City Warns Residents To Keep Cool This Week
By Chuck Sudo in News on Jul 16, 2013 8:30PM
With heat indices across the Chicago area expected to pass the triple digit mark through Friday, the city is working to spread the word for residents to keep cool and check on the elderly and infirm as we head into the hottest stretch of what has been an otherwise pleasant summer.
You'll find a list of cooling centers across Chicago in the map below. Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford discouraged Chicagoans from participating in one custom for beating the heat—opening fire hydrants.
In addition to the drops in water pressure and the Fire Department's need for the hydrants to fight, you know, fires, Langford warned that children playing in the spray from them may not hear oncoming cars as they approach. One child died last year after being hit by a car while playing in front of an open fire hydrant.
The usual recommendations to keep cool still apply: wear light-colored, lightweight clothing, stay in air-conditioned buildings as much as possible, drink plenty of fluids (water and juices, not coffee or alcohol) and avoid direct sunlight and physical activity during the peak daytime hours.