Though summer doesn鈥檛 officially begin until next week, temperatures are already hitting the triple digits across parts of New Mexico. The National Weather Service has issued for Thursday from 12:00 to 7:00 p.m. in the middle and lower Rio Grande Valley. A shelter in Socorro is seeking volunteers to help keep its cooling center open on these sweltering days.
Parts of Albuquerque and Los Alamos and all of Socorro face 鈥渕ajor鈥� health risks during the advisory, according to . Much of the rest of the state is at 鈥渕oderate鈥� risk.
Srikanth Paladugu, chief of the Environmental Health Epidemiology Bureau at the New Mexico Department of Health, said some of the first signs of heat-related illness are a fast or weak pulse, nausea, vomiting or muscle cramps.
鈥淲hich can ultimately lead to dizziness, headache and fainting, resulting in death if not recognized in time,鈥� he said.
The health department is urging people to stay cool inside and drink plenty of water. For those who have to be outside, Paladugu recommended wearing light clothing, finding shade, and taking breaks 鈥� including at cooling centers, if available.
In Socorro, where it is forecast to hit 105 degrees Thursday, the drop-in day shelter is offering unhoused people somewhere to go. Board Chair Shay Kelley said it opens as a cooling center any day over 100 degrees.
鈥淲e provide bottled water, we put movies on TV,鈥� she said. 鈥淛ust kind of give people access to air conditioning and bathrooms, and try to beat the heat and stay out of the sun.鈥�
Kelley said the cooling center is an unfunded service 鈥渂orn of necessity鈥� at the shelter, which is usually open only three days per week. In the past, volunteers were able to keep the cooling center open from noon to sunset, but fewer have stepped up this year.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 really know how it鈥檚 going to go,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e hoping to be open the hottest parts of the day at minimum, but we鈥檙e just going to have to wait and see what we can put together.鈥�
Kelley said the center is staffed up for this week, but is staring down more triple digit temperatures on Sunday and Monday.
Those interested in volunteering can email the shelter.
In Albuquerque, the following locations are available for people without shelter to cool down, :
- American Indian Center, Monday - Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and Friday 8:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
- Compassion Services Center, Monday - Sunday, 7:30 to 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 to 8 p.m.
- The Rock, Tuesday - Friday 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and Sunday 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
- First Nations, Zuni Clinic, Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday 8 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
- God鈥檚 Warehouse, Monday - Sunday, 3:00 to 6:00 p.m.
- City Libraries: Main, International District, Unser, Erna Ferguson
