Southwest continues to swelter under dangerous heat wave
PHOENIX — A dangerous heat wave threatened a wide swath of the Southwest with potentially deadly temperatures in the triple digits on Saturday as some cooling centers planned to extend their hours and emergency rooms prepared to treat more people will heat-related illnesses.
“Near record temperatures are expected this weekend!" the National Weather Service in Phoenix warned in a tweet, advising people to follow its heat safety tips such as drinking plenty of water and checking on family members and neighbors.
“Don't be a statistic!” the weather service in Tucson advised, noting that extreme heat can be deadly. “It CAN happen to YOU!”
About 200 hydration stations distributing bottles of water and cooling centers where thousands of people can rest in air conditioned spaces opened Saturday morning in public spaces like libraries, churches and businesses around the Phoenix metro area.
Charles Sanders spent Friday afternoon with his Chihuahua mix Babygirl at the air-conditioned Justa Center, which offers daytime services to older homeless people in downtown Phoenix. It's also serving as a hydration station, distributing free bottles of water to the public.
Because of funding and staffing limitations, the center can stay open only until 5:30 p.m., so Sanders, a 59-year-old who uses a wheelchair, has spent the sweltering nights with his pet in a tattered tent behind the building.
“I've been here for four summers now and it's the worst so far,” said Sanders, a former welder originally from Denver.
Over 110 million people, or about a third of Americans, were under extreme heat advisories, watches and warnings Saturday. Temperatures in some desert areas were predicted to soar past 120 degrees during the day, and remain in the 90s overnight.