Hot weather dominates forecast

Neighbors along Northwood Ave. near Christie St. come outside to look at the downed branches in on their street after a downpour on July 18, 2011. THE BLADE/AMY E. VOIGT Enlarge | Photo Reprints

You wouldn’t have known it from Monday’s 4 p.m. thunderclap, but service organizations such as the Cherry Street Mission Ministries are in dire need of bottled water right now.

“Think hats and coats in the winter and bottled water in the summer,” Dan Rogers, Cherry Street president and chief operating officer, said.

The late afternoon’s flashes of lightning and monsoon-like downpour created a visual crescendo and booming conversation piece for a lot of people talking about the prevailing hot, muggy air of recent days.

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Toledo Express Airport reported only 0.05 inches of rain by 5 p.m., but other weather spotters reported between 1 and 2 inches fell in various locations in the city, including one spotter who reported nearly 2 inches fell south of Oregon.

But the heat is on again.

Kirk Lombardy, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Cleveland, said the region can expect temperatures to be relentless into the early part of the weekend, with highs consistently in the 90s and the air thick with moisture, with a threat of sporadic storm outbursts.

The National Weather Service said temperatures in Toledo reached 96 degrees, a record high for the day that is tied with July 18, 1942.

The heat index — your body’s perception of how hot it is, based on the combined toll of humidity and temperature — topped out at 108 degrees at Toledo’s Metcalf Field, where the temperature itself peaked at 95 degrees.

Whew.

Asthma sufferers take note: An Ozone Action Day has been called for Monroe County by the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments.

Extra precautions should be taken for at-risk people prone to respiratory distress, such as staying indoors and taking it easy. Officials ask motorists to avoid refueling before 6 p.m. and to limit the use of automobiles and other gas-powered equipment.

“There could more through the rest of the week,” said Sue Stetler, council of governments’ spokesman. Declarations for southeastern Michigan are made only a day in advance.

“The conditions are going to be pretty much the same [throughout the week],” Ms. Stetler said.

Toledo-area officials moved away from Ozone Action Day program a few years ago, opting for a simplified program in which air-quality conditions are forecasted as good, satisfactory, precautionary measures for sensitive groups, and caution.

The Toledo area forecast is satisfactory through Wednesday with conditions ripe for more dangerous ozone levels on Thursday when the air is expected to be dry, hotter, and with less wind.

With temperatures expected to be well into the 90s for days, a number of organizations are hunkering down for the summer’s longest heat wave to date.

They’re encouraging people to drink a lot of nonalcoholic fluids, seek out air conditioning from public places if it’s not available at home and, above all, keep a cool head.

Bottled water for the homeless may sound a little unusual, but Mr. Rogers said the most trying challenge during heat waves is keeping everyone hydrated.

Homeless people have mobility needs like everyone else, whether it’s going to a job interview or meeting with a parole officer.

Many are afflicted by hypertension or other medical issues that could be exacerbated by heat.

Water coolers are provided, but “if you’ve got to leave that water fountain, you’re going to be in a world of hurt,” Mr. Rogers said.

Nearly all refillable containers on hand have been distributed, he said.

Capacity at Cherry Street’s main shelters are 15 percent above last year’s figures for men and holding 17 percent more women.

Money to pay for utilities to keep them cool is important, Mr. Rogers said.

“If you’ve got 100 people sleeping in a room together and it’s not cool, you’ve got safety issues,” he said.

Emilie Owens, emergency coordinator for the Area Office on Aging of Northwest Ohio, said prolonged heat waves are very dangerous to elderly populations.

She encouraged people to check in on their elderly neighbors.

Senior centers are being offered as cooling centers for those in need of air conditioning.

Many senior citizens take multiple prescription drugs, some which can dehydrate people or make them more vulnerable to the effects of heat exposure.

Heat-related deaths are not unheard of in the Great Lakes region.

More than 750 Chicago residents died of heat-related complications in the summer of 1995, two-thirds of whom were senior citizens, Ms. Owens said.

“It’s really like a silent killer,” she said. “People may not know they’re in trouble until it’s too late.”

Remember to care for pets as well as people.

Patty Gelb, Toledo Area Humane Society spokesman, said the society has several tips for protecting dogs, cats, and other household pets — many of them common-sense pieces of advice, such as limiting exposure outdoors and having lots of fresh water and shade available.

Don’t leave your pet on hot asphalt. And, above all, never leave it locked in a car, where interiors can heat up to 120 degrees within minutes even when vehicles are parked in the shade, the society said.

“We’re pretty much just in the peak heating of the summer,” he said.

The weather service does not keep records for the heat index.

East Toledo resident Mark Harris said he and his wife used the heat as an excuse to visit Westfield Franklin Park mall, even though they have air conditioning at home. “I definitely try to stay in the air conditioning,” Mr. Harris said.

Another mall visitor, Randy Collins of Toledo’s Old West End, said he goes there to beat the heat and do some people-watching.

One West Toledo resident who identified himself only as “Jim” remarked about how he’d rather be golfing, but seeks refuge in malls when it gets as hot as it’s been lately.

“It’s no fun to golf in this weather,” he said. “It’s almost like playing in the rain after nine holes, you’re so wet with sweat.”

With heat comes the occasional thunderstorm.

The violent weather that quickly engulfed the region about 4 p.m. Monday included a lightning bolt that struck a South Toledo home, starting a fire in the attic.

Marilyn Engel, who lives at 1240 E. Beverly Hills Drive, with her son, was home when she heard an enormous boom.

About 15 minutes later, smoke started to come through the vents in the home, she said.

She was able to grab her purse, cell phone, and two shirts before she and a friend who was visiting ran outside.

One firefighter was treated for heat exhaustion, Battalion Chief James Pierce said.

In Lucas County, at least 500 people were without power Monday after storms came through the area, according to Toledo Edison’s Web site. The number of people still without power last night was unavailable.

Michael Franklin, 64, of 6231 North Monroe St. in Monroe was killed Monday afternoon when the minivan in which he was a passenger hydroplaned on pavement made wet by the storm.

Kirt Quatro, 47, of Newport, Mich., was driving the van in the left lane of I-75 northbound when he lost control, crossed over the right lane and struck the guardrail. The van flipped on the passenger side, and Mr. Franklin was partially ejected from the vehicle, which landed on him. [READ STORY]

Significant storm damage was reported in Bradner, in Wood County, where authorities responded to calls of trees and power lines brought down by strong winds, Wood County Sheriff’s Deputy Kim Morelock said.

Despite the damage, there were no reports of injuries or damage to homes, she said.

Staff writers Taylor Dungjen, Traci Tillman, and Sara Felsenstein contributed to this report.

Contact Tom Henry at: thenry@theblade.com, or 419-724-6079.