Midwest, Plains Hit by Blowtorch Heat
Pastor Dale Morgan
Midwest, Plains Hit by Blowtorch Heat*
Tuesday August 1, 2006 12:31 AM
By CARLA K. JOHNSON
Associated Press Writer
CHICAGO (AP) - The blowtorch heat that blistered California last week
gripped the Midwest on Monday, prompting communities to throw
air-conditioned buildings open to the public and endangering millions of
people with outdoor jobs - including NFL players in training camp.
Temperatures throughout the Midwest and Plains exceeded 100 degrees. The
heat index, a measure of temperature plus humidity, climbed as high as
110 in some places. The National Weather Service issued heat warnings
for such cities as Chicago, Cincinnati, Dayton, Ohio, and Tulsa, Okla.
Cheryl Harriston struggled to stay comfortable as she handed out fliers
supporting an increase in the minimum wage at an intersection in
Columbus, Ohio.
``I have my water, my hat, and I stand in the shade a lot,'' Harriston
said. ``And, when I feel that cool breeze, I really take a minute to
appreciate it.''
The Midwest could get some relief by Wednesday, but the worst of the
heat was expected to drift into the Northeast on Tuesday, bringing
scorching temperatures to New York, Washington and Boston.
NFL teams closely monitored players for signs of heat-related illness.
The heat prompted the Chicago Bears to cancel morning practice at
training camp in Bourbonnais, Ill. On Sunday, the Tennessee Titans let
defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth leave practice early with dizziness.
Chicago resident Tony Tesfay, 43, left his basement room at a halfway
house first thing Monday and rode his bicycle to one of the city's
cooling centers - air-conditioned recreation centers and other buildings
that were opened to the public to prevent a repeat of 1995, when a heat
wave killed 700 people in Chicago.
``I was pedaling slow, not too hard, so I could keep hydrated,'' he
said. ``It took me about 15 minutes. It wasn't too bad.''
In California, the sweltering heat that punished the state for two weeks
subsided, but the number of confirmed or suspected heat-related deaths
climbed to 164 as county coroners worked through a backlog of cases.
Cities across the Midwest urged neighbors to check on the elderly and
disabled. Utilities expected to set records for power usage and asked
customers to conserve electricity to prevent blackouts.
In Chicago, officials made available a special telephone line to request
checks on vulnerable neighbors and friends. The Department of Human
Services and police responded to nearly 50 such requests by early
Monday. The city's Department of Aging also telephoned more than 300
senior citizens to offer help, such as rides to cooling centers.
The Cook County medical examiner's office reported two heat-related
deaths Monday. Both victims were men in their 50s or 60s with heart
disease. In Oklahoma, authorities reported two more deaths that happened
over the weekend.
In Wisconsin, sheriff's deputies put a high priority on responding to
calls about disabled vehicles. ``When it's 100 degrees and you've got
kids in the car, that's not good,'' said Waukesha County Sheriff's Lt.
Thom Moerman.
Burlington County, N.J., offered free fans to poor people and the elderly.
The weather posed special risks for people with outdoor jobs, such as
construction workers and delivery drivers.
Jerry Wall, who collects coins from parking meters in Tulsa, Okla., said
he tries to work in the shade of buildings whenever possible. But
``there's no good way to do it on days like today,'' he said.
In the Minneapolis suburb of Bloomington, a youth swim team cut practice
short because the water temperature rose to 80 degrees, about 10 degrees
above normal. ``When the water is a lot hotter, you get more fatigued a
lot easier,'' said Jenny Bussey, 17.
Cleveland's mayor said city recreation centers would be open Monday and
Tuesday to provide relief from the heat. The mayor of Akron, Ohio,
opened four cooling centers.
``So many of us live and work in air-conditioned environments, we may
not realize how dangerous this oppressive heat truly is for those who do
not,'' Mayor Donald Plusquellic said.
By the evening rush hour, authorities closed a bridge spanning the
Cuyahoga River in Cleveland because the heat had caused the steel to
expand and prevented parts from fitting together properly.
In Nebraska, high temperatures, a drought and strong winds combined to
feed enormous wildfires near the Panhandle town of Harrison.
Chicagoan Danita Winfield, who does not have air conditioning in her
apartment, planned to visit the city's 24-hour cooling station Monday night.
In the meantime, she said, ``I sit out in the front of the complex for a
while until I really get tired, then I go in the house and make a pallet
on the floor because we do have a little breeze that comes through the
window.''
In Terre Haute, Ind., the heat was a concern for many players attending
the season's first Indianapolis Colts practice. Two-time MVP Peyton
Manning said players have taken the danger seriously ever since the
death of Vikings tackle Korey Stringer, who collapsed five years ago
from heat exhaustion in training camp.
``So guys try to be smart about it,'' Manning said.
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Associated Press writers Julie Carr Smyth in Columbus, Ohio; Shaun
Schafer in Tulsa, Okla.; Robert Imrie in Wausau, Wis.; and Amy Forliti
in Bloomington, Minn., contributed to this report.