Multnomah County still deciding whether to open cooling centers [Video]

PORTLAND, Ore. — Everything from cooling blankets to water pallets and pet supplies fill Multnomah County’s extreme weather gear warehouse in Northeast Portland. It holds all one might need to stay safe as extreme heat is expected to hit the region later this week. But as of Wednesday afternoon, the county still hasn’t officially declared that it will open cooling shelters.

“This specific event we started conversations about several days ago when we started to see there was the possibility of several days of prolonged heat,” said Chris Voss, Multnomah County’s emergency management director.  

County staff meets with the National Weather Service daily to decide if and when they will open cooling centers. As of Wednesday, they are still deciding. “Really important to note that there’s a lot …