Summer makes brutal entrance in Southwest
Most, but not all, heed excessive heat warning
PHOENIX — Don Kushner emerged from his afternoon hike on Camelback Mountain clearly a little run down from the heat.
Kushner was one of the few who ignored warnings to avoid strenuous outdoor activity and decided to exercise outside on one of the hottest days in Phoenix’s recorded history.
“Here it’s your own private mountain, and it’s wonderful,” he said, covered in sweat Tuesday.
Phoenix authorities issued several warnings about the dangers of the heat. Phoenix park ranger Chris Webb said she saw about a dozen hikers on Camelback Mountain in the afternoon hours.
“I would recommend that people do something less strenuous than to come out to the toughest hike in Phoenix in the middle part of the day,” she said. “Maybe go swimming. Maybe do something indoors instead.”
The first day of summer brought some of the worst heat the southwestern U.S. region has seen in years.
Meteorologists said Tuesday’s temperature in Phoenix topped out at 119 degrees, a mark that’s only been matched or surpassed four times in the city’s recorded history. The all-time high was 122 degrees on June 26, 1990.
Death Valley, California, reached 127 Tuesday and Palm Springs hit 122, tying the high for the same day last year.
Tonya and Lavonda Williams traveled from Orlando, Florida, to Las Vegas to see the Backstreet Boys in concert. Walking on the Strip in 112 degrees was too much to handle, even for people accustomed to heat.
“This is like the oven door is open,” Lavonda Williams said as the sisters walked from a pedestrian bridge into The Palazzo hotel-casino.
“It’s too hot to even drink alcohol,” Tonya Williams added.
In Phoenix, hundreds flocked to Grace Lutheran Church for water and refuge.
“We have homeless people come from a long way to sit here,” longtime volunteer Moses Elder said. “There are other spots where you can go get cold water and sit down and cool off, but there are few places you can lay down and get something to eat.”
Arizona Public Service Company, the state’s largest electricity provider, said customers set a record peak usage Tuesday as temperatures in Phoenix soared to nearly 120 degrees.
More than 7,300 megawatts of energy were consumed between 5 and 6 p.m., topping the prior 11-year record set in 2006.
In addition to grounding more than 40 flights of smaller planes, airlines have been taking other measures on larger jets to reduce their weight.
American Airlines spokesman
Ross Feinstein said the carrier began limiting sales on some flights to prevent the planes from exceeding maximum weight for safe takeoff in the hot conditions.
About 50 people went a Petsmart store in a Phoenix suburb Tuesday to receive free elastic booties to put on their pets’ paws so they don’t burn on concrete and pavement.