Wake & Durham counties offer cooling stations to battle heat. Here’s where they are.
Wake County has opened cooling stations as heat index values are expected to hit triple digits this week.
The cooling stations will remain open throughout the rest of the week. A heat advisory in in effect for many parts of central North Carolina, including Wake County, as temperatures will reach the mid-90s to near 100 with heat.
But it could feel like 107 with the heat index, according to the National Weather Service.
“Last summer, hospitals saw more than 3,100 heat-related emergency department visits across our state,” said Josh Creighton, Wake County Fire Services and Emergency Management Deputy Director, in a news release. “Keeping residents safe and healthy is one of our top priorities, and we encourage anyone who needs relief from the heat to take advantage of these opportunities throughout the county.”
Wake County cooling stations hours, addresses
The cooling stations will be open every day starting at 10 am. and closing at 5:15 p.m. at the following locations:
- Wake County Human Services, 220 Swinburne St. Raleigh,
- Eastern Regional Center, 1002 Dogwood Drive, Zebulon,
- Northern Regional Center, 350 E. Holding Ave., Wake Forest
- Southern Regional Center, 130 N. Judd Parkway, Fuquay-Varina,
Residents can also visit one of the county’s public libraries, but hours and closing times vary so people should to wakegov.com/library before heading out.
Durham County cooling station locations
Durham County is also encouraging people to visit its local libraries to stay out of the heat. The Main, North, South, Southwest and East locations are all open from 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.
- Main Library, 300 N. Roxboro St., Durham
- North Regional Library, 221 Milton Road, Durham
- South Regional Library, 4505 S. Alston Ave., Durham
- Southwest Regional Library, 3605 Shannon Road, Durham
- East Regional Library, 211 Lick Creek Lane, Durham
More details can be found at durhamcountylibrary.org.
▪ Orange County has not opened any shelters as of 1:30 p.m. Monday.
How to stay cool, avoid heat-related illnesses
Here are some tips from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for staying cool and taking early precaution against heat-related illnesses, which can be serious:
- Stay indoors: Even a few hours in air conditioning can help you stay cool when you have to go back in the heat.
- Drink fluids: Don’t wait until you’re active or thirsty. Avoid alcohol or sugary drinks, which can make you lose even more bodily fluids.
- Dress appropriately: Loose-fitting, light-colored active wear is best for incredibly hot days.
- Slather on SPF: Sunburn makes your body worse at cooling down, and it makes you more dehydrated.
- Take cool showers and baths: Electric fans can provide relief, but they don’t protect against heat-related illnesses like AC does when temperatures are in the high 90s. If you’re using a fan to stay cool, be sure to add daily cool showers and baths to your routine.
- Learn about heat-related illnesses: Such as heat stroke, heat exhaustion, heat cramps and heat rash. These are preventable and can be treated once recognizing the signs. To learn more, visit cdc.gov/disasters/extremeheat.
For more tips, visit cdc.gov/disasters/extremeheat.
This story was originally published June 13, 2022 at 10:45 AM.
