Los Angeles opens cooling centers in wake of heat wave
(Photo by Uwe Anspach/picture alliance via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES - The Los Angeles city Department of Recreation and Parks and the county's Office of Emergency Management announced Friday that 10 cooling centers have opened to help people cope with high temperatures this weekend.
Although the Safer at Home orders are still in place during the coronavirus pandemic, Recreation and Parks officials said the centers will follow social distancing guidelines during hours of operation.
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The National Weather Service issued an excessive heat warning for the Los Angeles area that began late this morning and will remain in effect through 6 p.m. Saturday.
The city's cooling centers opened at noon and will close at 6 p.m., with the same hours of operation on Saturday, at:
-- the Lincoln Heights Senior Center, 2323 Workman St., 323-225-9339;
-- Mid-Valley Senior Center at the Sepulveda Recreation Center, 8825 Kester Ave., Panorama City, 818-892-0892;
-- Robert Wilkinson Multipurpose Center, 8956 Vanalden Ave. in Northridge, 818-756-7741; and
-- Sherman Oaks East Valley Adult Center, 5056 Van Nuys Blvd., 818-386-9674.
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The county added six more cooling centers that opened at noon and will close at 6 p.m., and they will be open during those hours on Saturday.
The county's cooling centers are located at:
-- Jocelyn Center, 210 N. Chapel Ave. in Alhambra;
-- Buena Vista Library, 300 N. Buena Vista St. in Burbank;
-- Colonel Leon Washington Park, 8908 South Maie Ave. in South Los Angeles;
-- Robinson Park Community Center, 1081 N. Fair Oaks Ave. in Pasadena;
-- El Cariso Community Regional Park, 13100 Hubbard St. in Sylmar; and
-- Whittier Community Center, 7630 Washington Ave. in Whittier.
After the conclusion of the cooling centers' activation hours, the facilities will continue to follow the citywide park closures and restrictions mandated by Safer at Home orders and the county Department of Public Health orders until further notice, Recreation and Parks officials said.
With beaches and malls out of the realm of possibility for people without air conditioning, this will help some folks.
More information about the facilities is available by calling 311 or the Recreation and Parks public information office at 213-202-2700, or visiting www.laparks.org.
For a list of cooling centers throughout the county click here.
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