A shirtless resident shelters from the sun under the Pacheco's Liquors and Mart on June 16. Photo by Noe Magaña.
A shirtless resident shelters from the sun under the Pacheco's Liquors and Mart on June 16. Photo by Noe Magaña.

This article was written by BenitoLink reporter intern Corissa King. 

Despite the heat advisories issued by San Benito County for June 16-18, stating temperatures could reach up to 108 degrees Fahrenheit, no cooling centers will be made available for the community, including homeless residents.

“If we have several days of projected high temperatures we would absolutely make arrangements for a cooling center,” San Benito County Public Information Officer David Westrick told BenitoLink. “We are in communication with the National Weather Service (NWS) to get the latest updates.” 

The San Benito County Office of Emergency Services has set up a cooling center at the San Benito County Free Library in the past. 

Westrick also said the county is not required to provide cooling centers for people during extreme heat occurrences but does it as a courtesy. He added that the county does not expect to reach temperatures over 100 degrees Fahrenheit this week but will continue to monitor forecasts and adjust if needed. 

According to the National Weather Service, the area will experience the hottest day on June 17 when temperatures reach 97 degrees Fahrenheit.

 

                    

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Corissa King is a Senior at California State University, Fresno obtaining her degree in Media, Communications and Journalism with an emphasis in Broadcast Journalism. She was a reporter for Fresno State...