With temperatures hovering around the mid-90s the City of Auburn is opening its Senior Activity Center to the public as a cooling center.

The center, located at 808 9th St. SE, will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, July 26 through Thursday, July 28.

Although this cooling center will close at 5 p.m. folks who need overnight relief can go to the Sundown Overnight Shelter which is open from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. seven days a week.

The Church of Auburn will also be open from 1 p.m. To 5 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday as an additional cooling center located at 620 Auburn Way South.

During the heatwave last year nearly 40 people died due to heat-related illness in King County alone.

People who are at a higher risk for heat-related illnesses such as the elderly and people with chronic health conditions should seek air-conditioned shelter during the hottest hours of the day.

Auburn and Kent are disproportionately impacted by high temperatures due to the abundance of heat-trapping hard surfaces like parking garages and streets and the lack of tree canopy, a heat mapping study found. This only exacerbates the risks Auburn residents face during regional heatwaves.