Kansas City is offering cooling centers all over the city so that people who need to escape the excessive heat will have comfortable and safe places to seek shelter.
The City’s 10 community centers will also serve as cooling centers during normal business hours. Those in south Kansas City include Hillcrest Community Center, 10401 Hillcrest Rd., Marlborough Community Center, 8200 The Paseo Blvd, and Southeast Community Center, 4201 E 63 St.
In addition to the community centers, many of the City’s free spraygrounds are open and can provide relief. Those include the Longview Tract Sprayground, 7101 Longview Rd., Loose Park Sprayground, 52nd Terrace and Summit, and Sunnyside Park Sprayground, 8255 Summit.
The unhoused population is often more vulnerable to extreme weather conditions, so making sure resources are easily accessible for residents who might need help is a priority.
“Being weather aware means taking steps to keep cool and to look out for neighbors and relatives who may be vulnerable to the heat and humidity,” said Dr. Marvia Jones. “At this point Kansas City is under a heat advisory, not an excessive heat warning, but it’s still a great idea to be proactive within our communities.”
Here are additional ways to stay cool:
- Buses and the streetcar are free to ride, and air-conditioned. You can take a ride to cool off.
- Many shelters for the unhoused will be open during the day as cooling centers, and outreach teams will be working the streets to make sure that unhoused people know where to find those shelters.
And here are hot weather safety tips:
- Do not use a fan as your primary source of cooling on extremely hot days. If your home does not have air conditioning, please go to an air-conditioned location during the heat of the day.
- Check on your neighbors, friends and relatives at least twice a day (morning and night). If you cannot reach them, you can call police to conduct a welfare check at 234-5111.
- Never leave children, pets or others alone in closed vehicles: within minutes, the temperature inside a car can reach over 140 degrees and this can kill within minutes.
- If you have to work outside or in a non-air-conditioned workplace, take frequent breaks, rest in the shade or cooler environment, and drink plenty of water.
- Avoid too much sunshine, and postpone outdoor activities and games.
For more tips and hot weather information, visit kcmo.gov/heat. To sign up for extreme weather alerts via text or email, visit kcmo.gov.alertkc.