‘Brutal’ heat wave envelops half of U.S.; events canceled
Associated Press
NEW YORK — Americans from New Mexico to Maine sweated out a steamy Saturday as a heat wave canceled events from festivals to horse races and pushed New York City to order steps to avoid straining the electrical system.
The National Weather Service said “a dangerous heat wave” sent temperatures into the 90s, with high humidity that made it feel considerably hotter. It was expected to stay warm at night, in the upper 70s to low 80s, with more heat on the way Sunday for the East Coast.
“It’s brutal,” Jeffrey Glickman, 37, said as he paused during a run in Washington.
Many people in areas facing excessive heat this weekend have no air conditioning, and cities opened shelters for people to cool off. With record- or near-record-high temperatures at night when many air-conditioned places are closed, the weather can become especially dangerous for people who don’t get a chance to cool down, experts say. The risks are greater for young children, the elderly and the sick.
Over three days in July 1995, more than 700 people died during a heat wave in Chicago as temperatures rose above 97 degrees.
Many of the dead were poor, elderly and lived alone.
While the Midwest will get some relief Sunday as a cold front brings storms and lower temperatures, the East won’t be so lucky until Monday, the weather service warned. The heat will be the worst from the Carolinas to Maine.
New York City authorities canceled a Times Square commemoration of the 1969 moon landing and an outdoor festival.
Storms have knocked out power to hundreds of thousands of people in parts of Michigan and Wisconsin, heightening the misery. Strong wind and rain were expected to persist Saturday night and into Sunday in the Midwest and Central Plains.
In Philadelphia, several hundred people were evacuated from a retirement community due to a partial power outage, though it wasn’t immediately clear whether the problem was heat related. Residents were taken to a nearby shelter, and police said some went to a hospital for evaluation.
In Chicago, heat nixed several outdoor events, including a 5K run in Grant Park and a morning workout at Millennium Park. It hit 94 degrees by first pitch at the San Diego Padres-Chicago Cubs game at Wrigley Field, but some fans didn’t want to stay away, largely watching from shaded concourses.
“We’re sticking to water and not having beer. It’s helping a little bit,” said Jaclyn Jendrisak of St. Louis.
In New Jersey, operators of the Monmouth Park horse racing track canceled six races and pushed back others, including the $1 million Haskell Invitational, until early evening.
At New York’s Yankee Stadium, the temperature hit 94 degrees when the Yankees and Colorado Rockies took the field. Extra hydration stations were set up in all three decks and the bleachers.
Announcements reminded fans to keep drinking water.