Cooling Centers Are Set Up In Howell Through Friday

HOWELL, NJ — The township is opening cooling centers at the Municipal Building main meeting room and the Senior Center for any residents who don't have air conditioning or who lose power during the end of the week heat wave, township officials say.

The centers are open now through Friday, July 22, from 9 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., though hours and dates are subject to change if necessary, the township said.

Residents can also charge cell phones or laptops there.

The Howell Municipal Complex is at 4567 Route 9 north. The Senior Center is located at 251 Preventorium Road.

The township also reminded residents about some tips to cope with the heat:

• Set your thermostat as high as comfort will allow, and use fans to stay cool. For every degree you increase the temperature in your home, you can decrease energy use by about 3 percent.
• Draw blinds, shades, or drapes to block the sunlight during the hottest part of the day, especially on south- and west-facing windows.
• Preset your programmable thermostat to keep the temperature in your home higher while you’re away, and to reduce the temperature before you arrive back home.
• Only operate fans and window air conditioners when someone is in the room.
• Keep refrigerators and freezers as full as possible. Frozen or cold items in the refrigerator help keep other items cool, so your refrigerator won’t have to work as hard to maintain temperature.
• Close rooms that aren't used regularly during the summer. Close the air conditioning vents in those rooms, as well.
• Avoid using heat-producing appliances during the hottest hours of the day. The less heat produced in the home, the less work your air conditioner will have to do.
• Check air conditioner and furnace fan filters. Clogged filters waste energy and money by forcing HVAC systems to work harder than necessary.
• Avoid unnecessary power use by turning off non-essential lights, appliances and electronics.

The township said weather predictions indicate an extended period of heat is expected through at least Sunday with many areas experiencing high temperatures in the low to mid 90s each day. The highest heat indices are currently expected to occur on Wednesday and Thursday with Thursday being the most oppressive day.