WASHINGTON — As temperatures continue to rise and heat advisories are issues in and around the District, officials are urging residents to take precautions.
Many pools and spray parks are closed due to the pandemic or are on a limited entry for social distancing. In an effort to keep D.C. residents protected from the heat, many cooling centers are opening their doors
In an effort to decrease community spread of COVID-19 in the District, cooling centers have adopted the following protocols:
- Individuals entering cooling centers are required to wear a mask or face covering while inside the facility.
- Individuals who do not have a face mask or covering when entering a District cooling center will be provided one.
- Upon entering a District cooling center, individuals will be directed to an open seat that is marked off to indicate required social distancing measures.
Here's where you can find a list of the current cooling centers in the District.
Several recreation centers are now open in the District to cool down, all open from 11 a.m. - 7 p.m.:
- Hardy Recreation Center: 4500 Q Street, Northwest. (202) 282-2190
- Volta Park Recreation Center: 1555 34th Street, Northwest (202) 645-5668
- Hamilton Recreation Center: 1340 Hamilton Street Northwest
- Park View Recreation Center: Otis Place, Northwest 202-576-8658
- Congress Heights Recreation: 611 Alabama Ave Southeast
As well as some schools:
- Seaton Elementary: 11 a.m. - 7 p.m. 1503 10th Street, Northwest
- Dunbar High School: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. 10 North Street, Northwest
- Watkins Elementary: 11 a.m.- 7 p.m. 420 12th Street, Southeast
- Randle Highlands Elementary: 11 a.m. - 7 p.m. 1650 30th Street, Southeast
- Patterson Elementary: 11 a.m. - 7 p.m., 4399 S. Capitol Terrace, Southwest
And other community centers and shelters:
- Patricia Handy Place: 810 5th Street, Northwest
- 801 East Men’s Shelter (Catholic Charities) : 2700 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, Southeast
- Adams Place Day Center for Women: 2210 Adams Place, Northeast
- The Community for Creative Non-Violence: 425 2nd Street, Northwest
- Harriet Tubman Emergency Shelter: 1900 Massachutes Ave, Southeast
- New York Avenue Men’s Emergency Shelter: 1355 New York Ave, Northeast
For the most recently added updates and centers, check the website list here.
You can get more information by calling 311 or by visiting the city's Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency website.
Call the city's hyperthermia hotline at (202) 399-7093 for anyone who needs to be transported to a cooling center.