With another looming heat advisory, the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District has identified 37 cooling locations throughout the city for residents who need a place to cool off. Community members are also asked to check on neighbors and family, especially infants, young children and the elderly.
“We are working to provide additional cooling options for our population most at risk of developing heat-related problems and make them feel a little better during these hot days,” said Dr. Thomas Schlenker, Director of the Metro Health District in a release.
See a map of these locations to the right of this story. Each location is near a public transportation route. In addition, an interactive map displaying addresses and phone numbers for each location will be posted on the city’s main website, www.sanantonio.gov
UPDATE, 12:37 p.m., August 26: The city will open four senior centers on Saturday, August 27, to help people stay cool with record high temperatures of 105 to 110 degrees expected tomorrow. All four locations will be open from 7:45 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Anybody needing assistance on Sunday is asked to call 311, according to the city's news release. The four locations are:
- District 2 Senior Center, 1751 South W.W. White Road, (210) 207-5390
- Willie M. Cortez Senior Center, 5512 S.W. Military Drive, (210) 207-5294
- Bob Ross Senior Multi-Service Health and Resource Center, 2219 Babcock Road, (210) 207-5300
- Northeast Senior Center, 4355 Centergate, (210) 207-4590
To cool off by taking a swim, nine city pools will be open from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. on August 27 and 28, and September 3 through September 5. Locations include Dellview, Fairchild, Southside Lions, Heritage, Roosevelt, Cuellar, Woodlawn, Spring Time, and LBJ. In addition, the City Natatorium is open daily, year-round. More information can be found at www.sanantonio.gov/parksandrec/swimming.aspx
Seniors who need a fan can call the United Way’s 2-1-1 Helpline to request a free fan by phone from Project Cool. Eligible recipients must be 60 years of age or older and demonstrate need.
Metropolitan Health officials warn that the danger of heat-related injuries and the potential for fatalities increase under a Level II alert. Those who do not live in a home with air conditioning or cannot visit one during the severest heat of the day (typically between 2 p.m. – 7 p.m.) are encouraged to visit an air-conditioned facility, or call one of the community resources below to seek relief. For more information or tips about elderly and the heat, visit the Centers for Disease Control's Extreme Heat feature www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/extremeheat/elderlyheat.asp .
Community members can contact the National Weather Service for the most current weather conditions at 830-606-3617 or visit www.weather.gov/sanantonio for hourly weather updates.
For Further Assistance:
If you have an emergency, call: 911
For utility assistance, call CPS: 210-353-2222
For fan assistance, call the United Way Help Line: 211
For non-emergency information, call: 311 (Hours 7 a.m. – 11 p.m.)
Information from press release.