddenly or you might not have access to a cool room at your home. Here are some potential actions to keep yourself (and your pets) cool and safe:

Keep yourself cool

Find a Cooling Shelter or Location Where You can Cool Down

• Cooling shelters across Portland provide food and water, safe, air-conditioned places to rest or sleep with some shelters allowing pets.
  • Check the Multnomah County’s Help for When it’s Hot website up-to-date information.
  • Check out this map of up-to-date locations of cooling locations.
    • Some Cooling Locations could be outside – such as the interative fountain at Holladay Park in Lloyd or other splash pads around Portland.
  • Need a ride to a shelter? Health Share Oregon may be able to help you get there. TriMet also offers free rides to cooling shelters. 
• Call 2-1-1 to find a cooling shelter nearest to you or for transportation support to a specific cooling shelter or center. Available in English and Spanish.
• Places like the Lloyd Center, movie theatres, and public libraries are often good places to spend a few hours cooling down.

Know the signs of heat-related illnesses
When extreme heat is present, it is important to monitor your own health and the health of those around you. There are three levels of heat emergency: heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke. If you know the signs, you can decrease and prevent the possibility of these heat emergencies occurring. In addition to the three main heat emergencies, sunburns and heat rashes are two other common heat-related illnesses.

Take a look at the CDC’s Warning Signs and Symptoms of Heat-Related Illness.

Keep your pets cool

• Never leave your pets in a car unattended
• Limit exercise on hot days
• Don’t rely on a fan
• Provide ample shade and water
• Watch signs for heatstroke
• Remember that the street can be a lot hotter than the temperature outdoors and can be very harmful to your pet’s feet. Walk your animal during the cooler parts of the day such as the morning and evening. 
• Learn more here: https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/keep-pets-safe-heat

• Help for When it’s Hot – Multnomah County        
• Extreme Heat Safety – PublicAlerts
• NEW Heat Vulnerability Map – Multnomah County
• Urban Heat Island Map – METRO
• 211 info: Dial 2-1-1 to find cool spaces near you and transportation support.
• Heat Safety Videos in 21 Languages
• National Weather Service: Check the forecast and plan activities for the coolest times of the day.
• Multnomah County: Heat Illness Flyers