Shasta County Opens New Cooling Centers As Soaring Temperatures and Power Shutoffs Are Expected Across the North State

The Shasta County community is expected to experience highs of up to 119 degrees over the the next week. Some community members are also likely to experience Public Safety Power Shutoffs from PG&E in response to the expected extreme weather conditions. PG&E’s power shutoffs are deployed when dry conditions, high temperatures, and wind combine to form threatening wildfire conditions in which high voltage lines could easily spark fire.

Shasta County’s Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) is warning community members to take precautions to avoid heat sickness by staying hydrated, dressing in light-colored, loose-fitting, breathable clothing, taking cool baths or showers, and avoiding leaving people or pets in closed cars.

Please be aware the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke, County officials say, and call 911 if you suspect heat stroke, which is a life-threatening condition. Most at risk, they say are older adults, young children and babies, the ill including those living with chronic health conditions, those who work outdoors, and those who are living without air conditioning due to either a lack of AC, a lack of shelter, or insufficient funds to turn AC on.

Just a few hours in air-conditioning can significantly reduce a person’s risk of heat-related illness, the County says, so they’re encouraging people who lack AC to seek refuge from the heat in cooling centers when they can. Cooling Centers are open to everyone in the community. They provide community members with temporary, short-term use of existing facilities (libraries, churches, senior centers, etc.) in strategic locations throughout the county to provide relief in extreme heat conditions. Centers are staffed by HHSA employees and provide free water.

Below is a list of Cooling Centers and the days and hours each center is expected to be open. For updates to this list call the Extreme Temperature Information Line at (530) 229-8882 or visit ShastaHeatSafety.org. Most public spaces such as libraries will be closed for the July 4 holiday, but the temporary cooling locations listed below will remain open, as will the Good News Rescue Mission. RABA bus service will also be closed on July 4. The Cottonwood Library will be closed July 3-5.

If you’re affected by a Public Safety Power Shutoff, you can also access help at a PG&E Community Resource Center. Find those here.

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St. James Lutheran Church
2500 Shasta View Drive, Redding
Weds. 7/3/2024 – Sat. 7/6/2024  |  12 – 8 p.m.

Redding Recreation Teen Center (in Caldwell Park, next to the skate park)
44 Quartz Hill Road, Redding
Thurs. 7/4/2024  |  2 – 6 p.m.

Shasta Lake Visitor’s Center, Meeting Room
1525 Median Ave., Shasta Lake
Tues. 7/2/24  |  4 – 8 p.m.
Weds 7/3/2024 – Sat. 7/6/2024  |  12 – 8 p.m.

Cottonwood Community Center, Middle Hall
20595 Gas Point Rd., Cottonwood
Tues. 7/2/24  |  4 – 8 p.m.
Weds 7/3/2024 – Sat. 7/6/2024  |  12 – 8 p.m.