THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, July 17, 1995 TAG: 9507170037
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY STEVE STONE, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Long : 175 lines
With a crash of thunder, the heat wave broke - though briefly - Sunday afternoon. Torrential rain soaked parched lawns and gardens, washed the dust of Saturday's 101 degree record-breaker from cars, and provided at least an hour of relief in some parts of Hampton Roads.
In downtown Norfolk, however, the rain brought more than a cooling breeze. It quickly overpowered the city's sewer system, flooding streets and some buildings.
In some areas, the water rose as high as 4 feet, and pedestrians were swimming to their destinations.
The city's parking garage on Boush Street at City Hall Avenue flooded, and by 5 p.m. parking attendants had left their booths. The good news: Those who'd parked there could leave without paying. The bad: They couldn't leave without stalling their cars in the knee-high water, at least until about 6 p.m., when the water receded.
At one point, water gushed through the first-floor revolving door to Town Point Center on Boush Street and nearly covered the hoods of cars parked on nearby streets.
Water seeped into the Commerce Bank branch in the building, soaking boxes and papers that employees had stacked under their desks.
It didn't take long after the storm abated for the heat and humidity to return.
And more is expected during the next few days.
Sunday's official high was only 93 degrees at the National Weather Service office at Norfolk International Airport. But because the humidity was higher than Saturday's, it felt like 115.
That kind of heat can be dangerous, says Lt. Ralph ``Chip'' Melton, a Norfolk paramedic who warns that people should take precautions for their health.
As a firefighter, he's faced blazing buildings on searing summer days; as a paramedic, he's cared for people who have been overcome in nature's oven.
``It can kind of sneak up on you,'' Melton said. ``In these high temps we've been having, you can get into trouble before you realize what is happening.''
The very young and the very old are most susceptible to heat ailments, but young, fit people also can suffer.
``They usually fare better because of their general physical condition. They are less frail,'' Melton, 36, said. ``But they also have a false sense of security and they are more likely to try and overdo it than the older person who knows they need to be careful.''
The most common mistake people make is to maintain their exercise and work schedule without making any allowance for extreme heat.
``They may think they can get out there and jog that five miles like they usually do and it may catch up with them,'' Melton said. ``Or if they have a large yard and they usually go out and cut it all at one time when it's 70 or 80, they think they can do the same when it's 100 with high humidity.''
Early intervention is the key to avoiding a life-threatening situation, Melton said.
``If you feel overheated, you're perspiring and thirsty, jump in that swimming pool,'' he said, or just get in the shade and drink fluids. ``But if you feel light-headed, like you're going to pass out, or dizzy, you need to very quickly get in air conditioning and replenish fluids.''
And if symptoms include unconsciousness, severe cramps, nausea or vomiting, ``we recommend medical attention.''
Convincing people that they need to take heat stress seriously can be difficult, said Melton, who's been with the department 16 years. He's seen it happen with fellow firefighters.
``Sometimes you have to give them a little gentle persuasion,'' he said. ``They have that mindset where they want to keep going until the job is done. But we have to watch out that our people don't get hurt.''
Not only can they suffer medical problems from heat exhaustion, but as they weaken, they may make bad decisions or may not be able to move swiftly enough in a dangerous situation.
And heat problems can come on quickly for firefighters.
``You're wearing a full set of turn-out gear and self-contained breathing apparatus and you're inside a fire to boot,'' Melton said.
``It's incredibly hot. You start to perspire, but there's no breeze, no evaporation. So you just kind of start to steam up in the gear. It saps your energy. It doesn't take long to wipe someone out. That's why we have twice as many people at fires at this time of year. You're continuously having to replace personnel.''
And lest anyone think a firefighter need only turn a hose on himself to cool off, think again.
``That water gets awful warm in those tanks,'' Melton said. All things considered, he'd rather cool off in a more traditional way: ``I would rather be at poolside.''
That, or a trip to the beach, will be popular choices for folks who have that option as the work week begins.
Today should be mostly sunny, hot and humid with a high in the lower 90s and south winds at 10 mph.
Tuesday is expected to be partly cloudy with a chance of showers and thunderstorms and a high in the lower to middle 90s. ILLUSTRATION: Color staff photo by BETH BERGMAN
In a sweeping gesture, Damon Staley shakes a broom of water toward
friend Tammy Stoddard on City Hall Avenue in Norfolk.
Graphic
LIVING WITH THE HEAT
Drink lots of fluids
Replenish fluids if you plan to be outside. The body loses
strength and endurance as it loses fluids. Water is best; juices,
tea and most other cool drinks will do, however. Avoid drinks high
in caffeine, which may cause the loss of body fluids. Avoid alcohol,
which also increases dehydration.
Limit sun exposure
If you can, stay indoors between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., when the
rays are most intense. Exercise or work outside early in the morning
or late in the day. Avoid surfaces such as pavement or asphalt,
which tend to absorb heat. If you don't have air conditioning, go to
public places for a break: supermarkets, shopping malls, office
buildings, movie theaters, etc.
Slow down
Cut back on activities. Take a break at the first signs of
fatigue, light-headedness or sweltering. Find a cool spot. Drink
water.
Dress cool
Wear lightweight, light-colored clothing, which reflects sunlight
and helps maintain normal body temperature.
Listen to the body's warnings
Excessive heat may affect the body in a variety of ways,
resulting in serious conditions:
Heat exhaustion - Anyone can suffer heat exhaustion, from the
well-conditioned athlete to the couch potato.
Symptoms include profuse sweating followed by suddenly feeling
lightheaded, dizzy, nauseated and weak. Headaches are common. Those
affected also can appear irritable and feisty and may resist efforts
to get them to cool off.
Body fluids are lost through sweating and dehydration, and body
temperature is too high.
Treatment: drink water. It should be cool but not necessarily
iced. Move into the shade. Sit in front of a fan or, best of all, go
indoors to air conditioning. A tepid shower or bath, or dousing with
a garden hose, also will help.
In most cases, people feel better in 15 to 20 minutes and fully
recover by the next day. Rest will keep body temperature down. If
symptoms don't improve, or if the person loses consciousness, take
her or him to an emergency room or physician.
Heatstroke - This is far more dangerous than heat exhaustion;
heatstroke requires emergency medical care.
Victims often collapse and appear confused and incoherent. They
can be quarrelsome, hysterical and aggressive. Some have muscle
spasms in their limbs, a vacant stare and dilated pupils.
Disorientation is common. In severe cases, seizures occur and some
victims lapse into an irreversible coma.
Sweating often stops. Body temperature soars. The skin feels hot
and dry. At body temperatures of 104 and above, key proteins begin
to break down. The immune system is affected. The kidneys, heart,
liver and brain can be damaged.
Immediate emergency medical care is required. Have someone dial
911 while you move the person to shade or air conditioning. Loosen
her clothing, hose her down, and put ice on her neck or groin, where
blood flow is greatest.
Don't try to give water or other fluids. Doing so can cause
vomiting, which worsens dehydration.
Pets can get hot, too
Make sure pets have plenty of fresh, cool water. If you will be
away for several hours and your pet will be outside, put ice cubes
in the water. And keep your pet in a well-ventilated, shady area
with room to relax.
The car can be a killer
Never, ever, leave pets, children or people who cannot care for
themselves in a car or vehicle closed up in hot weather. Even if you
leave the engine running with the air conditioner on, the car could
stall.
The interior of a vehicle can warm very quickly to extreme levels
- 120 and higher - that can easily kill. Just put a thermometer in a
car parked in the sun for an hour and see what happens; the reading
probably will be off the scale.
KEYWORDS: WEATHER by CNB