NORTHWEST ARKANSAS — Washington County’s Department of Emergency Management urged residents and visitors Tuesday to take extraordinary precautions against sweltering summer temperatures and released a list of “cooling shelters” where anyone can seek respite.
THE LIST
Cooling Off In Washington County
The following locations have agreed to provide a cool location for those in need during regular business hours.
- Yvonne Richardson Center, 240 E. Rock St., Fayetteville.
- Fayetteville Senior Center, 945 S. College Ave., Fayetteville.
- Fayetteville Public Library, 401 W. Mountain St., Fayetteville.
- Northwest Arkansas Mall, 4201 N. Shiloh Drive, Fayetteville.
- John Powell Senior Center, 610 E. Grove Ave., Springdale.
- Springdale Youth Center, 600 Ash St., Springdale.
Source: Staff Report
THE TIPS
Hot Weather
Tips for avoiding trouble during times of high temperatures:
- Consider spending the warmest part of the day in public buildings such as libraries, schools, movie theaters, shopping malls and other community facilities. Circulating air can cool the body by increasing the perspiration rate of evaporation.
- Drink plenty of liquids.
- Limit intake of alcoholic beverages.
- Dress in loose-fitting, lightweight and light-colored clothes that cover as much skin as possible.
- Check on family, friends and neighbors who do not have air conditioning and who spend much of their time alone.
- Never leave children or pets alone in closed vehicles.
- Avoid strenuous work during the warmest part of the day. Use a buddy system when working in extreme heat and take frequent breaks.
Source: Benton County Department Of Emergency Management, Homeland Security
Searing and sustained temperatures across Northwest Arkansas prompted area health and emergency service officials to slip into high gear in advising residents about the harmful and potentially deadly effects of the heat.
“Temperatures of 100 or over 100 really put stress on people,” said Rick Johnson, deputy director of the Washington County Department of Emergency Management.
In Benton County, there is no formal public response to deal with excessive summer heat, according to Marshal Watson, county emergency services administrator. Watson said the county typically works with municipalities, which often have facilities — libraries, activity centers or wellness centers — suited to keep people cool.
“Heat kills by pushing the human body beyond its limits,” Watson said. “Most heat disorders occur because the victim has been overexposed to heat or has over-exercised for his or her age and physical condition.”
Older adults, young children and those who are sick are more likely to succumb to extreme heat.
The cooling centers identified in Washington County are in Fayetteville and Springdale, but Johnson said libraries and senior centers in the smaller towns and rural areas are good places to go if there are no other options to beat the heat.
County officials noted that life goes on despite the heat.
“Many people have to get out in the heat,” Johnson said. “These are areas people can go to if they get too hot during the day.”
The best advice is to “hydrate, hydrate, hydrate and start early. Don’t wait until you are thirsty,” Johnson said.
Northwest Arkansas remained under a heat advisory Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service in Tulsa, Okla. The weather service defines a heat advisory as a situation in which the maximum heat index is 105 to 110 degrees while low temperatures remain above 75 degrees for two or more consecutive days.
Crawford County was the only Arkansas county with an excessive heat warning — which stems from a higher sustained heat index — along with numerous counties in eastern Oklahoma.
The region may see some cooling relief today and tomorrow but it will be short-lived, said Amy Jankowski, a meteorologist at the service’s Tulsa office.
A 40 percent chance of storms and a high temperature of 94 are forecast today. Thursday’s forecast includes a 30 percent chance of storms with a high of 93. The heat returns after an upper-level low pushes through the region and a dome of high pressure settles in for the weekend and into next week, Jankowski said.
Capt. Alan Johnson of Central EMS said emergency personnel have responded to a couple of calls a day from people suffering from heat stroke or other heat-related ailments, but none of the cases were especially serious.
Typically, first responders rehydrate those suffering from heat stroke with intravenous fluids and take them to the hospital to receive more fluids before being discharged later the same day, Johnson said.
He credited the media with telling people of the dangers of the excessive heat and keeping the number of response calls low.
“We’re glad they’re being made aware,” Johnson said. “It’s saving us a lot of work.”
Dr. Rick Tutt, an emergency room doctor at Washington Regional Medical Center in Fayetteville, said he treated one woman for heat exhaustion Tuesday, but had not seen serious conditions related to the heat.
He recommends people drink plenty of fluids and stay inside. He noted that those with conditions such as diabetes and seizure disorders are particularly susceptible to illness brought on by the heat.
A bottled drink with electrolytes, such as Gatorade, is also a good supplement to water to keep heat exhaustion away, Tutt said.
Northwest Medical System hospitals in Springdale and Bentonville haven’t seen a run of heat-related treatment, said Pat Driscoll, spokeswoman for the system.
“We had several people come in at the start of last week, but it looks like people have figured it out now,” Driscoll said.
The high heat and humidity is beginning to take its toll on some Rogers residents, said Laura Keep, public relations director for Mercy Medical Center.
“Three people have been treated for dehydration and other heat-related symptoms so far today,” Keep said just before noon on Tuesday. “We’ve seen a handful of patients over the last couple of days with heat-related problems.”
Duane Atha, chief of the Springdale Fire Department and its ambulance fleet that covers parts of northern Washington County and southern Benton County, said the agency hasn’t seen a rash of heat-related calls, but have responded to some problems that might have been exacerbated by the heat.
Calls in Rogers have been sparse, too, according to Tom Jenkins, the fire chief. Since July 1, the fire department has responded to two calls: One person who overheated while walking and to the War Eagle area where a hiker got too hot.
“We haven’t had any reports of actual heat stroke,” Jenkins said. “Everything we’ve responded to has been related to heat exhaustion.”
Construction and public utility crews in many instances simply shift their work days a little earlier to maximize the work done in the less-intense part of the day.
Barney Hayes, Springdale parks director, said his crews follow an arrive-early pattern during the summer months.
“During the summer months the crews work from around 6 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. It’s just too hot for them to work late in the afternoon,” Hayes said.
Mike Churchwell, Bentonville transportation engineer, said city street crews started their summer schedule after Memorial Day.
“They go out with lots of water and Gatorade,” Churchwell said. “We caution them about the heat, tell them to take plenty of breaks. We haven’t had any problems. They are pretty smart about it.”
Prairie Grove Mayor Sonny Hudson said he held a staff meeting Tuesday to remind street, water and trash workers to take extra breaks and drink lots of water to cope with the summer heat.
Information for this story was contributed by reporters Chris Freiberg, Joel Walsh, Steve Caraway, John Gore, Rose Ann Pearce, Bob Caudle and Tom Sissom.