Cooling Center

 The Carbondale Warming Center has opened as the Cooling center for those needing respite from the heat. No word as to whether the Civic Center will also open as a cooling center next week

As we approach high heat indexes this weekend, we wanted to remind our community that the Carbondale Warming Center, located at 608 E College Street, is available for those who need reprieve from the heat.
The lobby will be open for individuals to rest inside an air conditioned space and water and Gatorade will be available for free. No public restroom is available to those walking in for temporary cooling relief.

Individuals may still register as guests to stay at the Carbondale Warming Center facilities where they will have full access amenities including the restroom and shower. Spaces are more limited during the summer due to the upstairs overflow space being unavailable at this time.

Donations are always welcomed and encouraged for the Carbondale Warming Center. At this time they are seeking bags of ice, water, and snacks (especially cooling ones such as popsicles). The Carbondale Warming Center is staffed 24/7. Doors are locked for security purposes at 10:30 PM and re-opened at 6 AM.

Cooling Center Update

A reader of the blog emailed to say that a lot of people are making use of the Carbondale Public Library as an unofficial cooling center.  This makes sense, since, as the email pointed out, the Library is located in the same approximate area as the Civic Center so it is not that much farther of a walk to get to it.

Plus, the amenities at the Library are head and shoulders above those provided at the Civic Center.  At the Library, you get computers, magazines, books, newspapers, Internet, in short, lots of things to occupy yourself with while there.  The Civic Center provides the city's WiFi, tables, chairs and a pitcher of water.  I know which one I would pick.

Cooling Center Open

Talking with a couple of city employees, I found that, in all the years the city has opened a cooling center in response to extreme heat, they could not remember a single person ever taking advantage of it:

In response to the Excessive Heat Advisory, the City of Carbondale is providing a Cooling Center from Monday through Friday. The Cooling Center is located in Room 112 of the Carbondale Civic Center, with the following hours: Monday through Thursday 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.; Friday 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

During the Excessive Heat Advisory, citizens are encouraged to stay hydrated and indoors in the air conditioning as much as is practicable.