Heat wave keeps Midwest and South in its sticky grip

Jun 15, 2022, 9:20 AM | Updated: Jun 16, 2022, 7:49 am
A man leaps into Lake Michigan along the lakefront near Oak Street Beach while sunbathers soak up t...

A man leaps into Lake Michigan along the lakefront near Oak Street Beach while sunbathers soak up temperatures in the 90s on Wednesday, June 15, 2022, in Chicago. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune via AP)

(Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune via AP)

CHICAGO (AP) — People flocked to pools, beaches and cooling centers in a swath of the Midwest and South spanning from northern Florida to the Great Lakes on Wednesday as a heat wave pushed temperatures into the 90s and beyond and may have caused the deaths of at least two people.

The National Weather Service maintained an excessive heat warning through Wednesday evening for most of Illinois, Indiana and Ohio, which have been dealing with the sticky humidity and soaring temperatures since Tuesday. And the heat advisory in place for the Midwest and South stretched all the way eastward to the South Carolina shoreline, covering an area that is home to roughly a third of the country’s population.

Meteorologists warned that the high temperatures could be dangerous or deadly for some people and advised residents to stay hydrated, remain indoors if possible and take precautions if they must be outside. Driving home the point, the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s Office tweeted Wednesday that it was investigating the deaths of an 89-year-old man and 39-year-old woman for “probable” connections to the heat.

“There are a lot of vulnerable populations exposed to this heat,” University of Georgia meteorology professor Marshall Shepherd said. “I am particularly concerned about the elevated nighttime temperature. That’s what kills people if they are not adequately prepared or have the appropriate resources. Hurricanes get the headlines, but heat kills more people every year in the U.S.”

As temperatures soared into the 90s in downtown Indianapolis on Wednesday, Gary Lightle kneeled on the hot steps of the Indiana World War Memorial to replace some aging caulking. He wore a wide-brimmed hat and began his work day around 7 a.m. but said the heat dictates how long he stays outside.

“Yesterday it just got so miserable that we decided to quit at 3,” he said.

Foreman CJ Thrasher’s workday starts even earlier — around 5 a.m., he said, to beat the heat — with usually a 2 p.m. wrap-up.

Thrasher worked quickly to apply glue to the side of a stone wall on W Ohio Street. In the heat, the sealant stiffens faster than in cooler weather, he said, so the glue becomes less malleable.

“With this heat, just like that, it’s done,” Thrasher said, setting a small tile on an open space in the wall.

For those off the clock, Wednesday’s heat inspired trips to the beach, river, pool or splash pad, launching the summer swimming season a bit earlier than usual in some northern locales. Authorities throughout the affected area encouraged people without access to air conditioning to use public cooling centers, libraries and other public places to escape from the heat and humidity.

Some areas were expected to get relief by Thursday. But the hot weather moving out could bring severe thunderstorms Wednesday to Iowa, Wisconsin and points eastward, including Michigan, according to the weather service’s Storm Prediction Center. Those storms could dump large hail or spawn tornadoes or damaging straight-line winds.

Utilities sorted out many of the power outages caused by storms that swept through the Midwest early in the week, but more than 200,000 customers remained without power still as of Wednesday afternoon, according to poweroutage.us.

Joe Champion said he’d experienced intermittent outages at his home in Columbus, Ohio, since Tuesday afternoon. Champion, 38, said he spent part of Tuesday evening in his car running the air conditioning, despite soaring gas prices in the U.S.

“There was just no way I could sit in the house,” he said.

Meanwhile, crews worked to restore water service Wednesday to the West Texas city of Odessa, where residents have gone without it this week amid scorching temperatures because an aging pipe broke.

___

Associated Press writers Seth Borenstein in Washington, Gretchen Ehlke in Milwaukee, Arleigh Rodgers in Indianapolis and Claire Savage in Chicago contributed to this report. Rodgers and Savage are corps members for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

AP

FILE - Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer speaks inside the Recorders Office, Nov. 9, 2022, in...
Associated Press

Dominion conspiracies highlighted by Fox lawsuit have election officials concerned for safety

Maricopa County officials are bracing for what could happen when it comes time to replace its contract for voting equipment.
2 days ago
A building is damaged and trees are down after severe storm swept through Little Rock, Ark., Friday...
Associated Press

Tornado causes widespread damage to buildings, vehicles in Little Rock

A tornado raced through Little Rock and surrounding areas Friday, splintering homes, overturning vehicles and tossing trees.
2 days ago
FILE - Former President Donald Trump speaks with reporters while in flight on his plane after a cam...
Associated Press

Worries grow that Trump indictment could undermine public confidence in other investigations

Trump’s attempts to overturn those results amid false claims of widespread fraud are at the heart of two other ongoing investigations.
2 days ago
(Facebook Photo/Superior Court of Arizona in Yavapai County)...
Associated Press

Arizona judge has cases reassigned following DUI arrest

The Arizona Supreme Court has ruled that all cases currently assigned to a Yavapai County Superior Court judge recently arrested on suspicion of extreme DUI will be reassigned to other judges.
6 days ago
Haitian migrant Gerson Solay, 28, carries his daughter, Bianca, as he and his family cross into Can...
Associated Press

US, Canada to end loophole that allows asylum-seekers to move between countries

President Joe Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday announced a plan to close a loophole to an immigration agreement.
9 days ago
Expert skateboarder Di'Orr Greenwood, an artist born and raised in the Navajo Nation in Arizona and...
Associated Press

Indigenous skateboard art featured on new stamps unveiled at Phoenix skate park

The Postal Service unveiled the “Art of the Skateboard" stamps at a Phoenix skate park, featuring designs from Indigenous artists.
9 days ago

Sponsored Articles

(Photo by Michael Matthey/picture alliance via Getty Images)...
Cox Communications

Valley Boys & Girls Club uses esports to help kids make healthy choices

KTAR’s Community Spotlight focuses on the Boys & Girls Club of the Valley and the work to incorporate esports into children's lives.
(Pexels Photo)...

Sports gambling can be fun for adults, but it’s a dangerous game for children

While adults may find that sports gambling is a way to enhance the experience with more than just fandom on the line, it can be a dangerous proposition if children get involved in the activity.
(Photo via MLB's Arizona Fall League / Twitter)...
Arizona Fall League

Top prospects to watch at this year’s Arizona Fall League

One of the most exciting elements of the MLB offseason is the Arizona Fall League, which began its 30th season Monday.
Heat wave keeps Midwest and South in its sticky grip