With the region slammed with dangerous heat, the Lions Club Pool in Homewood reopened Tuesday after closing unexpectedly Monday due to an ill-timed power outage.
Homewood has been under the same extreme heat warning as the rest of the Chicago metropolitan area since Monday. According to the National Weather Service, the heat index at the Lansing Municipal Airport monitoring site capped out at 103 degrees on Monday.
Amidst the extreme heat, the community Lions Club Pool, 1041 Ridge Road, closed unexpectedly Monday afternoon, with the Homewood-Flossmoor Park District posting on its social media that it was due to a power outage.
The pool reopened for regular hours Tuesday, and was evidently in demand for residents looking to beat the heat, with the parking lot full and patrons entering and exiting regularly.
“Yesterday’s outage was caused by an aluminum balloon coming into contact with nearby power lines, blowing a fuse, and temporarily interrupting service,” Park District officials said in another post. “Now it’s time to get back to making a splash!”
Staff at the pool declined to comment, and the Homewood-Flossmoor Park District did not return requests for comment.
The Lions Club Pool is open from 11:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, according to the Park District’s website. On Friday through Sunday, it’s open from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m.
In addition to the Lions Club Pool, the Homewood-Flossmoor Park District also runs the Millennium Park Splash Pad at 18600 Harwood Avenue, which was closed Monday, but is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Friday.
The Irwin Community Center at 18120 S. Highland Avenue in Homewood was opened as a cooling center Monday through Wednesday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., according to the Park District.
The Markham Courthouse is also open as a cooling center through 5 p.m. Thursday, according to Cook County.
The county recommended that people take measures to stay safe in the heat, including drinking plenty of fluids, trying to stay in the shade or indoors as much as possible, taking frequent breaks if working outside, checking on elderly neighbors and those with functional needs, taking pets indoors and making sure they have plenty of water and never leaving children or pets unattended in a vehicle.
In Tinley Park, the Tinley Park Senior Center at 17355 S. 68th Court is available as a cooling center. The village advised residents to call ahead at 708-444-5300 to make sure the center is open.
The primary cooling center in Orland Park is the Orland Park Police Station at 15100 S. Ravinia Avenue, and will be open to anyone needing relief from the heat, according to the Orland Park Police Department.
The Centennial Park Aquatic Center, also in Orland Park, is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. from Monday through Thursday.
In Evergreen Park, the Evergreen Park Community Center, located at 3450 W 97th St, can be used as a cooling center until 6 p.m. each day, according to a statement issued by Mayor Kelly Burke.
The Palos Park Police Department issued a statement advising that anyone concerned about elderly residents or homebound neighbors in the heat contact the police at 708-448-2191 or jmiller@palospark.org to request a well-being check.
elewis@chicagotribune.com
