Ways to chill out when the heat is on

Keep an eye on one another this summer, urges the
county’s EMA director.

By JEANNE STARMACK

VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER

YOUNGSTOWN — Get ready, here they come — July and August — with their hot, sticky, oppressive days that make you long for — fall?

“I can’t wait for fall,” said Don Wellington on Wednesday afternoon as he stood on the Mahoning County Courthouse steps in the city, where it’s always hottest thanks to the baking asphalt streets and concrete sidewalks.

“At least there’s a nice, cool breeze today,” said Dana Drewek, who, like Wellington, works at the courthouse.

The two of them were looking forward to the end of their work day and kicking back at home, where their air conditioning runs day and night.

And it’s only the end of June.

Temperatures in the 70s were expected today though, after two days of sweltering 80s and 90s.

Energy use

There were some hot, humid days earlier this month, too. But there haven’t been any records set in energy use for June, even as air conditioner compressors work harder a few days here and there to get that humidity out of the air, said Paul Harkey, area manager for Ohio Edison, a FirstEnergy subsidiary.

Ohio Edison typically reaches peaks in energy use in July and August, when there are high temperatures along with high humidity for weeks at a time, Harkey said.

Consider this, though: The Fourth of July is coming up fast. Your grill isn’t going to be the only thing that’s hot.

If you don’t have a pool or air conditioning, you can still stay safe.

Walter Duzzny, director of the county’s Emergency Management Agency, said heat safety boils down to just plain common sense.

Children and older people are most at risk, he said. People should check on their friends and neighbors.

Stay safe

“A lot of people trying to reduce their electric bill aren’t running air conditioning and shutting up their house to keep it cool,” he said. “But that can work in reverse.”

Duzzny also said that if you have to be outside, try to save your activities for early morning or evening instead of during the hottest part of the day.

Don’t leave kids or pets in your car to run into a store, he said, even if you leave the air conditioning on. “What if the engine stalls and shuts off?” he said.

If you should run across someone who’s suffering from heat cramps, which are usually in arms or legs, or heat exhaustion, which results in cramps, weakness, paleness, heavy sweating, shallow breathing and a fast pulse, get the person to shade and have him drink water slowly, he said.

For heat stroke, which results in a high body temperature, red-hot and dry skin, a rapid pulse, throbbing headache, dizziness, nausea, confusion or unconsciousness, get medical help. Get the person’s body temperature down fast with shade and a tub of cool water.

The rest of summer

As summer progresses, the county will get public buildings and hospitals to offer their lobbies as cooling centers, Duzzny said.

Your own basement will be a cool spot, too, he said.

Without some respite though, that humidity will stick with you.

MeChelle Parks of the North Side was walking to her car downtown Wednesday after running some errands and meeting up with friends.

“Got a funny story,” said Parks, who teaches English at Hayes Middle School. There was a mishap in her summer school class that morning. “We had the fan working so hard it fell out the window.”

Parks is looking forward to the reopening of the North Side Pool. The pool was closed last summer for a replacement project, which won’t be completed until July 27.

She’ll likely have to wait until it opens in August to go swimming. Not cool.