Dangerous Heat On Way: Oak Lawn Cooling Centers

OAK LAWN, IL -- Get ready for the big heat. The National Weather Service has issued an excessive heat warning in effect Friday through Saturday evening. Thursday’s rain delayed the heat’s arrival, but the heat wave is expected to arrive on Friday and hang around until about 7 p.m. Saturday.

An excessive heat watch means that a prolonged period of high temperatures is expected. The combination of high temperatures and high humidity will combine to create a dangerous situation in which heat-related illnesses are possible. Expect afternoon highs in the mid to upper 90s and low 80s in the evening on Friday and Saturday. Peak heat Indices will be in the 105 to 110 degree range, according to the National Weather Service.

So check on elderly and disabled family, friends and neighbors. Have plenty of water on hand for your pets and keep them inside or in a shaded shelter, and keep an eye on young children. Call 911 if you think someone needs a well-being check and you can’t make it there yourself, or if you spot someone in distress on the street. And cheer up, six months ago we were in the middle of a polar vortex.

If your power goes out or your air conditioner breaks, here are cooling centers where you can go to beat the heat around the Oak Lawn area:

Oak Lawn Public Library
9427 Raymond Avenue
Mon-Thu 9am-9pm; Fri & Sat 9am-5pm; Sun 1pm-5pm

Oak Lawn Park District Pavilion
9401 Oak Park Avenue
Monday-Thursday 6am-11pm; Friday 6am-10pm;
Sat & Sun 7am-10pm

Oak Lawn Racquet and Fitness Club
10444 South Central
Mon & Wed 6am-11pm; Tue, Thu & Fri 6am-10pm; Sat 7am-9pm; Sun 7am-8pm

Johnson-Phelps VFW Post #5220
9514 S. 52nd Ave. Oak Lawn, IL
Mon - Sat Noon-10PM
Sun Noon-9PM

The Cook County Department of Homeland Security also has a list of cooling centers, which may open on a 24/7 basis if needed.

If your power goes out, you can report the electrical outage online, including from your smart phone or tablet. Or if you prefer, call ComEd 24/7 at 1-800-Edison-1 (1-800-334-7661). You may also use one of these methods to report and/or track an outage.
Report an outage online
Report an outage via text and social media
You can also track outages via the outage map, which will give you an estimated restore time

Feeling hot? Cool off by looking at this picture taking during the polar vortex on Jan. 30, 2019.