Virginia Beach opens cooling centers July 3-5 as heat index tops 110

Virginia Beach is opening two library branches and the Housing Resource Center as cooling centers from noon to 5 p.m. July 3-5 as the National Weather Service forecasts heat index values up to 115 today and up to 112 on July 4.

The cooling sites are Meyera E. Oberndorf Central Library, 4100 Virginia Beach Blvd., and Princess Anne Area Library, 1444 Nimmo Parkway. At Central Library, only the lobby, restrooms and meeting rooms will be open; the rest of the branch stays closed. Princess Anne Area Library will have full building access. The Housing Resource Center will offer cooling shelter only, with no food service, for people experiencing homelessness.

Holiday schedule changes

The city says all administrative offices are closed Friday, July 3. Other closures include the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, court offices, the Convention Center administrative offices, the Department of Public Health, museums and Waste Management offices. Community recreation centers, the landfill and Resource Recovery Center, the West Neck Recycling Center and the Animal Care & Adoption Center are open July 3 but closed July 4.

City parks remain open regular hours, EMS lifeguard stands are staffed through the holiday period, and solid waste collection stays on schedule Friday, July 3. The Fire Department also says extreme dry conditions and fireworks can spark brush or structure fires, and even small embers can spread quickly through grass, mulch, roofs, decks, vehicles and other dry fuel.

The bottom line: use the cooling centers if needed, limit outdoor time during peak heat, and be careful with anything that can throw a spark.

Sources

• City of Virginia Beach: Cooling centers open July 3-5 due to extreme heat
• National Weather Service: Virginia Beach forecast