THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, May 20, 1996 TAG: 9605200043
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY STEVE STONE AND LYNN WALTZ, STAFF WRITERS
LENGTH: Medium: 96 lines
Think cool.
That may be your only relief with forecasters warning that the mercury could flirt with the century mark this afternoon.
Temperatures are expected to remain about 20 degrees above normal through Tuesday. With the humidity thrown in, it could feel like it's closer to 100 or 105.
This sudden dose of August weather - the strongest May heat wave the East has seen since 1962 - caught many off guard.
At the 14th annual Chesapeake Jubilee, paramedics treated about 20 people who were overwhelmed. None had to be hospitalized, but some did collapse.
``A lot of people left just from the sweating,'' said Lisa Cruz, 26, as she walked her two children, ages 5 and 2, out of the festival Sunday afternoon. ``We kept giving the kids icy cones and drinks trying to cool them off. I wish they had someone handing out water. We would have stayed longer.''
Some people hosed themselves down to keep cool. Others gulped beverages. And if you couldn't get a cool drink, catching a cool breeze helped some - if you could find one.
``The lines took forever (for rides), but we had to get on the rides to get a breeze,'' Kirby Query, 14, said. ``We didn't have money to get drinks all the time. We were burning up. Everybody was talking about the heat. Some people had long pants on. They were dying.''
That was part of the problem, said Capt. Noel Gregory, whose paramedical teams were treating those overcome by heat.
Not only were many people not drinking enough fluids, many ``were not properly dressed,'' he said. ``It's early in the year and it just really caught people off guard.''
While some people complained that there wasn't more done to help people beat the heat - such as providing water - many others said they had a good day at the festival and that a hot, sunny day was better than a cold, rainy one.
The hot weather was a classic double-edged sword, said Pete Burkhimer, the festival chairman. ``On the good side of the sword, it is certainly a beautiful day,'' he said. ``But it is easy for people to overdo things.''
He said committee members were walking the festival grounds, keeping an eye out for people who looked like they needed a break. They were directed to two cooling-off areas, including an air-conditioned tent, where they also could get water and relax.
Aside from the heat, ``We've had a very successful weekend,'' said Steve Best, the festival's spokesman. ``The crowds have been running above average and everybody's having a good time.''
The mercury was into the 90s throughout Virginia on Sunday afternoon, hitting a high of 94 degrees in Norfolk - just a degree shy of the record for the date set in 1877.
A strong area of high pressure responsible for record-breaking temperatures moved over the Middle Atlantic states on Sunday. It will remain in place into Tuesday.
The record high for today - 96 set in 1877 - could fall. A cooling trend should begin in the middle of the week. MEMO: HEAT TIPS
This early burst of mid-summer heat may be catching people off guard.
If you plan to be outdoors today, keep these tips in mind:
Wear lightweight, light-colored clothing because it reflects heat and
sunlight and helps your body stay cooler.
Drink plenty of non-alcoholic liquids. Clear fluids and plain old
water are best.
Reduce or reschedule strenuous activities to the coolest time of the
day.
Avoid excessive sun exposure. Sunburn increases the chance of heat
stroke. If you do go out in the sun, use a sunscreen with an SPF of 15
or higher.
Remain in air-conditioned buildings if possible, especially during
the hottest time of the day.
Check on small children, the elderly and those with chronic illness
or respiratory ailments because they are the most at risk to heat
exhaustion and breathing difficulties.
Do not forget pets and livestock. Make sure they have enough water
and shade.
ILLUSTRATION: MIKE HEFFNER
The Virginian-Pilot
Sara Stafford, 16, gets a cooling-off assist from Jason Doughtery,
16, while they were attending the Chesapeake Jubilee Sunday. The
sudden dose of August weather caught many off guard. Today's high
temperature could approach 100 degrees.
GARY C. KNAPP
At about 1:35 p.m. Sunday, a young woman at the Chesapeake Jubilee
succumbed to the heat. While waiting for the paramedics to arrive,
bystanders tried cooling her off with some water. While some at the
festival asked why there wasn't more done to help people beat the
heat, many said a hot, sunny day was better than a cold, rainy one.
KEYWORDS: WEATHER by CNB