Las Vegas Plans to Upgrade Cooling Centers After 500 Deaths Last Summer

As Las Vegas prepares for yet another blistering summer, researchers from the Nevada Heat Lab have launched an initiative to test and evaluate cooling centers in the Southern Nevada area to make them even more effective. Together with Clark County Social Services and community partners, the team will collect user feedback on accessibility, hours of operation, and overall effectiveness at all 42 operational cooling centers in the region.

“We're starting off with cooling centers as the only official response to find out what is working and what is not working,” David Almanza of the Nevada Heat Lab told Fox5 News. In other words, he noted that these centers are the only intentional response to extreme heat currently in the region, so we have to critically evaluate what is working.

Currently, cooling centers are open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. The goal is to extend the hours into the evening and cover the weekend to accommodate vulnerable residents, given indications of increased nighttime temperatures. This effort is in response to more than 500 heat-related deaths in the Las Vegas area last summer, which prompted representatives to call for better coordination and practical solutions.

Clark County is continuing to partner with local organizations to activate cooling centers, as the National Weather Service issues extreme heat warnings. People can find the location of nearby cooling centers by calling 211 or Stay Cool Clark County. The county is also actively recruiting churches and community organizations to offer air-conditioned spaces and fresh drinking water at least six times a year, particularly during holidays and weekends when government-run facilities may be closed.

Led by Ariel Choinard, the Nevada Heat Lab is working to unify stakeholders who have historically operated independently to form a more cohesive heat response system. This summer, the lab's research will yield data-driven recommendations to inform policymakers and community leaders on ways to better support residents during extreme heat.

As climate-related impacts intensify, this will serve as an essential first step in reforming Nevada's response to deadly heat, positioning us not only to alleviate heat stress in the moment but also to initiate a conversation about community resilience moving forward.