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Community Corner

Soaring Temps Send Residents Swimming

Heading into the weekend, Marylanders are flocking to pools or air-conditioned facilities to beat the hottest days of summer.

With the Thursday mid-day sun blazing down, bathing suit-clad Emily Bennett found herself keeping cool under a generous deluge of water that burst forth from a giant sprinkler at Catonsville’s .

While the eight-year-old delighted in the spray, other kids swarmed about, laughing and playing amidst the refreshingly cold water.

In the meantime, a gaggle of parents could be seen huddling together under umbrellas or awnings to get out of the glare.

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Of the hot weather, Bennett said simply, “If it’s not too hot, I go to the pool or to the beach. If it’s really hot then I just usually stay in, and then I go to the indoor pool.”

Like Bennett, for the next three days, Marylanders will be looking for ways to beat the heat as temperatures become dangerously high, with forecasters calling it the hottest stretch of the summer.

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“We’re talking about 100-degree heat today, tomorrow and Saturday,” said Brandon Peloquin, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service of Baltimore/Washington.

By mid-afternoon Thursday, the temperature at BWI hit 98. For the next three days, the area’s heat index--a combination of heat and humidity--is expected to climb between 110-115 degrees.

On Thursday, the National Weather Service issued a day-time excessive heat warning for most of Maryland, including Howard, Montgomery and Baltimore Counties. The warning means that prolonged period of dangerously high temperatures, combined with high humidity, makes heat illnesses likely.

Locally, people are doing whatever they can to keep cool, like flocking to local air conditioned facilities like YMCAs, libraries and malls. The response by these welcoming heat havens has been all about hydration.

“It’s been really busy,” explained Melanie Rebechi, assistant manager at the Watermont Swim Club in Elkridge. To ward off heat illnesses, Rebechi said staffers are handing out free water, Gatorade and freeze pops. “Just this morning we had a kid with heat exhaustion…It’s scary,” Rebechi said. 

In fact, CNN has reported the heat wave of the last few days has been blamed for as many as 22 deaths across the country.

Barbara Bates, manager of Five Oaks Swim Club in Catonsville, said that while many members are frequenting the pool, others are staying home to be out of the weather altogether.

“Sometimes it’s just too hot to be in the pool,” Bates said. “The water is not as refreshing.”

To guard patrons who do come against the high temperature, Bates has been putting out more umbrellas for sun protection. She has also been taking a turn at the lifeguard stand to give other staffers a break.

As for the club’s lifeguards, they seem to be taking the heat in stride.

“At the end of the day, you do feel pretty exhausted, but it’s just another day at work,” said Boller, a lifeguard. “You get used to it.”

To keep from getting sick, Boller says she jumps in the pool every 15 minutes, and is sure to drink plenty of water.

“The sun is literally like a giant fireball,” Boller lamented.

But not everyone is lucky enough to have easy access to a pool.

According to Bates, dozens of daily phone calls have been pouring in from non-members, asking if they can use the pool. While Bates has to turn them away, she says she tries to offer suggestions for places they can go, “to soften the blow that they can’t come in.” 

Those who are not affiliated with a swim club do have options to make a splash, as there are many public swimming holes in the area. In Howard County for example, the Roger Carter Recreation Center has an outdoor pool, while in Montgomery County, there are seven public pools. In addition, Baltimore County operates three public waterfronts.

“One of the things that’s always really popular in July are our outdoor swimming pools,” said Judy Stiles, Montgomery County public relations specialist for the Department of Recreation. “They are a really good way for people to swim and cool down.” 

Besides pools, other facilities like YMCAs are also having to adjust to the heat.

“Our biggest impact is for our summer camp program,” said Dawn Chrystal-Wolfe, director of the Ellicott City Y of Central Maryland.

Crystal-Wolfe said that her counselors are having to be creative to come up with activities that can be played away from the sun.  “For today, they are pretty much indoors all day…We try to make them have a fun day but try to get them out of the heat as well,” she said.

And while it’s scorching outside, is not as hot as it could be.

According to Jared Klein, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service of Baltimore/Washington, the all-time high for the Baltimore area is 107, which was recorded, July 10, 1936. Even though this summer seems hot, last summer tied for the second warmest summer on record, which date back to the 1800s.

Klein explained that the area averages about six days of 95-plus degree heat each summer, adding that this year’s average high has been 88 degrees.

Maryland isn’t the only place experiencing such high temperatures going into the weekend. Excessive heat watches, warnings and advisories are in effect from Ohio to New England.

And according to a Tweet from Justin Kenney, director of communications for the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, 48 percent of the United States population is currently under heat advisories or warnings, which includes 148 million people.

"These triple-digit temperatures are forecast to remain in place across the eastern U.S. through Saturday before cooling off slightly to the mid-90s by Sunday," stated the National Weather Service.

Luckily, some residents are appreciating the sunny side of the stifling temperature.

“I’d rather it be this than be shoveling snow,” Ellicott City resident Michele Robinson said.

Her friend Sandi Plaisted of Columbia, added “I pay a really high electric bill to keep my house cold…It’s worth it.”

 For information on heat-related illness, and advice on how to stay healthy,visit http://emergency.cdc.gov/disasters/extremeheat/faq.asp 

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