The City of Houston is activating its Public Health Heat Emergency Plan, providing resources for people to take refuge from extreme heat over the weekend.

The National Weather Service has issued an excessive heat advisory for the Houston region for the duration of the weekend through Monday evening.

The city activates the plan when the heat index, a computation of air temperature and humidity, reaches 108 on two consecutive days.

Anyone without air-conditioning can seek shelter at any of the following city buildings designated as cooling centers:

Friday, July 8, 2022, and Monday, July 11, 2022:

All City of Houston community centers, multi-service centers, and libraries will serve as cooling centers and will be open during normal business hours.

Saturday, July 9, 2022

All city gyms will open from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

The following libraries and city parks buildings will open 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.:

Bracewell Library

9002 Kingspoint Road

Houston, TX 77075

Carnegie Library

1050 Quitman Street

Houston, TX 77009

Collier Library

6200 Pinemont Drive

Houston, TX 77092

Dixon Library/ TECHLink

8002 Hirsch Road

Houston, TX 77016

Flores Library

110 N. Milby Street

Houston, TX 77003

Frank Library

10103 Fondren (inside Brays Oaks Towers)

Houston, TX 77035

Heights Library

1302 Heights Blvd

Houston, TX 77008

Henington-Alief Library

7979 S. Kirkwood

Houston, TX 77072

Hillendahl Library

2436 Gessner

Houston, TX 77080

Jesse Jones Central Library

500 McKinney

Houston, TX 77002

Johnson Library

3517 Reed Road

Houston, TX 77051

Jungman Library

5830 Westheimer Road

Houston, TX 77057

Looscan Library

2510 Willowick Road

Houston, TX 77027

McCrane-Kashmere Gardens Library

5411 Pardee Street

Houston, TX 77026

McGovern-Stella Link Library

7405 Stella Link Rd

Houston, TX 77025

Oak Forest Library

1349 W. 43rd Street

Houston, TX 77018

Park Place Library

8145 Park Place Blvd

Houston, TX 77017

Robinson-Westchase Library

3223 Wilcrest Drive

Houston, TX 77042

Scenic Woods Library

10677 Homestead Road

Houston, TX 77016

Shepard-Acres Homes Library

8501 W. Montgomery Road

Houston, TX 77088

Smith Library

3624 Scott Street

Houston, TX 77004

Stanaker Library

611 Macario Garcia Drive

Houston, TX 77011

Stimley-Blue Ridge Library

7200 W. Fuqua Street

Missouri City, TX 77489

Tuttle Library

702 Kress Street

Houston, TX 77020

Walter Library

7660 Clarewood Drive

Houston, TX 77036

Young Library

5107 Griggs Road

Houston, TX 77021

The following multi-service centers will extend hours till 6 p.m.:

Acres Home Multi-Service Center

6719 W Montgomery Rd

Houston, TX 77091

Southwest Multi-Service Center

6400 High Star Dr

Houston, TX 77074

The following community centers will extend hours till 6 p.m.:

Tidwell Community Center

9720 Spaulding St

Houston, TX 77016

Hartman Community Center

9311 E Avenue P

Houston, TX 77012

Sunday, July 10, 2022:

The following facilities will open from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Community Centers

Tidwell Community Center

9720 Spaulding St

Houston, TX 77016

Hartman Community Center

9311 E Avenue P

Houston, TX 77012

Multi-Service Centers

Acres Home Multi-Service Center

6719 W Montgomery Rd

Houston, TX 77091

Southwest Multi-Service Center

6400 High Star Dr

Houston, TX 77074

Public Library

Downtown Library

500 McKinney St

Houston, TX 77002

People without adequate transportation to a designated cooling center can call 3-1-1 to request a free ride from METRO. Transportation is only to and from the cooling centers; transportation to other locations is unavailable.

The Houston Health Department encourages people to take extra precautions to protect themselves from heat-related illness and death. High-risk groups such as adults ages 55 and older, children under the age of 4, and people with chronic illness or who are either overweight or on certain medications should stay inside air-conditioned buildings between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m., the hottest part of the day.

The department recommends people protect themselves and their families from potentially deadly heat-related illness. It recommends people:

• Increase water consumption. Drink lots of liquids even before getting thirsty, but avoid beverages with caffeine, alcohol, or large amounts of sugar because these can result in the loss of body fluid.
• Conduct outdoor work or exercise in the early morning or evening when temperatures are not as high. Outdoor workers should drink plenty of water or electrolyte replacement beverages and take frequent breaks in the shade or in an air-conditioned facility. People unaccustomed to working or exercising in a hot environment need to start slowly and gradually increase heat exposure over several weeks.
• Wear light-colored, loose-fitting clothing that permits the evaporation of perspiration.
• Do not leave infants, children, senior citizens, or pets unattended in a parked vehicle, even if the windows are cracked open. Check to make sure everyone is out of the car and don’t overlook children who may have fallen asleep.
• Wear a wide-brimmed hat to help prevent sunburn as well as heat-related illness. Apply sunscreen, which protects from the sun’s harmful rays and reduces the risk of sunburn.
• Seek accommodations in air-conditioned facilities during the heat of the day if the house is not air-conditioned: a relative’s home, multi-service centers, malls, movie theaters, libraries, etc.
• Take frequent cool baths or showers if your home is not air-conditioned.
• Symptoms of heat exhaustion include weakness, dizziness, excessive sweating, cool or moist skin, nausea or vomiting, muscle cramps, and a fast and weak pulse. People experiencing these symptoms should lower their body temperature by getting to a cooler place, drinking water, taking a cool shower or bath, and resting.

A throbbing headache, red, hot, and dry skin (no longer sweating), extremely high body temperature (above 103°), nausea or vomiting, confusion, loss of consciousness, and a rapid, strong pulse are signs of heat stroke. If these symptoms occur, call 9-1-1 immediately and try to lower the person’s body temperature until help arrives.

People may seek air-conditioning in city multi-service centers, libraries, and recreation centers during normal business hours, even when the Public Health Heat Emergency Plan is not activated.

To find the nearest cooling center location or an air-conditioned city facility, people can call 3-1-1 for more information.