Where can you escape the heat when most cooling centers are closed?

TUCSON, Arizona (13 News) – Last week, many official cooling centers in Pima County were closed for the year.

But where do people go instead on 38 degree days like Thursday?

Brian Flagg with Soup kitchen Casa Maria said that without affordable housing, heat mitigation measures are essential.

“I think cooling centers are a matter of life and death because the heat here is so extreme and people are really suffering. And the most important thing for them is to have a plan to get somewhere,” Flagg said.

As summer comes to an end, the cooling centers that have protected many people from overheating are also closing.

“Technically, heat season here in Pima County lasts until the end of September, so we have some facilities that remain operational throughout September, but many close their operations on August 31,” says Kat Davis, director of Pima County's Emergency Mitigation and Preparedness Division.

Pima County said that in the future, it could be days like today and the community's response that could determine whether cooling centers stay open longer in the years to come.

“That's one of the things we're trying to do: we're trying to collect a lot of data on our cooling centers, how much they're being used, what they're being used for, what people want to see in the cooling centers, and we're collecting a lot of other information that will hopefully guide our work over the next few years,” Davis said.

If you are currently suffering from the heat and have no cooling option nearby, here are a few recommendations.

“I'm sending them right down the street to the Sam Lena Library and hope that continues in other parts of the city,” Flagg said.

The district said community centers and libraries are the best places to go.

“These facilities are still open and still operating,” Davis said. “They may not be offering the additional cooling center services, but they are still public places that people can go to.”

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