PARKERSBURG, W.Va. (WTAP) – The heat in the Mid-Ohio Valley has some people looking for relief. Some places are being converted into cooling stations to give people a way to cool off if they don’t have a place to stay overnight.
On Wednesday, the Salvation Army in Marietta offered people in town a place to cool off and get food and water if needed.
Rosemarie Hughes, a spokeswoman for the Salvation Army, said this is a way to help the homeless in the area.
“We know all the homeless people that live in Marietta, so they know they can come in if they get hot, and if they want water, if we want, if they want a bottle of water, we’ll give it to them,” Hughes said. “If they keep walking around, they can fill up their water bottle. We’re here if they need us.”
The Salvation Army in Parkersburg has a similar situation: When temperatures reach a certain level, it offers people a place to cool off from 9:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Corey Patterson uses the cooling station in Parkersburg
“We all need this,” Patterson said. “I mean, I have dogs and everything. They get us out of the heat and keep everyone cool.”
Lieutenant Anthony Rowe added that their cooling station is a great option for people looking to cool off due to the increasing heat in the Mid-Ohio Valley.”
“It saves lives,” Rowe added. “You can get water, you can cool off. We have books you can read. We have games you can play while you cool off. You can charge your phone. It saves lives.”
The Vienna Senior Center has also opened a cooling center. Liz Hamperian, an employee at the senior center, agrees that it is important not to overheat and that the Vienna Senior Center can be a place to cool down.
“Seniors overheat, especially if they have problems with high blood pressure or heart problems, just whatever is going on with them,” Hamperian said. “The heat is going to affect them a lot more than it does us young people, so we need to make sure they have a place to cool off.”
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