KANSAS CITY, Mo. — If you need relief from the heat, there is help in the form of cooling centers across the Kansas City area.
Here are a few dozen, which have been reported to KSHB 41 News.
Kansas City, Missouri, is offering cooling centers for residents and others, particularly people without housing, who need to escape the oppressive heat.
Community centers across KCMO will double as cooling centers this week and there are several free spraygrounds to provide relief.
Buses and the streetcar, which are free to ride and air-conditioned, also offer a way to beat the heat.
Cooling centers locations:
- Brush Creek Community Center, 3801 Emanuel Cleaver II Blvd.
- Garrison Community Center, 1124 E. 5th St.
- Gregg/Klice Community Center, 1600 John Buck O’Neil Way
- Hillcrest Community Center, 10401 Hillcrest Road
- Kansas City North Community Center, 3920 N.E. Antioch Road
- Line Creek Community Center, 5940 N.W. Waukomis Drive
- Marlborough Community Center, 8200 The Paseo Blvd.
- Southeast Community Center, 4201 E. 63rd St.
- Tony Aguirre Community Center, 2050 W. Pennway St.
- Westport Roanoke Community Center, 3601 Roanoke Road
Free sprayground locations:
- Blue Valley Park Sprayground, East 23rd Street and Topping Avenue
- Central Park Sprayground, Linwood Boulevard and Bales Avenue
- Douglas Park Sprayground, 2632 Jarboe St.
- Gillham Sprayground, East 41st Street and Gillham Avenue
- Harmony Park Sprayground, East 10th Street and Agnes Avenue
- Loose Park Sprayground, West 52nd Terrace and Summit Street
- Lykins Square Playground, East 8th Street and Jackson Avenue
- Parade Park Sprayground, East 17th Terrace and The Paseo Boulevard
- Spring Valley Park Sprayground, East 28th Street and Spring Valley Park Road
- Sunnyside Park Sprayground, 8255 Summit St.
Longview Tract Sprayground, 7107 Longview Road, won’t open until the opening of The Bay Water Park — an adjacent facility that has been closed due to staffing issues, but is expected to open later this month, according to a city spokesperson.
The Springs Aquatic Center, 9400 N. Congress Ave., which was delayed in opening as the pools were painted, may open later this week as well.
City Union Mission also announced Monday that on days when the forecast calls for temperatures 90 degrees or above it will activate its Extreme Warm Weather Procedures.
City Union Mission Men’s Shelter, 1108 E. 10th St., and at the City Union Mission Family Center, 1310 Wabash Ave., will have emergency bed capacity.
Additionally, current overnight guests also will be able to check in early and families with children will be able to stay inside the facility during the day.
“The challenges of heat are real and every bit as dangerous as the extreme cold is during the winter,” City Union Mission CEO Dr. Terry Megli said in a statement. “Our passion at City Union Mission is to protect our communities' most vulnerable members.”
The Mission currently is asking for monetary donations or donations of bottled water, box fans, new socks, foot powder and sunblock to care for homeless neighbors.
Shelter KC has hot-weather kits available for those it serves and makes a cooling station available on heat advisory days, when the heat index tops 100 degrees.
The Shelter KC Men’s Center is located at 1520 Cherry St., while the Women’s Center is located at 2611 E. 11th St.
Neighboring Independence also announced plans to open the city’s cooling site at the Roger T. Sermon Center through Wednesday.
Water, a place to charge cell phones and an area to relax will be available to anyone in need.
Excessive heat, which is forecast to stick around the Kansas City region for the foreseeable future, is the top weather-related killer in the United States, according to a release from Johnson County, Kansas.
The county launched a new resource about heat safety on Monday.
Libraries in Johnson County double as cooling centers during periods of excessive heat:
- Antioch Library, 8700 Shawnee Mission Parkway, Merriam
- Blue Valley Library, 9000 W. 151st St., Overland Park
- Cedar Roe Library, 5120 Cedar St., Roeland Park
- Central Resource Library, 9875 W. 87th St., Overland Park
- Corinth Library, 8100 Mission Road, Prairie Village
- Gardner Library, 137 E. Shawnee St., Gardner
- Leawood Pioneer, 4700 Town Center Drive, Leawood
- Lenexa City Center Library, 8778 Penrose Lane, Lenexa
- Monticello Library, 22435 W. 66th St., Shawnee
- Oak Park Library, 9500 Bluejacket St., Overland Park
- Shawnee Library, 13811 Johnson Drive, Shawnee
- Spring Hill Library, 109 S. Webster St., Spring Hill
Residents are encouraged not to use fans as the primary source for cooling on extremely hot days and to check on neighbors, friends and relatives frequently.
“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,” KCMO Health Department Director Dr. Marvia Jones said in a statement. “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.”
Children and pets should never be left alone in closed vehicles, where the temperature can quickly reach fatal levels in a matter of minutes.
If you must work outside, take frequent breaks and drink lots of water.
