Deaths Reported as Record Heat Wave Roasts Eastern United States
1 view
Skip to first unread message
Pastor Dale Morgan
Jul 6, 2010, 11:32:30 PM7/6/10
to Bible-Pro...@googlegroups.com
Perilous Times and Climate Change
Deaths Reported as Record Heat Wave Roasts Eastern United States
SEBASTIAN SMITH
July 7, 2010 - 10:49AM
AFP
New York roasted in record temperatures on Tuesday as a heat wave rolled across the eastern United States, pushing power companies to the limit and driving residents to municipal "cooling centres".
The National Weather Service (NWS) measured 103 degrees Fahrenheit (39.45C) in Central Park in mid-Manhattan, easily breaking the 101 degrees record set for July 6 back in 1999.
Soaring temperatures, often in the triple-digit range, also afflicted Washington, DC; Richmond, Virginia; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and reached as far as Montreal, Canada.
Electricity use surged through the densely populated eastern seaboard of the United States region as office buildings reopened after the long July 4 Independence Day weekend.
Con Ed, a major utility company in the New York area, urged energy conservation during what was expected to be record demand for power, with customers putting air conditioners on overdrive and raiding freezers and fridges for refreshments.
The NWS issued a heat advisory, saying that heat and high humidity could prove dangerous for young children and the elderly. There have also been reports of numerous deaths because of over heating and dehydration in the elderly/
The agency warned residents to "drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun and check up on relatives and neighbours".
"Excessive heat" advisories also were posted in New York City and Philadelphia, where authorities opened "cooling stations" - air-conditioned rooms in schools and other neighbourhood buildings where residents could get out of the cauldron.
New York's health and emergency management departments issued heat tips including keeping "strenuous activity" to between 4am and 7am.
The city government suggested residents without air conditioning at home visit cooling centres or spend the day in the "mall, museum or movie theatre".
For millions of children on summer vacation, splashing in city fountains and the time-honoured option of tapping into fire hydrants provided instant relief.
In a bid to prevent the illegal opening of hydrants, New York fire houses were issuing spray caps designed to keep the gush to a manageable level.
Heather Buchman, a meteorologist for AccuWeather.com, warned on the website of "a dangerous heat wave" for people and infrastructure.
"In addition to putting stress on people and their health, the intense heat will also place a higher demand on power grids due to increased usage of air conditioning. Power outages could result in some communities, putting people at an even greater risk for developing heat-related illnesses," she said.
New York State governor David Paterson recommended New Yorkers reduce electricity use during the peak hours between 1pm and 7pm.
In August 2003 the entire US northeast and part of Canada were plunged into darkness when the power grid collapsed in one of the biggest outages in history.
Deaths Reported as Record Heat Wave Roasts Eastern United States
SEBASTIAN SMITH
July 7, 2010 - 10:49AM
AFP
New York roasted in record temperatures on Tuesday as a heat wave rolled across the eastern United States, pushing power companies to the limit and driving residents to municipal "cooling centres".
The National Weather Service (NWS) measured 103 degrees Fahrenheit (39.45C) in Central Park in mid-Manhattan, easily breaking the 101 degrees record set for July 6 back in 1999.
Soaring temperatures, often in the triple-digit range, also afflicted Washington, DC; Richmond, Virginia; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and reached as far as Montreal, Canada.
Electricity use surged through the densely populated eastern seaboard of the United States region as office buildings reopened after the long July 4 Independence Day weekend.
Con Ed, a major utility company in the New York area, urged energy conservation during what was expected to be record demand for power, with customers putting air conditioners on overdrive and raiding freezers and fridges for refreshments.
The NWS issued a heat advisory, saying that heat and high humidity could prove dangerous for young children and the elderly. There have also been reports of numerous deaths because of over heating and dehydration in the elderly/
The agency warned residents to "drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun and check up on relatives and neighbours".
"Excessive heat" advisories also were posted in New York City and Philadelphia, where authorities opened "cooling stations" - air-conditioned rooms in schools and other neighbourhood buildings where residents could get out of the cauldron.
New York's health and emergency management departments issued heat tips including keeping "strenuous activity" to between 4am and 7am.
The city government suggested residents without air conditioning at home visit cooling centres or spend the day in the "mall, museum or movie theatre".
For millions of children on summer vacation, splashing in city fountains and the time-honoured option of tapping into fire hydrants provided instant relief.
In a bid to prevent the illegal opening of hydrants, New York fire houses were issuing spray caps designed to keep the gush to a manageable level.
Heather Buchman, a meteorologist for AccuWeather.com, warned on the website of "a dangerous heat wave" for people and infrastructure.
"In addition to putting stress on people and their health, the intense heat will also place a higher demand on power grids due to increased usage of air conditioning. Power outages could result in some communities, putting people at an even greater risk for developing heat-related illnesses," she said.
New York State governor David Paterson recommended New Yorkers reduce electricity use during the peak hours between 1pm and 7pm.
In August 2003 the entire US northeast and part of Canada were plunged into darkness when the power grid collapsed in one of the biggest outages in history.
Reply all
Reply to author
Forward
0 new messages