Pools stay busy as local families try to manage yet another scorcher
By Aaron Moore
Published in News on July 14, 2011 1:46 PM
With Goldsboro broiling under a fierce summer sun for the past few days, residents and outside workers were looking for some much-needed relief.
They got it late Wednesday, when a line of thunderstorms swept across the region, bringing much-needed moisture and dropping temperatures a bit.
Shawna Cokley, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service, said Wednesday that today should be the start of a cooling front that will decrease temperatures to a slightly more comfortable level.
"We'll be closer to normal in the next few days -- upper 80s, lower 90s," she said.
But with two days of triple-digit heat indices this week, people in Goldsboro aren't taking any chances.
Linwood Smith, the safety director at the construction company T.A. Loving, said company supervisors are sending workers advisories about the risks of extreme heat.
"Supervision's giving more guys breaks during the day," Smith said. "Where they can, they would come in earlier. We're also talking about the need to drink fluids."
And when it comes to drinking fluids, officials at Wayne Memorial Hospital said nothing beats an ice cold glass or bottle of water.
"If you're having to be out in it, (take) lots of breaks -- lots of fluids. And by fluids I mean water," said Denise Bruce, the hospital's emergency room director.
Ms. Bruce said the hospital has not seen any more heat-related illnesses than usual in the last two days, but she added that it's prime time for them.
While there are precautions people can take, Ms. Bruce said the best thing to do is to stay inside.
"If they can stay out of it, stay out of it," she said. "Go to the mall, go to the library, somewhere with air conditioning."
She also recommended that seniors, who are more susceptible to heat-related illnesses, go to the air-conditioned Senior Center on John Street to get out of the heat.
Ms. Bruce added that people should be wary of the symptoms of dehydration and heatstroke, which can be fatal. They are nausea, vomiting, fatigue, head-aches, muscle aches and dizziness.
She said if anyone experiences severe symptoms, they should call 911 and seek shelter.
Workers at Adam's Auto Wash were taking cover in the shade Wednesday afternoon as temperatures crept near 100 degrees.
Because business is slower in extremely hot or cold weather, regional director John McGuiness said employees have more chances to take breaks and step out of the sun. They also keep cold water on hand to prevent dehydration.
"The biggest battle we've got is encouraging employees to do these things," McGuiness said. "If you have the wrong mindset ... it can be very dangerous."
And with all these efforts to keep cool, officials at Wayne County Animal Control urged pet owners not to forget their four-legged friends.
"Make sure they have shelter -- not just a tree, but somewhere they can take cover," said Vicki Falconer, director of Animal Control. "Put ice in their bowls and of course give them plenty of water. Get little pools or little buckets they can put their paws in.
"The most important thing is do not leave them in a garage or in a car. They can't get any kind of air."