UPDATE: Continuing Heat Wave Brings Calls for Caution, Conservation

As the sweltering heat continues to pound Rockland County, local offiicals are urging residents to use caution with outdoor activities and utilities are asking customers to conserve power and water.

In response to the continued heat wave, the Town of Clarkstown this afternoon announced its "cooling centers" will continue to be open through Thursday and Friday.

Rockland County Department of Health Commissioner Dr. Joan H. Facelle is alerting residents that another an Air Quality Health Advisory for the Metropolitan New York City region, including Rockland County, has been issued for today.

As health officials urge residents to use caution during outdoor activities, Orange and Rockland Utilities is urging Rocklanders to conserve energy where they can and United Water Co. is asking the county to conserve water. Cooling stations are also open in New City and throughout the county for those who do not have air conditioning at home and want to get out of the heat.

Air Quality Health Advisories are issued by the New York State Department of Health and Department of Environmental Conservation when levels of pollution, either ozone or fine particulate matter, are expected to exceed national air quality standards.

The pollutant of concern for the Air Quality Health Advisory is ozone.

The Rockland County Department of Health recommends that residents limit strenuous outdoor physical activity, such as jogging, ball-playing and running during the afternoon and early evening hours when ozone levels are highest. People with existing respiratory ailments may be especially sensitive to the effects of ozone and should limit all outdoor exercise and physical exertion when ozone levels are elevated. Young children and elderly persons are also susceptible. It is helpful to remain in an air-conditioned location.

People exposed to elevated levels of ozone may experience a variety of symptoms. The most common symptom is a feeling of irritation in the eyes, nose and throat. Some people may also experience respiratory symptoms such as shortness of breath, chest pain, and wheezing. Even without such symptoms, people exposed to ozone may have changes in their lung function that can last for several days before returning to normal. Some people experience these effects as "feeling tired" or "lacking energy." Individuals experiencing symptoms such as shortness of breath, chest pain or coughing should consult their doctor or seek medical attention immediately.

Whenever possible, try to limit outdoor activities during peak ozone hours. Schedule outdoor exercise or activities for the morning hours when ozone levels are generally lower.

"Ozone levels are usually highest after noon and through early evening hours on hot, sunny days, and therefore this part of the day is the peak time for symptoms. Performing vigorous exercise outdoors such as running also makes a person more likely to experience symptoms from exposure to ozone," said Facelle.

Residents can stay informed about current air quality conditions by calling the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Air Quality Hotline at 1-800-535-1345, or by visiting their web site (http://www.dec.ny.gov/cfmx/extapps/aqi/aqi_forecast.cfm).  Information is also available by calling the New York State Department of Health Environmental Hotline at 1-800-458-1158, or by visiting their web site (www.health.state.ny.us).

To help Rocklanders beat the heat, local communities have set up cooling centers:

In Clarkstown:

Central Nyack Community Center, 58 Waldron Avenue, Central Nyack, 358-2500

Congers Community Center, 6 Gilchrest Rd., Congers, 268-9700

Pascack Community Center, 87 New Clarkstown Road, Nanuet, 371-6650

Street Community Center, 31 Zukor Rd., New City, 634-3039     

Hours of operation at Clarkstown Cooling Centers are from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Clarkstown opened its cooling centers on Tuesday and has them open today. They will continue to be open in Central Nyack, New City and Nanuet on Thursday and Friday. Residents using the facilities as cooling centers should advise facility staff of their presence for the use of the cooling center. In addition the following Clarkstown town pools are open to residents at normal fees and hours:

• Germonds Park, Germonds Road, West Nyack

• Congers Lake Memorial Park, 6 Gilchrest Road, Congers

In Haverstraw:

Haverstraw Town Hall, One Rosman Rd., Garnerville 429-2200

Meeting Room (8:30 am - 5 p.m., Tues. - Fri.) - Limited parking due to construction.

In Orangetown:

Orangetown Town Hall, 26 Orangeburg Road, Orangeburg (9 am - 5 pm, Tues.-Fri.), 359-5100.

In Ramapo:

Ramapo Town Hall, 237 Route 59, Suffern (9 a.m. - 5 p.m., Tues.-Fri.), 357-5100.

St. Lawrence Center, 115 Torne Valley Road, Hillburn, (9 a.m. - 10 p.m., Tues.-Fri.), 753-2324.

In addition, All Ramapo Town Pools are open to residents free of charge.

In Stony Point:

Stony Point Police Department, 79 Route 210, Stony Point, Emergency response room (24 hours, 7 days a week)

Rho Building at Patriot Hills Complex, 19 Clubhouse Lane, Stony Point, (6:30 a.m.- 9 p.m.), 786-2716, Ext. 111

 In Suffern:

Suffern Village Hall, 61 Washington Avenue, Suffern (9 am - 5 pm, Tues.-Fri.), 357-2600

In Nyack:

Nyack Village Hall, 9 North Broadway, Nyack (9 am - 5 pm, Tues.- Fri.), 358-0229

In Spring Valley:

Kurtz Civic Center, 9 North Main Street, Spring Valley (9 am - 7 pm, Tues.-Fri.), 352-1100

In the Village of Haverstraw:

 Haverstraw Village Community Center, 50 W. Broad St., Haverstraw (9 am - 7 pm, Tues.-Fri.), 429-0300

 In the Village of Piermont:

Piermont Village Hall/ Police Station (Village Hall 8 am - 4 pm, Police 24 hours, 7 days a week), 359-1258 Ext. 301

In addition, United Water New York has issued an alert urging customers to conserve water during the heat wave and to refrain from all outdoor water usage for the next several days. As a result of the current hot weather pattern, United Water has requested that lawn irrigation systems be shut off during this time, as outdoor watering can increase system demands by as much as 50%.     

Because of the continuing high demand for electricity, mainly from heavy air conditioning use, expected today, O&R has issued another Summer Heat Watch advisory.

Today's steamy sizzle is expected to push the load on the O&R electric system past 1300 megawatts --- today's forecast is for 1472 megawatts --- placing O&R on Heat Watch status. Yesterday's peak demand for electricity was 1,572 megawatts, the fourth highest demand day in company history. O&R's all-time electric demand record is 1,617 megawatts which was set on Aug. 2, 2006.

The Heat Watch advisory means that non-emergency work on O&R's electric distribution and transmission systems is deferred to another day. That frees crews to respond more quickly to any heat-generated emergency situations. The advisory also means that distribution system engineers closely monitor the loads on distribution circuits, transformer banks and other key system components to detect any heat-related problems so those problems can be addressed as quickly as possible.

O&R also issues a public advisory outlining some prudent steps customers can take to use electricity more effectively to beat the heat.

To help prevent power problems, O&R asks the public to use electricity wisely. Here're some tips from O&R that will help you weather the heat during these steamy days.

*  Set the thermostat of your central air conditioner at 78 degrees F or higher to achieve maximum savings on your cooling costs.  Setting the room temperature on the air conditioner at 75 degrees costs about 15 percent more. A 72-degree setting costs about 30 percent more than the 78-degree setting.

*  Install a timer or clock thermostat on your air conditioner so you can program it to operate and shut-off at pre-determined hours. That saves you from running it all day so you return at day's end to a cool house.

*  If you have a room air-conditioning unit, close off the rooms not being used; if you have central air, block off the vents for un-used rooms.

 *  Plan cooking, baking or other household activities that produce heat and humidity for the cooler times of the day and night.

*  Use a portable or ceiling fan to circulate the pre-cooled air in your air-conditioned home. A fan uses about 90 percent less energy than an air conditioner.

* In very humid weather, adjust your air conditioner's fan to a low setting. It'll take longer for the air conditioner to cool your home, but your unit will bring in steamy air at a slower rate and make you feel more comfortable.

* As the sun moves from east to west during the day, pull your curtains and shades on windows to block out the heat.

Aside from your cooling system, the refrigerator is the largest energy-using appliance in the typical home, representing 20 percent of the typical electric bill.

*  Maintain a constant temperature in the refrigerator of between 36 and 38 degrees for maximum effectiveness. The freezer should be kept at 15 degrees.

*  If the temperature outside is 95 degrees or more, change the refrigerator temperature to a higher setting so it does not have to work as hard.

*  Cover liquid items. They give off humidity that forces the refrigerator to use more energy.

*  Maintain a full freezer or add ice cubes so it is full, and does not have to cool open air space that takes more energy.

*  Place the most used items in one place so that the door will be open for a shorter period of time.

If you experience problems with your electric service, call O&R at 1-877-434-4100.