Too Hot In Bergen County? New Cooling Centers Open Through Wednesday

BERGEN COUNTY, NJ – The County of Bergen has opened several emergency cooling centers to help residents stay cool during the current heat wave.

The remnants of Hurricane Beryl are expected to blow into the area Friday night, but even with the rain, a heat wave is expected to continue.

The July heat has already proven deadly across the country, in one case taking the life of a baby on a boating trip with family in Arizona on July 5.

Bergen County has established four regional cooling centers. The following will be open Thursday, July 11 through Wednesday, July 17 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. They are free to any resident who needs shade and shelter during the day.

Residents requiring a ride to a county emergency cooling center may call 201-394-2882 during between the hours of 6:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. Emergency requests may be arranged after hours by dialing 201-707-1082.

In addition, several towns have desginated public spaces such as public libraries, shopping centers, recreation centers, and senior centers as cooling centers. The county said, "Residents should consider visiting municipal cooling centers before traveling to the county facility to help avoid heat exhaustion or heat stroke."

The county centers:

County Administration Building

One Bergen County Plaza, Hackensack, 1st Floor (201) 336-7300

Garfield Senior Activity Center (973) 478-0502

480 Midland Avenue, Garfield

Northwest Bergen Senior Activity Center

46-50 Center Street, Midland Park, NJ (201) 445-5690

Southwest Bergen Senior Activity Center

147 Hackensack Street, East Rutherford, NJ (201) 935-8920

It is recommended that residents stay indoors if possible from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. when the sun is at its strongest and burns and heat strokes are more likely to occur.

It is NOT okay to leave a child or pet in a locked vehicle even for a moment, as temperatures can rise quite quickly. It is also imperative to lock all parked vehicles so children cannot accidentally lock themselves inside while playing games like hide and seek.