Salvation Army opens cooling stations across Collin County, North Texas heat rises

Plano and McKinney are among the Collin County stops on The Salvation Army of North Texas heat-relief map as North Texas recorded its first triple-digit heat index of the summer. The group activated 13 cooling and hydration stations across the region, opening shelter, water and food to people without reliable air conditioning and to those already most vulnerable to heat illness.

The Salvation Army turns on heat-relief services when temperatures reach 100 degrees or higher for usually more than one day, or when the heat index climbs above 105 degrees for more than two days in a row. Hot and dry conditions were expected to continue through Friday, with heat index values near 105 degrees and afternoon highs at or just above 100, according to the National Weather Service office in Fort Worth.

Its Collin County locations include the Plano Corps Community Center and the McKinney Corps Community Center. Water is distributed at shelter locations that cannot take additional patrons, and all sites follow city and county guidelines, even though local procedures may vary. This summer’s broader heat-relief effort also covers Dallas, Collin, Denton, Tarrant, Ellis and Rockwall counties.

The services are aimed especially at seniors, youth, people with chronic disease and people experiencing poverty and homelessness. In a 2024 heat-relief release, Major Paul McFarland said the heat was especially hard on people struggling financially, physically or mentally. The organization has used the same approach in past summers, opening cooling and hydration stations during other extreme-heat events across North Texas.

For people trying to get out of the heat, the safest option is air conditioning or another cooled location, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Residents can find one by dialing 2-1-1 or contacting a local health department or emergency management agency, and the agency warns that fans can raise body temperature when indoor temperatures are above 90 degrees.

The U.S. Census Bureau counts 1,064,465 residents and 452,965 households in the county, with a 9.1% uninsured rate in 2024.