Philly health department declares heat health emergency
PHILADELPHIA -- Several days of very hot weather has led the Philadelphia Department of Public Health to declare a heat health emergency. People who Eyewitness News spoke with say they consider this to be one of the hottest summers yet.
From empty spraygrounds to slow days behind the counter, Monday's heat health emergency has people running for cover from the sun.
"When it gets really hot like this, especially during the day, people are not out as much only because it's so hot," one man said.
"I've never had this many consecutive days of 90-degree heat in my life," one woman said.
In what feels like an endless heat wave, the city's Office of Emergency Management says this weather is a serious matter. They warn that weather like this for two or more days can cause dehydration, heat exhaustion and heatstroke.
"If you go to Florida or Nassau, that's a tropical kind of heat," a woman said. "This heat is like, dangerous. You get dried out real fast. You're thirsty."
To help people endure these sweltering days, the city activated cooling sites.
"That's good because you don't have to stand in the heat," a woman said.
Some are stationary like one cooling center at Fumo Family Library and others have wheels, like the SEPTA cooling busses placed at various intersections.
Red Cross volunteers were on hand to help.
"We're thankful to be able to support them right now," one volunteer said.
For 90-year-old businesses like Pop's Italian Ice, these temps are impacting turnout.
"The park is right across the street," a man said, "and there's almost nobody playing in it right now because it's just too hot."
"I specifically got that house just because I was close to water ice for days like today," a woman said.
But for customers brave enough to withstand the sun, their advice is simple.
"Maybe if you're in Philly you should get some water ice or just stay inside," a boy said.
The Philadelphia Corporation for Aging's Hotline is 215-765-9040.
