Taking shelter in cooling centers. Flocking to community pools. Cooking breakfast on the pavement. Chilling in a walk-in refrigerator.
Americans across a broad part of the country are coping with a lengthy and dangerous heat wave this week as cities continue to break record-high temperatures — again and again.
More than 91 million people across 15 states were under heat warnings Tuesday, and about 80 million — nearly a quarter of the population — are expected to experience an air temperature or heat index above 105 degrees this week, according to the National Weather Service.
“The longer the heat goes with record temperatures, the harder it is for people, who are slowly demoralized over time,” said Mark Hilbelink, executive director of the Sunrise Homeless Navigation Center in Austin, Texas. “We’ve just been trying to get water into the hands of people who need it and make sure people are safe.”
Many cities across the country have opened cooling centers to provide safe havens for residents that are particularly vulnerable to the exteme weather, including seniors and people experiencing homelessness.
At a cooling center in Austin, volunteers have been passing out bandanas soaked in ice water. The center typically sees 300 to 400 people a day and deploys mobile teams that provide water, hats and sunscreen, Hilbelink said.
“When there’s extreme weather events, we do see a surge of people,” he said.
US sets hundreds of record-high temperatures
More record-breaking heat is expected in the Four Corners states, Texas to the Lower Mississippi Valley, and South Florida each day, and overnight temperatures aren’t expected to provide much relief, the National Weather Service said.
Heat will reach levels that would pose a health risk and be potentially deadly to anyone without effective cooling or adequate hydration, the weather service warns. There have already been a number of heat-related injuries in recent weeks.
Adding to the misery: Smoke from Canadian wildfires triggered air quality alerts from the Plains to the Midwest to the East Coast earlier this week.
‘It’s been a lifesaver’
There were at least 12 heat-associated deaths in Maricopa County, Arizona, in the first week of July, according to the county’s department of public health. Most recently, a 73-year-old man who went for a bike ride died from what appeared to be heat-related causes in a desert Sunday, according to police in Buckeye, outside of Phoenix.
“We are saddened by the loss of a community member,” the Buckeye Police Department said in a statement. “Please be safe in this extreme heat.”
‘Insidious danger’:Heat waves don’t seem scary, and that’s why they’re so deadly
On Tuesday, Phoenix marked its 19th consecutive day of high temperatures at or above 110 degrees.
“We’re in record-breaking heat wave right now, and the temperatures that we are experiencing … they’re very abnormal, even for July standards,” said Matt Salerno, a meteorologist with National Weather Service in Phoenix.
In Arizona, a network of cooling stations are offering freezing cold water bottles and air-conditioned spaces to help people avoid heat exhaustion and dehydration.
“(People) can come in, cool down, sleep and make sure they stay hydrated,” said Rudy Soliz, the director of operations at Justa Center in Phoenix. The center focuses services on seniors facing homelessness but opens to everyone when temperatures surpass 100 degrees.
Joyce Obiru, who has been experiencing homelessness since 2016, said she’s been returning to the center daily to avoid time out in the heat. She suffered from heatstroke last summer and spent a couple months in the hospital.
“It’s been a lifesaver,” Obiru said.
‘We can anticipate high peak records’
As temperatures rise, electricity-usage records are also soaring in the Phoenix metro area. Utilities Salt River Project and Arizona Public Service both reported record power use over the weekend, and usage in the coming days could even eclipse the new high marks.
“Peak energy demands are highly sensitive to weather conditions, and when the heat and humidity occur over a weekend after a buildup of hot days, we can anticipate high peak records,” said Justin Joiner, vice president of resource management at APS, in a statement.
Amid concerns about workplace safety during the high temperatures, Arizona officials over the weekend gave regulators new powers to inspect workplaces in industries where employees typically suffer heat-related illness. With the new “emphasis program,” the state can examine businesses for heat-related work conditions, even without a direct complaint.
“In the middle of a devastating heat wave, Arizona’s workers need relief,” Gov. Katie Hobbs said in a statement Sunday.
‘Make safety a priority’
In Texas, a dozen fire trucks and ambulances were dispatched to help several people experiencing heat-illness symptoms at a lowrider car show and concert in El Paso on Sunday, the fire department said.
Two people were taken to hospitals with severe heat-related symptoms, along with two people who had minor symptoms. Other people who were feeling ill were treated at the scene, the department said.
The incident comes as the number of El Pasoans suffering heat-related emergencies has more than tripled this summer compared to a year ago, according to the department.
El Paso hit a new record high of 109 degrees on Monday and topped 100 degrees for a record-setting 32nd consecutive day, the local office of the National Weather Service reported. Residents were urged to take precautions as an “excessive heat warning” continues.
“During this extreme heat, make safety a priority! Plan to stay cool and safe,” Texas Division of Emergency Management advised Sunday.
Temperatures are rising.Heat officers might be able to help.
‘All we can do is drink a lot of water’
Similarly, Miami on Sunday hit a record 12th consecutive day with a higher than 106-degree heat index and marked the 36th consecutive day with a heat index higher than 100 degrees, according to meteorologist Brian McNoldy. Heat indices were expected to approach up to 110 degrees in parts of South Florida this week.
Peg Malota, 60, a customer service representative and cashier at a Publix in Naples, said she has been cooling off in the supermarket’s walk-in refrigerator between trips to gather shopping carts outside during her shift.
Surama Aguilar, 31, a landscaper at a golf and country club in Naples, said she plans to keeping working through the oppressive heat.
“We have to earn money,” Aguilar said. “All we can do is drink a lot of water. Coconut water helps, too.”
‘It is real and it is serious’
California is also facing historically high temperatures.
Firefighters from the Golden State on Tuesday were battling wildfires in Riverside County. Families in Fresno were cooling off at swimming pools that are usually closed this time of year. And staff at Death Valley National Park were warning visitors to take extra precautions.
Nichole Andler, the park’s chief of interpretation and education, has been teaching travelers how to stay safe in the park’s extreme temperatures. Visitors continue to hike despite scalding temperatures ranging from 110 to more than 120 degrees.
“It is real and it is serious,” said Andler, who was using a shaded umbrella Tuesday to keep the sun off of her face. “So we advise visitors to stay close to their car and don’t take backcountry roads during hot summer months.”
In Fresno, the local school district has unlocked the gates on several of the swimming pools at their schools for community members to cool off amid the grueling heat in the inland area. Temperatures were at a high of 104 degrees Tuesday, and the city is on excessive heat watch, according to The Weather Channel.
District officials are being cautious and ensuring their HVAC systems are working and limiting outdoor activities for kids during their summer camps. The Education Department two years ago declared climate change a threat to schools.
Diana Diaz, a spokesperson for Fresno Unified, said that, between now and next week when camps end, officials are monitoring temperatures “as we know extreme heat can be detrimental to the health and well-being of our students and staff.”
The troubling temperatures in the United States come as parts of Europe and Asia are also experiencing historic heat waves.
Contributing: Russ Wiles, Ellie Willard and Aidan Wohl, Arizona Republic; Anthony Plascencia, Ventura County Star; Ryan Maxin, Austin American-Statesman; Daniel Borunda, El Paso Times; Emma Behrmann, Naples Daily News and Fort Myers News-Press.
