Baltimore City and 18 counties in Maryland declared heat-related emergencies Monday as the thermometer flirted with the 100-degree mark throughout the day.
A code red health alert was declared in Baltimore, where the heat index topped 101 degrees. City officials advised residents to stay indoors and drink water. The city also opened 10 city cooling sites to help people escape the heat.
Senior citizens gathered at the Waxter Center, one of the cooling centers, seemed to be happy to have somewhere to go.
“It?s comfortable in here,” said Delores Brooke, a self-described 70-plus senior citizen. Brooke said she?s worried the heat will affect her high blood pressure ? and her wallet.
“Air conditioning costs a lot of money,” she said, preferring to take advantage of the center?s cool temperatures and hospitality.
The Waxter Center offered cold water, extended hours and transportation. Free electric fans were also available as part of a city-wide effort to beat the heat.
Howard County, however, had not “activated anything,” County Spokeswoman Kathy Sloan-Beard said Monday afternoon. “The bureau of emergency management is working with the health department. They might be putting out some tips on how to deal with the heat. If they decide to open a cooling system, they will be at public libraries, senior centers and county government buildings.”
But it wasn?t just the heat that had area residents worried.
A Maryland State Department of the Environment spokeswoman said air quality on Monday was orange ? unhealthy for sensitive groups. “Children and adults with respiratory and heart ailments should limit their time outdoors,” according to Julie Oberg. The air quality forecast for today is red, “unhealthy for everyone,” Julie Oberg said.
Robert Sanchez-Vaddy, a native of Puerto Rico enjoying a game of pinochle at the Waxter Center, recommended an unusual balm for steamy temperatures that contradicts the advice of health experts.
“I drink coffee,” he said. “Coffee makes you sweat, and then you feel cooler.”
