Mercer County Opens Cooling Centers Amid Summer Heat Wave

MERCER COUNTY, NJ — County Executive Brian M. Hughes announced that many cooling sites will be open across the county as temperatures soar in New Jersey.

The National Weather Service has issued an Excessive Heat Warning for Mercer County and the surrounding area that will remain in effect until 8 p.m. Tuesday, and a Heat Advisory that will be in effect from 8 p.m. Tuesday until 8 p.m. Wednesday.

Mercer County Library System branches and municipal senior centers will serve as cooling sites. Not all senior centers are currently open. Inside the library, all patrons over the age of 2 are required to wear a face mask and adhere to social distancing guidelines. Locations are open to all residents, and they should call for daily hours of operation.

Here are the Mercer County library branch locations:

• Ewing, 61 Scotch Road
• East Windsor, 138 Hickory Corner Road
• Hightstown Memorial, 114 Franklin St.
• Hollowbrook, 320 Hollowbrook Drive
• Hopewell, 245 Pennington-Titusville Road, Pennington
• Lawrence Headquarters Branch, 2751 Brunswick Pike
• Robbinsville, 42 Allentown-Robbinsville Road
• Twin Rivers, 276 Abbington Drive, East Windsor
• West Windsor, 333 North Post Road.

The municipal senior center locations that are currently open are:

• Hollowbrook Community Center, 320 Hollowbrook Drive, Ewing
• Ewing Senior and Community Center, 999 Lower Ferry Road
• Hamilton Senior Center, 409 Cypress Lane
• Jennye W. Stubblefield Senior Center, 301 Prospect St., Trenton
• Hopewell Valley Senior Center, 395 Reading St., Pennington
• Samuel Naples Senior Center, 611 Chestnut Ave., Trenton
• Robbinsville Township Senior Center, 1117 Route 130.

To cope with extreme heat, residents are advised to drink plenty of water and spend as much time as possible in an air-conditioned environment. Check on vulnerable and elderly relatives and neighbors. Hot weather can impact everyone, regardless of age or condition.

People most at risk include those over age 65, individuals with medical conditions, those taking medications that may affect the way the body reacts to heat, people with disabilities, pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers, babies and young children, those who are overweight or obese, individuals who work or exercise outdoors, and even those residents who may have recently arrived from cooler climates.

Residents have been advised to never leave children, pets, or anyone with limited mobility alone inside a hot vehicle.

For assistance in coping with the heat or to contact your local cooling site, call the Mercer County Office on Aging at (609) 989-6661 or toll-free (877) 222-3737. During non-business hours, residents are encouraged to call 911 if they experience heat-related problems.

For more information regarding heat-related emergencies, visit www.ready.nj.gov, the National Weather Service Heat Safety Tips and Resources page or the National Institute on Aging Hot Weather Safety page.