Soaring Temps Send Residents Swimming

With the sun blazing, bathing suit-clad Emily Bennett found herself keeping cool under a generous deluge of water at Catonsville’s .

Of the hot weather, Bennett said simply, “If it’s not too hot, I go to the pool or to the beach. If it’s really hot, I just usually stay in [or] go to the indoor pool.”

Like Bennett, Elkridge residents will be looking for ways to beat the heat as temperatures become dangerously high over the next couple of days, with forecasters calling it the hottest stretch of the summer.

“We’re talking about 100-degree heat [Friday] and Saturday,” said Brandon Peloquin, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service of Baltimore/Washington.

People are doing whatever they can to keep cool, flocking to air-conditioned facilities like YMCAs, libraries and malls.

“It’s been really busy,” said Melanie Rebechi, assistant manager at the in Elkridge. To ward off heat illnesses, Rebechi said staffers are handing out free water, Gatorade and freeze pops. “Just [yesterday] morning, we had a kid with heat exhaustion…It’s scary,” Rebechi said. 

In fact, CNN has reported the heat wave of the last few days has been blamed for as many as 22 deaths across the country.

From Thursday to Saturday, the National Weather Service issued an excessive heat warning for most of Maryland, including Howard and Baltimore Counties. The warning means that prolonged periods of dangerously high temperatures, combined with high humidity, make heat illnesses likely.

Barbara Bates, manager of in Catonsville, said that while many members are frequenting the pool, others are staying home to be out of the weather altogether.

“Sometimes it’s just too hot to be in the pool,” Bates said. “The water is not as refreshing.”

To guard patrons against the high temperature, Bates has been putting out more umbrellas for sun protection. She has also been taking a turn at the lifeguard stand to give other staffers a break.

As for the club’s lifeguards, they seem to be taking the heat in stride. “At the end of the day, you do feel pretty exhausted, but it’s just another day at work,” said Emily Boller, a lifeguard. “You get used to it.”

To keep from getting sick, Boller says she jumps in the pool every 15 minutes and is sure to drink plenty of water.

“The sun is literally like a giant fireball,” Boller lamented.

Looking For a Place to Splash?

According to Bates, phone calls have been pouring in from non-members, asking if they can use the pool. While Bates has to turn them away, she says she tries to offer other suggestions. 

Those who are not affiliated with a swim club do have options if they want to make a splash, as there are many public swimming holes in the area. In Howard County, for example, the  in Ellicott City has an outdoor pool. In Montgomery County, there are seven public pools. Baltimore County operates three public waterfronts.

Besides pools, YMCAs are also having to adjust to the heat.

“Our biggest impact is for our summer camp program,” said Dawn Chrystal-Wolfe, director of the Ellicott City .

Chrystal-Wolfe said that her counselors have to get creative, coming up with activities that can be played away from the sun. “We try to make them have a fun day but try to get them out of the heat as well,” she said.

And while it’s scorching outside, it's not as hot as it could be.

According to Jared Klein, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service of Baltimore/Washington, the all-time high for the Baltimore area is 107, which was recorded on July 10, 1936. Even though this summer seems hot, last summer tied for the second warmest summer on record, which dates back to the 1800s.

Klein explained that the area averages about six days of 95-plus degree heat each summer, adding that this year’s average high has been 88 degrees.

Heat Wave Nationwide

Maryland isn’t the only place experiencing such high temperatures going into the weekend. Excessive heat watches, warnings and advisories are in effect from Ohio to New England.

And according to a Tweet from Justin Kenney, director of communications for the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, 48 percent of the country is currently under heat advisories or warnings, which includes 148 million people.

"These triple-digit temperatures are forecast to remain in place across the eastern U.S. through Saturday before cooling off slightly to the mid-90s by Sunday," stated the National Weather Service.

Some residents said they're appreciating the sunny side of the stifling temperature. “I’d rather it be this than be shoveling snow,” Ellicott City resident Michele Robinson said.

Her friend, Sandi Plaisted of Columbia, added: “I pay a really high electric bill to keep my house cold…It’s worth it.”

Check this government site for information on heat-related illness and tips to stay healthy.