Excessive heat warning: Latest news, places to stay cool

This story was updated at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday

A heat wave with high temperatures exceeding 100 degrees in the Willamette Valley has prompted an excessive heat warning.

High temperatures through at least Wednesday will range from the upper 90s to the low 100s, according to the National Weather Service. The temperatures combined with the duration of heat will pose a heightened health risk.

This is the latest information about the heat wave.

Willamalane Park Swim Center and Camp Putt closed Tuesday

Willamalane Park Swim Center and Camp Putt are closed Tuesday and the 1-4 p.m. waterpark swim is canceled. Pending indoor air quality, Splash! at Lively Park is scheduled to open late for the 4:30-7:30 p.m. waterpark swim.

The Bob Keefer Center and Willamalane Adult Activity Center are open as clean and cool air centers. See hours below.

Howard Buford Recreation Area closing

Lane County Parks has closed Howard Buford Recreation Area (Mt. Pisgah) until further notice due to weather conditions and fire danger. The closure includes all areas of the park, including the trails, arboretum and river access.

Campfires, smoking banned in Lane County campgrounds

All campfires in Lane County campgrounds, day use areas and beaches are temporarily prohibited due to wildfire concerns.

This includes charcoal fires, pellet-fueled grills, cooking fires, warming fires, candles, tiki torches and any other open flames including propane fire rings.

Smoking is also banned outdoors in all sites, including designated smoking campsites.

Portable cooking stoves and propane lanterns using liquefied or bottled fuels are allowed on paved surfaces. Generators may be used on paved surfaces.

Salem area cooling shelters

Cooling shelters will be open in Salem and the surrounding area, including:

• Salem Kroc Center, noon to 8 p.m. Monday-Wednesday, 1865 Bill Frey Drive NE, Salem, 503-566-5762.

• ARCHES Day Center, noon to 7 p.m. Monday and Tuesday and 9 am. to 7 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, 615 Commercial St. NE, Salem, 503-399-9080.

• Union Gospel Mission, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., 885 Commercial St. NE, Salem, 503-967-6388.

• Inside Out Refuge, 3-8 p.m., 910 Front St. NE, Salem, 503-399-8698.

• Recovery Outreach Community Center (ROCC), 2-5 p.m., 2555 Silverton Road NE, Salem, 503-393-4273.

• Santiam Outreach Community Center (SOCC), 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., 280 NE Santiam Blvd., Mill City, 971-332-5676.

• Polk County ROCC, 1-5 p.m., 945 SE Uglow Ave., Dallas, 503-837-1762.

The Salem Public Library and Center 50+ are available during business hours for residents needing a safe place to cool off.

ARCHES Project is sending outreach teams into the community to distribute hydration and cooling items and help those who are particularly vulnerable to the heat, including those over 65, the chronically ill and children.

The Youth Drop-In Center at its new location at 1255 Broadway St. NE will be open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and include the distribution of cooling items (water, Gatorade, cooling rags, hats, sunscreen, popsicles) and meals.

ARCHES is accepting donations for water, Gatorade, Powerade, prepackaged snacks, and cooling rags at the Tanner Project on 2933 Center St. NE. Donations can be dropped off at any time between now and Aug. 18.

Eugene area cooling centers

Lane Transit District is providing free transportation to cooling centers. Riders need to state they intend to travel to a cooling center and a ride to the closest stop to nearest open center will be provided

Eugene-area cooling centers and hours:

• Lane Events Center, 796 W 13th Ave., Eugene, in Meeting Room 1. Noon to 8 p.m. Wednesday. A cooling and respite location with on-site air scrubbers and animal crates and supplies from Greenhill Humane Society.

• Trinity Methodist Church, 440 Maxwell Road, Eugene, will be open from 7 p.m. Wednesday to 7 a.m. Thursday as an overnight smoke respite shelter.

• Oregon Department of Human Services, 2885 Chad Drive, Eugene: Open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is closed Saturday and Sunday.

• Oregon Department of Human Services, 2101 W 11 Ave., Eugene: Open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is closed Saturday and Sunday.

• Downtown Library, 100 W. 10th Ave., Eugene: Open Monday-Thursday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Friday-Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

• Bethel Branch Library, 1990 Echo Hollow Road, Eugene: Open Monday and Wednesday-Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Tuesday from 12 to 8 p.m. It is closed on Sunday.

• Sheldon Branch Library, 1566 Coburg Road, Eugene: Open Monday and Wednesday-Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Tuesday from 12 to 8 p.m. It is closed on Sunday.

• Eugene Family YMCA, 2055 Patterson St., Eugene: Open Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from 5:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Tuesday from 5:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Friday from 5:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

• First Baptist Church of Eugene, 3550 Fox Meadow Road, Eugene: Open Monday-Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday from 8:30 a.m. to noon and Sunday from 9:45 a.m. to noon. It is closed Saturday.

• Lane Events Center, 796 W. 13th Ave. Meeting Room 1, Eugene: Open from 5-8 p.m. throughout the heat wave. Check in at the front desk. Snacks, water and restrooms will be available.

• Nurturely Drop-In Hour + Feeding Support: Lactation Lounge, 56 E 15th Ave., Eugene: Open Monday-Thursday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• Saint Vincent de Paul’s Eugene Service Station, 450 OR-99, Eugene: Open daily from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• Looking Glass New Roads (intended for youth ages 16 to 24), 941 W Seventh Ave., Eugene: Open daily from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.

• Looking Glass Station 7 (intended for youth ages 11 to 17), 931 W Seventh Ave., Eugene: Open daily, 24-hours.The Lane County Heat and Smoke Respite Center, located at Lane Events Center at 796 W. 13th Ave in Meeting Room 1, will remain open today from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. Additionally, thanks to the Lane County partners at St. Vincent DePaul, Trinity Methodist Church, located at 440 Maxwell Rd, will be open again as an overnight smoke respite shelter. The shelter will be available from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.

Springfield-area cooling centers and hours:

• Oregon Department of Human Services, 101 30th St., Springfield: Open Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is closed Saturday and Sunday.

• Springfield Public Library 225 Fifth St., Springfield (inside City Hall): Open Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. It is closed on Sunday.

• Willamalane Bob Keefer Center, 250 S 32nd St., Springfield: Open Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.

• Willamalane Adult Activity Center, 215 W C St., Springfield: Open Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Other Lane County cooling centers and hours:

• Cottage Grove Community Center, 700 E Gibbs Ave., Cottage Grove: Open Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is closed Saturday and Sunday.

• Cottage Grove Library, 700 E Gibbs Ave., Cottage Grove: Open Monday and Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Wednesday-Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

• Cottage Grove Oregon Department of Human Services, 305 Coop Ct., Cottage Grove: Open Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is closed Saturday and Sunday.

• Fern Ridge Service Center, 25035 W Broadway Ave., Veneta: Open Monday-Friday noon to 8 p.m.

• Florence Oregon Department of Human Services, 3180 US-101, Florence: Open Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is closed Saturday and Sunday.

• McKenzie Bridge Christian Church, 56334 McKenzie Hwy., McKenzie Bridge: Open Thursday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Sunday 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. It is closed Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.

If no cooling centers are nearby, Lane County recommends visiting a shopping center or a park with plenty of shade or water features.

Eugene resident Bob Blanchard suggests spraying your clothing with water to cool off, or as he has done since he was a child, soak the top half of a T-shirt in water, ring it out, put the T-shirt on and then sit in front a of fan.

"Our natural perspiration suggests this solution," Blanchard said, and fans are less expensive than air conditioners and use less energy.

For more information on excessive heat and staying cool in Lane County, go to lanecountyor.gov/cooling.

EWEB asks customers to conserve, regional power grid is strained

Eugene Water & Electric Board asked customers to voluntarily conserve energy through Wednesday, especially between 4-9 p.m., saying the regional power grid is strained due to the heat wave.Several regional generators in the Northwest have been shut down due to wildfire conditions, including EWEB’s Carmen-Smith hydroelectric facility on the McKenzie River," due to the Lookout Fire, the utility said in a press release Tuesday. EWEB serves some 96,000 customers in the Eugene-Springfield area.

With the Carmen-Smith facility shut down, EWEB is buying electricity on the market, where prices are high, the release said. The utility typically buys power at around $30-$50 per megawatt hour but is seeing prices of $1,000-$1,700 per megawatt hour at peak times.

EWEB is not forecasting emergency power shutoffs or “rolling blackouts,” but said reliability could be impacted if other major generating units are forced offline.

“We don’t want our customers to panic,” EWEB’s chief energy resource officer Brian Booth said. “But if customers can take some simple steps to reduce or shift their electricity usage, it can reduce costs and relieve some of the strain on the grid during these extreme conditions.”

EWEB offered these ways to conserve energy:

• Set your air conditioner to 74 degrees or higher.• Avoid charging electric vehicles.• Use small countertop appliances instead of the stove or oven.• Delay running the dryer or dishwasher.• Turn off any unnecessary lights and electronics.

PGE asks customers to conserve energy

Portland General Electric is asking customers to conserve as much power as possible to reduce stress on the power grid during times when demand is high due to the sweltering heat.

PGE said its employees are working to address or prevent potential heat-related issues and lower demand including adding extra cooling systems on distribution equipment to keep it from overheating and encouraging industrial and commercial customers to reduce power usage..

Summer power use typically peaks between 5-10 p.m. PGE is asking residential customers to:

• Run air conditioners only when at home and keep thermostats set to the highest comfortable level. Cool only rooms lived in.

• If temperatures cool down enough, consider turning the AC off at night and open windows instead.

• Avoid using large electrical appliances such as ovens, dishwashers and washing machines during peak morning and evening periods.

• If you charge an electric vehicle at home, charge during off-peak hours.

• Turn off all unnecessary electrical equipment such as entertainment systems, computers, copiers and lights when not in use.

To prepare in case of power outages:

• Have an outage kit ready including flashlights, car chargers for cell phones and other devices, emergency numbers.

• Have food available that does not require cooking and a manual can opener.

• Make ice by freezing water in plastic bags to keep food cold and have thermometers in refrigerators and freezers to monitor for safe temperatures.

Watch for signs of heat illness

According to the Oregon Health Authority, signs of heat exhaustion include:

• Feeling faint or dizzy.

• Heavy sweating.

• Fast, weak pulse.

• Nausea or vomiting.

• Cold, pale, clammy skin.

• Muscle cramps.

The signs of heatstroke include:

• A body temperature above 103 degrees.

• Red, hot, dry or damp skin.

• Fast, strong pulse.

• Headache.

• Nausea or vomiting.

• Losing consciousness.

Call 911 immediately if someone has symptoms of heatstroke, and do not give them fluids.

YMCA moves camps inside

Withnell Family YMCA is closing the Thrive Center from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday and Tuesday so kids participating in day camps can use the indoor space instead and stay out of the heat.

The pickup window will be open and the cafe will be open to take any orders.

Salem-Keizer schools adjust for heat

Salem-Keizer Public Schools is making adjustments to its summer operations due to the heat.

Here are some of the changes:

• All summer programs for the week will conclude by 12:30 p.m. Families of students in specific programs have been notified. If families have additional questions, they should contact their school.

• Summer meal service will continue to be available from 11:30 a.m.- 12:30 p.m.

• School offices without air conditioning will be closed to the public after noon Tuesday.

• All practices and events will follow OSAA heat index and guidelines. Coaches will provide updates to students and families if there are any additional changes to practice schedules.

This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Excessive heat warning issued for Willamette Valley