Annapolis Opens Cooling Center for Expected Record Heat

From the City of Annapolis:

Annapolis Mayor Michael Pantelides announced that the city of Annapolis will open the Pip Moyer Recreation Center July 22 through Monday, July 25 as a cooling center. The cooling center will open at 10 a.m. each day and close at 6 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday and close at 9 p.m. on Monday. The center is located at 273 Hilltop Ln. in Annapolis, and residents utilizing the facility as a cooling center will not have access to recreation activities.

Dangerous, extreme heat is expected in Annapolis Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Friday is expected to be in the upper 90s. Saturday, Sunday and Monday’s heat index is expected to be around 105 degrees. This weekend, we could see the worst heat of the year.

Anne Arundel County will also open their cooling centers. County cooling center locations include libraries, senior centers and police stations. For more information about the County cooling center resources and transportation to the sites, call (410) 222-0022 during normal business hours.

The combination of hot temperatures and high humidity will combine to create a situation where heat illnesses are possible.

Heat cramps are often the first sign of a heat illness. Symptoms of heat cramps are muscle pain, spasms, nausea and thirst. If you experience symptom, you should rest in a cool place and drink cool water or a sports drink.

Heat exhaustion is a more serious illness, and symptoms include clammy skin, headache, nausea, dizziness, weakness and thirst. You should treat heat exhaustion the same as heat cramps, but if symptoms continue, seek medical attention immediately.

Heat stroke is the most serious heat-related illness and occurs when your body temperature rises to 104 degrees or higher. Symptoms include clammy or hot, dry and reddened skin, vomiting, seizures, shallow breathing, disorientation and delirium. Heat stroke requires immediate medical treatment.

“As the heat index is forecasted to peak above 100 degrees, please remember to check on your neighbors, particularly elderly residents,” Mayor Michael Pantelides said. “Stay hydrated, stay cool, and stay safe.”

Kevin Simmons, director of the Office of Emergency Management, points out that “the symptoms of heat illness can escalate quickly, which means it is critical to take precautions and stay hydrated before you begin to feel the effects of the heat.”

If you have neighbors or know of someone who lives without air conditioning, please check on them or offer them a cooler place to stay. A cool indoor location is the best defense against heat-related illness.

Never leave children or pets unattended in vehicles. Temperatures inside the vehicle can rapidly climb to 130 degrees.

For more information, call the Office of Emergency Management at (410) 216-9167, or email the department atoem@annapolis.gov.

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