Cooling stations are rare in southern West Virginia, as social service agency prepares to add resources

BECKLEY, WV (WVNS) — With high temperatures settled into southern West Virginia, the executive director of United Way of Southern West Virginia said on Tuesday, July 9, 2024, that the region’s agencies were prepared to provide help for people during extreme winter weather but that the region was not as prepared to offer similar resources during hot days.

According to National Academies, extremely high temperatures caused by global warming are expected to affect human health.

Trena Dacal, the executive director, said two cooling stations were known to be available among the nine counties UWSWV serves. Both were in Mercer County.

She added that her agency was updating the list of available cooling stations as they became available.

She said those with cell phones may call 2-1-1 to learn of resources.

In the meantime, Dacal suggested that those who were able to safely walk to their local public library do so during business hours to find air conditioning.

In Raleigh County, she said, the Raleigh County Commission on Aging provides an air-conditioned center during the noon and morning hours to those aged 60 years and older.

“Otherwise, we’re reaching out to try to make sure that those organizations that are receiving fans and other donations are getting those distributed to households that might need them,” said Dacal. “But for those that are housing insecure, we don’t have a lot of options here.”

The cooling stations were at Bluewell United Methodist Church and Bluefield Union Mission, said Dacal.

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