Cooling Center Open in Roseburg Through Friday

The Roseburg Senior Center opened a cooling center on Monday to offer shelter from this week’s heat wave. The National Weather Service in Medford referred to this week's weather as "A heat wave of unusually long duration, and of greater magnitude than any observed so far this summer." The temperatures are going to stay around 100 degrees which is the hottest it's been this summer so far and the overnight lows are well above normal. Roseburg Senior Center officials opened the building at 1614 S.E. Stephens St. as a cooling center on Monday and will keep it open until at least Friday, July 29. The cooling center is scheduled to open at 11 a.m. They will serve lunch and dinner and showers will be available outside. The cooling center will be open until 6 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, and until 5 p.m. Wednesday and Friday, said Ruth Smith, president of the senior center Board of Directors in a City of Roseburg press release. “Usually right about 5-ish is when winds start picking up along the river and start pushing the heat out,” said Smith, adding that people who camp along the river left last summer’s cooling center by about 5 p.m. The center will follow social distancing guidelines and set up canopies outside to provide shade for anyone experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, because symptomatic people will not be allowed inside the cooling center. Volunteers will be outside as well and senior center officials are working to get misters for the canopies, Smith said. Inside, the cooling center will have a 45-person capacity. That includes volunteers, so with seven volunteers, that leaves room for about 38 guests. Last summer’s cooling center saw at most 40 people visiting at any one time. The canopies also will be used so people can rotate in and out if needed, or for people who prefer to just stay outside. Masks are not required, but the center may offer masks for people. Guests will be allowed to bring pets inside. “Last year, we had cats and dogs. I was like, ‘Cats over this way, dogs over that.’ I didn’t want any fur flying,” Smith said. The cooling center can still use donations of ice, water, soft snacks and easy-to-chew fresh fruit (bananas, etc.), feminine hygiene, batteries, razors, shampoo, deodorant, toilet paper, sunscreen and summer clothing – including hats, socks and underwear – for women and men. Those who’d like to volunteer can sign up on the center’s volunteer application form. The cooling center may stay open past Friday, which is currently predicted to reach 96 degrees. Check the senior center’s Facebook page for updates. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfftsUPw7qblyjM0L9AN0g8esimnJHEKtplqiceWyZQ2GFpUg/viewform https://www.facebook.com/roseburgseniorcenter/