heat wave Story Archives - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

W.Va. Facing Drought Conditions

July has been an abnormally dry month, leading to drought conditions in many areas of the state. Around 60 percent of the state is experiencing moderate to severe drought conditions. Another 30 percent are experiencing dry conditions.

Stream flow in West Virginia, and the Appalachian region at large, is low. Some streams are at record low levels. Plants across the state are starting to dry out and turn to fall-like colors.

A La Nina year, which usually means drier conditions for the eastern seaboard, paired with record heat waves, has translated into a dry, hot summer for the majority of the Mountain State.

Officials from the National Weather Service say that even though rain is likely later in the week, it won’t be enough to buck ongoing drought conditions. That will take a heavy, widespread and lasting rain event that results in several inches of rainfall.

How To Stay Safe And Cool Under East Coast Heat Dome

With temperatures continuing to soar on the East Coast, experts are warning about the dangers of heat stroke.

During extreme temperatures this week, health and safety experts advise the public to avoid the heat if possible. If they can’t, stay hydrated, wear loose-fitted clothing and limit outdoor physical activity to the mornings and evenings to avoid heat stroke.

Heat stroke is a condition caused by the body overheating. A classic heat stroke is caused by exposure to extreme environmental heat, while an exertional heat stroke occurs during physical activity performed in extreme heat.

Symptoms of a heat stroke include high body temperature, altered mental state or behavior, nausea and vomiting, flushed skin, rapid breathing, racing heart rate and headache.

Samantha Scarneo-Miller is the director of the Master of Science in Athletic Training Program at the WVU School of Medicine. She is an expert in exertional heat stroke.

“When we talk about exertional heat illnesses, we want to avoid doing any type of physical activity or intense physical activity during the hottest times of the day,” Scarneo-Miller said. “That’s when the environmental stressors are just going to be too hard for us to be able to thermoregulate properly. If we are going outside and doing things, it’s important that we’re wearing loose-fitting clothing and white colors, we want to try to mitigate heat stress as much as we can.”

Scarneo-Miller said infants and the elderly are at the most risk for classic heat stroke and should try to remain indoors as much as possible during the heat wave.

“The science is suggesting that their (infants and the elderly) thermal regulation is impaired or not working at all,” Scarneo-Miller said. “So for those types of people, they should try to remain indoors in air conditioning as much as they can. Of course, it’s okay to go sit outside for a few minutes, and enjoy the fresh air, but they should not be outside for prolonged periods of time.”

If you think a person may be experiencing heat stroke, seek immediate medical help by calling emergency services. Then, take immediate action to cool the overheated person while waiting for help to arrive.

“When we have somebody who’s having an exertional heat stroke, it’s important that we cool them as fast as possible,” Scarneo-Miller said. “So we want to get them into a cold water immersion baths, or any type of vessel that can hold water and a lot of ice so that we can cool their body temperature as fast as possible…we want to get them cooled down as fast as possible.”

On Tuesday, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued a reminder to West Virginians about a free safety app available on iPhone and Android smartphones, to prevent heat illness.

The app can help determine when the best time of the day is for outdoor activity by showing a visual indicator of the current heat index in your current geographical location.

Cooling Centers

After the National Weather Service issued an excessive heat watch for the coming week, cooling centers are opening statewide to serve communities.

The Cabell County Library, at 455 9th Street, Huntington has been designated as a cooling center, offering air conditioning, water and books during regular business hours.

Logan County’s Nighbert Memorial Methodist Church will serve as a cooling center from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. each day except Wednesday.

According to the City Manager of Bluefield, Cecil Marson, the Bluefield Union Mission, located at 2203 Bluefield Avenue, Bluefield is, “open to the public for folks in need.”

In the northern panhandle, The Brooke Hancock Family Resource Network opened a cooling center at 1300 Potomac Avenue, Suite C, Weirton for the residents of Brooke and Hancock Counties. It operated from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday, but did not see many families in need. Training and Resource Specialist, Rita Hawkins said Tuesday the cooling center will not reopen on Friday, after the Wednesday and Thursday holidays for Juneteenth and West Virginia Day.

In the capital city of Charleston, United Way of Central West Virginia is collaborating with local partners to establish cooling centers. The City of Charleston CARE team and Kanawha County Collective will provide water and popsicles during their outreach services.

According to the United Way of Central West Virginia, the following locations will be open to the public to cool off from sweltering temperatures.

Operational on Tuesday, June 18 through Friday, June 21:

Bream SHOP

319 Washington Street West, Charleston

Operating Hours: 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Centralized Assessment Office

1015 Smith Street, Charleston

Operating Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Operational on Tuesday, June 18 and Friday, June 21:

Kanawha City Community Center

3511 Venable Avenue, Charleston

Operating Hours: 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Manna Meal at Garnet

422 Dickinson Street, Charleston

Operating Hours: 7:00 a.m.- 1:00 p.m.

Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center

314 Donnally Street, Charleston

Operating Hours: 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

North Charleston Community Center

2009 7th Avenue, Charleston

Operating Hours: 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Roosevelt Community Center

502 Ruffner Avenue, Charleston

Operating Hours: 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Operational on Saturday, June 22:

Kanawha City Community Center

3511 Venable Avenue, Charleston

Operating Hours: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center

314 Donnally Street, Charleston

Operating Hours: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

North Charleston Community Center

2009 7th Avenue, Charleston

Operating Hours: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Operational on Saturday, June 22 and Sunday, June 23:

Centralized Assessment Office

1015 Smith Street, Charleston

Operating Hours: 1:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Manna Meal at Garnet

422 Dickinson Street, Charleston

Operating Hours: 7:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Appalachia Health News is a project of West Virginia Public Broadcasting with support from Marshall Health.

Extreme Heat Headed For West Virginia Next Week

The National Weather Service (NWS) has forecast a heat wave with highs of more than 90 degrees will strike the East Coast next week, including West Virginia.

The National Weather Service (NWS) has forecast a major heat wave will strike the East Coast next week, including West Virginia.

Beginning Sunday and lasting the entire week, West Virginia could reach highs of more than 90 degrees, and will likely experience minimal precipitation. But increased humidity could make that feel like more than 100 degrees.

Events like these are described by meteorologists as “heat domes,” because increased atmospheric pressure pushes hot air toward the ground. This can make it harder for the hot air to return to the atmosphere, causing high temperatures to persist longer than normal.

Extreme heat is the most common weather-related cause of death in the United States, according to the NWS.

During bouts of high temperatures, NWS experts advise that residents limit their outdoor activities, wear weather-appropriate clothing and drink water frequently throughout the day.

For a day-by-day heat risk forecast, visit the National Weather Service’s digital HeatRisk tool.

As Heat Wave Approaches, Study Finds West Virginia Faces Hotter Future

This story was updated on 7/22/19 at 4 p.m. EST.

New research published this week finds communities across the county, including in West Virginia, can expect weeks of dangerously hot days in the coming decades if action to reduce global heat-trapping pollution isn’t taken.

According to a peer-reviewed study published this week by researchers from the science advocacy group the Union of Concerned Scientists, by the end of the century, West Virginians can expect expect a much hotter future if actions to mitigate climate change aren’t implemented.

“This Union of Concerned Scientists report shows if we stay on our current global emissions path, extreme heat days are poised to rise steeply in frequency and severity in just the next few decades,” stated the group’s accompanying report. “This heat would cause large areas of the United States to become dangerously hot and would threaten the health, lives, and livelihoods of millions of people.”

The study, published Monday, July 15, in the journal Environmental Research Communications, used 18 climate models to project future heat indexes, a combination of temperature and relative humidity, also known as what temperatures “feel like.”

By 2100, the study estimates West Virginia would experience almost three months worth of days where temperatures hit above a heat index of 90 degrees Fahrenheit if climate intervention isn’t undertaken. Today, there are, on average, 13 days a year with a heat index above 90 degrees.

Historically in West Virginia, the heat index has hit above 100 degrees Fahrenheit, on average, one day per year. The study estimates by the year 2100, this could increase to 42 days.

By the end of the century, about 1.1 million people would be exposed to a heat index above 105 degrees Fahrenheit for the equivalent of a month or more each year.

Exposure to extreme heat can be dangerous or even fatal, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Nicolas Zegre, associate professor of forest hydrology at West Virginia University and director of the West Virginia University Mountain Hydrology Laboratory said the study’s methodology was based on datasets he called “really robust.” He said the research underscored the impact extreme and prolonged heat has on public health.

“Often we talk about impact of climate change on floods and drought events,” Zegre said. “This is very much a public health issue. It’s directly impacting both quality of life and also public health and safety.”

The study comes as much of the eastern United States is suffering through a heat wave. The National Weather Service in Charleston has issued an excessive heat warning that went into effect at noon on Friday and lasts through Saturday night.