While last week’s brief breezy moments gave us a sense of false fall, this week’s weather is here to remind us that summer will continue to roar on.
The National Weather Service in Wilmington issued a heat advisory on Aug. 21, in effect from noon to 9 p.m. The heat index values are expected to reach 102 degrees. Historical data shows the record heat index value for Aug. 21 was 101 degrees in 1936.
Outdoor workers
Lydia Voss is working on an ArtWorks mural instillation project on the new Findlay Market parking garage. She caught up with CityBeat while catching her breath in the frigid air conditioning of Deeper Roots Coffee on Race Street.
“I just can’t take it sometimes, this heat,” Voss said while setting her work helmet on a coffee table.
If the heat wasn’t enough, wildfires in Canada continue to blanket the region in a thick haze. The Southwest Ohio Air Quality Agency issued an Air Quality Alert for Hamilton County and other nearby counties on Aug. 19 that was extended through Aug. 21.
“I’ve definitely been coughing, but I don’t know if that’s due to the air quality,” Voss said.
An ArtWorks spokesperson told CityBeat the organization takes the brutal conditions seriously.
“This week has been ridiculously hot. When there’s a heat advisory or the air quality isn’t great, ArtWorks provides guidance, shifts hours to the cooler parts of the day or stops work if needed. We don’t want to risk anyone getting sick. It’s important to us that anyone working outside stay cautious, drink water and cool down when they need to,” said Jill Dunne, ArtWorks senior director of marketing and communications. “ArtWorks has a strong commitment to fostering a safe and nurturing environment for its employees.”
The cause of the hazy, hazardous air comes from Canadian wildfires that have blown ozone and tiny particles, known as PM2.5, across much of the upper midwest. While the agency’s air quality alert is set to expire at midnight, hazy days such as these are expected to continue throughout the summer and into the fall as crews continue to battle rampant wildfires across Canada. The Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC) reported 1,039 active wildfires on Aug. 21, with only 226 deemed “under control.”
Like the first Air Quality Alert from the agency in June, this one targets people who fall in the “Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups” category, including children, adults with respiratory illnesses and older adults. Still, the public at-large is recommended to limit outdoor time during the alert.
That’s hard for the artists behind the latest ArtWorks mural; they’re outside anywhere from four to seven hours a day.
“We’ve been downing these Vitamin C waters to get our electrolytes up,” said Allison Boyle, another artist working on installing the Findlay Garage mural.
The National Weather Service is urging people who are working outside to stay hydrated and take frequent breaks in air-conditioned spaces to avoid heat stroke.
“Take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside,” the advisory reads. “When possible reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or evening. Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Wear lightweight and loose fitting clothing when possible. To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent rest breaks in shaded or air conditioned environments. Anyone overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location. Heat stroke is an emergency!”
Signs of a heat-induced illnesses
The National Weather Service has an online resource that lists the symptoms of different heat-induced illnesses:
Heat stroke
Symptoms: Throbbing headache, confusion, nausea, dizziness, body temperature above 103°F, hot, red, dry or damp skin, rapid and strong pulse, fainting, loss of consciousness.First Aid: Call 911 or get the victim to a hospital immediately. Heat stroke is a severe medical emergency. Delay can be fatal. Move the victim to a cooler, preferably air-conditioned, environment. Reduce body temperature with cool cloths or bath. Use fan if heat index temperatures are below the high 90s. A fan can make you hotter at higher temperatures.
Do not give fluids. Using a fan to blow air in someone’s direction may actually make them hotter if heat index temperatures are above the 90s.
Heat exhaustion
Symptoms: Heavy sweating, Weakness or tiredness, cool, pale, clammy skin; fast, weak pulse, muscle cramps, dizziness, nausea or vomiting, headache, fainting.First Aid: Move person to a cooler environment, preferably a well air conditioned room. Loosen clothing. Apply cool, wet cloths or have person sit in a cool bath. Offer sips of water. If person vomits more than once.
Seek immediate medical attention if the person vomits, symptoms worsen or last longer than one hour.
Heat cramps
Symptoms: Painful muscle cramps and spasms usually in legs and abdomen and Heavy sweating.First Aid: Apply firm pressure on cramping muscles or gently massage to relieve spasm. Give sips of water unless the person complains of nausea, then stop giving water.
Seek immediate medical attention if cramps last longer than one hour.
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This article appears in Aug 9-22, 2023.
