LOS ANGELES — Summer may be one of the most beautiful seasons in Seattle, but it can also be a dangerous time of year as heat waves become longer and hotter.
“Anyone who has lived in Seattle for any length of time knows the effects of climate change. They are becoming more frequent and more pronounced,” says Tom Fay, Seattle’s chief librarian.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is one of the first agencies to respond to natural disasters. In August, Seattle received a $5.5 million grant to mitigate the dangers of extreme heat and wildfire smoke.
This is the first award for a cooling center in Washington State and the highest award Seattle has ever received under the Mitigation Grant Program.
“We are working with partners to plan resilience centers to transform shared spaces as well,” said Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell.
This year, Seattle listed 20 air-conditioned libraries as places where people can escape the heat.
This money will support cooling and air purification centers at five library branches in the U-District, Columbia City, Fremont, Queen Anne and West Seattle.
“In the last few years alone, we’ve seen everything from projects like this to covered bus shelters in Washington DC to more tree canopy in Portland. The innovation is coming out of cities when it comes to how we actually approach building resilience,” said FEMA Deputy Director Victoria Salinas.
The funds will also be used to create safe places in the event of other disasters such as earthquakes.
