Cooling centers, swimming holes: Where you can beat the heat and stay safe in Kitsap County
The National Weather Service issued an excessive heat warning on Monday that lasts from mid-day Tuesday until Friday evening. In Bremerton and the surrounding area, temperatures could soar into the 80s and 90s during those days. At night, a drop to the mid-60s will provide a little relief from the heat. Temperatures could dip into the lower 80s starting this weekend.
As the heat wave rolls in, cooling centers across the county will be open starting Tuesday.
Some Kitsap Regional Library branches across the county will be opening as cooling stations, according to KRL's website. The ones welcoming those taking shelter from the heat are Bainbridge Island, Kingston, Little Boston, Manchester, Port Orchard, Poulsbo and Sylvan Way. The downtown Bremerton branch will be closing at 2 p.m. Monday through Friday this week because of the high temperatures.
Kitsap County's Department of Emergency Management is opening a number of cooling centers July 26-27:
Port Orchard: First Lutheran Community Church, 2483 Mitchell Road SE, Port Orchard (2-8 p.m.)
Poulsbo: City Hall, 200 Moe St. NE, Poulsbo (2-8 p.m.)
Kingston: Village Green Community Center, 26159 Dulay Road NE, Kingston (2-8 p.m.)
Central Kitsap/East Bremerton: Kitsap County Fairgrounds Pavilion, 1200 Fairgrounds Road NW, Bremerton (2-8 p.m.)
Bremerton: Salvation Army, 832 Sixth St., Bremerton (2-5:30 p.m., reopening for overnight shelter service starting at 6 p.m.)
Kitsap Transit will be waiving fares for passengers riding to and from cooling centers starting Tuesday.
Swimming holes
When the weather heats up, swimmers crowd Kitsap County's lakes and shorelines looking for a spot to cool down.
Where do they go? The following lakes attract the largest number of swimmers:
Horseshoe Lake, Port Orchard
Island Lake, Poulsbo
Wildcat Lake, Bremerton
Kitsap Lake, Bremerton
Long Lake, Port Orchard
For more information on popular swimming holes in Kitsap County, click here.
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City fountains, splash pads
The splash pad in Port Orchard welcomes people to cool off during the coming hot week.
The McCormick Village Park splash pad opened on May 28 and will operate from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. each day until Labor Day.
The splash pad had been closed. “Sometimes things break,” explained Port Orchard Mayor Rob Putaansuu. The city is in the process of awarding a contract to install a water recirculation system.
Until then, during drought conditions, the pad may close or reduce its hours.
The park features sidewalks and paths, an entry plaza, a pedestrian bridge, picnic shelters, play areas, a fenced dog park area, paved parking stalls and new landscaping.
In Bremerton, the downtown Harborside fountain park is a popular summer destination for people looking to beat the heat. While not originally intended to be shallow pools to cool off in, the fountains near the Bremerton ferry terminal attracted waders from the moment they were introduced, and as a result, the city treats the water to make it safe for swimmers.
Staying safe
The National Weather Service recommends staying out of the sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. and making sure children and pets aren’t left in vehicles.
“Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors,” the advisory notes.
Forecast updates can be found on the National Weather Service’s Seattle page and Kitsap County Department of Emergency Management's website.
Kitsap Sun reporter Jesse Darland contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Kitsap Sun: Kitsap County cooling centers: Where escape the heat wave
