Cooling Center to be set up at Breckenridge Medical Center on Saturday and Sunday to provide relief from the heat wave
By Tony Pilkington and Carla McKeown/Breckenridge Texan
Stephens County will be opening a Cooling Center this weekend in cooperation with the City of Breckenridge, Stephens Memorial Hospital, and the community’s first responders, at Breckenridge Medical Center, located at 101 S. Harford St. The National Weather Service predicts a week of 100+ degree days.
Initially, the Cooling Center will be open from 2 to 8 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, June 24-25. County officials will announce additional information on Monday regarding the location of the Cooling Center next week. The Breckenridge Texan will share that information when it’s available, and it will be posted on the Stephens County Facebook page.
The center will be open to anyone who loses power, has inadequate air conditioning or needs a cool place to stay safe for a little while, Stephens County Judge Michael Roach said in a Facebook post.
The Stephens County Emergency Management team held a phone conference Thursday afternoon, June 22, to make plans for the Cooling Center. Depending on the response to the Cooling Center, an alternative or additional place may be provided, so that the BMC doesn’t get overcrowded, especially next week when the clinic is open.
During the call, Roach said Real Church of Breckenridge has volunteered to provide bottled water, Gatorade, etc., to help those who need some refreshment. The Cooling Center will be offered to try and prevent local residents from having a heat-related medical crisis.
If anyone needs a ride to the Cooling Center, they can call the non-emergency number, 254-559-2211, at the Breckenridge Police Department and let the dispatcher know that they need a ride. The Stephens County Constable, BPD and Sheriff’s Office will provide rides to the Cooling Center, as needed and when they are available. If anyone needs medical assistance due to the heat or any other reason, they need to call 9-1-1 for an emergency response.
Additionally, the local law enforcement officers will be patrolling the area around the Cooling Center to make sure everyone is safe.
The Weather
The emergency management phone call included Matt Bishop with the National Weather Service’s Fort Worth Center, who explained that there has been a stagnant pattern with a high pressure ridge down to the Southwest, which is already influencing temperatures and heat indices in this area. “…It’s been giving us some opportunities for some storms, and we might still see a couple of more chances for some storms now through probably Sunday. And then I think that’s going to be the end of it,” he said. “And then it’ll just be hot from Sunday on. With the heat already here, we’re going to see heat indices probably in the 105-degree range for the next couple of afternoons. And then I think by Sunday, that’s going to start the worst of it, when we see the high temperature approaching 105 and the heat index up close to 110. And I think that’s pretty much going to be the case, give or take a degree or two, from Sunday through the rest of next week.”
The seven-day forecast from the NWS predicts the following:
Friday, June 23 — High 96, Low 76
Saturday, June 24 — High 103, Low 80
Sunday, June 25 — High 108, Low 78
Monday, June 26 — High 103, Low 78
Tuesday, June 27 — High 105, Low 80
Wednesday, June 28 — High 106, Low 80
Cutline, top photo: The Breckenridge Medical Center, located at 101 S. Hartford St. near the hospital, will be open from 2 to 8 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday as a Cooling Station for anyone who needs a place to cool down during the upcoming heat wave. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)
