The National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory for Mid-Missouri that remains in effect until 9 p.m. today.
River City Habitat for Humanity's ReStore will be closed today because of the heat.
The move is intended to protect volunteers who work in the building at 1420 Creek Trail Drive, in Jefferson City. The ReStore is not air conditioned.
Administrators of the nonprofit hope to reopen the store on Friday.
The Habitat Restore accepts donations of new and gently used items that volunteers sell to raise money to support the nonprofit's vision of a world where everyone has a decent place to live.
The ReStore provides an affordable avenue for home improvement projects and keeps tons of perfectly good items from ending up in the landfill, according to the Habitat website.
Meanwhile, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) website lists cooling centers in the area.
Cooling center locations are activated when a Heat Advisory is issued, which is when the heat index is expected to reach 105 degrees or temperatures reach 100 degrees. A Heat Warning is issued when the heat index is expected to reach 110 degrees for two consecutive days without dropping below 75 degrees, or if a Heat Advisory is expected to last four or more days.
The current Heat Advisory in Mid-Missouri was issued about 4:40 a.m., today and will remain in effect until 9 p.m., when a front is expected to cool temperatures and cause scattered thunderstorms. The advisory states that the heat index is expected to reach about 108 in the area.
The DHSS site lists these local cooling centers:
- Clarke Senior Center, 1310 Linden Drive.
- Missouri River Regional Library, 214 Adams St.
- Salvation Army Center of Hope, 927 Jefferson St.
- Moniteau County Library, 501 S. Oak St., California.
- Osage County Health Department, 205 E. Main St., Linn.
- Osage County Library, 22 Library Lane, Linn.
- Callaway Senior Center, 531 Commons Drive, Fulton.
- Salvation Army Harbor House Shelter, 602 N. Ann St., Columbia.
- Friendship Hall, 205 E. Main St., Iberia.
- Eldon Senior Center, 926 E. North St., Eldon.
- Versailles Senior Center, 308 Fairgrounds Road, Versailles.
- Westside Senior Center, 1501 Route O, Laurie.
Hot temperatures and high humidity may cause heat illnesses. The National Weather Service statement encourages residents to drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors.
To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent rest breaks in shaded or air conditioned environments. Anyone overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location, and in a heat stroke emergency, call 911.