WASHINGTON, DC –The Department of Human Services (DHS) in collaboration with the District of Columbia Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency (HSEMA) have activated the city's Heat Emergency Plan due to unsafe weather conditions today as a result of extreme heat, Thursday, July 14, 2016. For information about services provided during an Extreme Heat Warning, see here or call the Mayor’s Citywide Call Center by dialing 311.
WHEN:
Thursday, July 14, 2016; 12:00 p.m.—8:00 p.m.
BACKGROUND:
On days when the “heat index,” a measurement of the air temperature in relation to the relative humidity, or temperature reaches 95 degrees, the DC Government activates emergency Cooling Centers. The Cooling Centers will be activated in publically accessible government facilities, homeless shelters, and senior citizen wellness centers, and will be open until 6:00 p.m., or until it has been deemed safe to be outdoors. HSEMA, in conjunction with the DC Department of Health (DOH), will also disseminate emergency public information to the public through the DC webpage at www.dc.gov.
To request transport to shelter for persons in DC who are experiencing homelessness and are on the street now, contact the Shelter Hotline at 1-800-535-7252. Include the time when the reporter saw the person, the address or location of the sighting, and a description of the person’s appearance. Persons who are in need of shelter who don’t have a cell phone or change for a payphone may also use the tollfree number: 1-800-535-7252.
