100 Degree Feels Like Temps: County Opens Cooling Centers

ANNAPOLIS, MD — Temperatures soaring into the upper 90s will combine with humidity this weekend to make it feel like 100 degrees or more in the region. In addition the Maryland Department of the Environment has issued a Code Orange Air Quality Alert Friday for the Baltimore metro area, which means that air pollution concentrations may become unhealthy for children, people suffering from asthma, heart disease or other lung diseases and the elderly.

Anne Arundel County will open cooling centers Friday, June 29, to offer relief from the expected extreme heat, humidity, and poor air quality conditions over the next several days. Cooling centers will remain open until Tuesday morning, July 3. Temperatures are forecast to be in the mid to upper 90s with oppressive humidity, creating heat index values in excess of 100 degrees.

The Anne Arundel County Department of Aging and Disabilities will designate several Senior Centers as cooling centers from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and Monday, July 2, to provide cooling relief to vulnerable populations.

• Annapolis Senior Center: 119 South Villa Avenue, Annapolis
• Arnold Senior Center: 44 Church Rd, Arnold
• Brooklyn Park Senior Center: 202 Hammonds Lane, Brooklyn Park
• O'Malley Senior Center: 1275 Odenton Road, Odenton
• Pasadena Senior Center: 4103 Mountain Road, Pasadena
• Pascal Senior Center: 125 Dorsey Road, Glen Burnie
• South County Senior Center: 27 Stepneys Lane, Edgewater

The following Anne Arundel County Public Libraries will be open and designated as cooling centers Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. and Monday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

• Annapolis Library (at Monarch Academy): 2000 Capital Drive, Annapolis (open until 5 p.m. on Monday)

• Broadneck Community Library: 1275 Green Holly Drive, Annapolis
• Brooklyn Park Community Library: 1 East 11th Avenue, Baltimore
• Crofton Community Library: 1681 Riedel Road, Crofton
• Deale Community Library: 5940 Deale-Churchton Road, Deale
• Eastport-Annapolis Neck Community Library: 269 Hillsmere Drive, Annapolis
• Edgewater Community Library: 25 Stepneys Lane, Edgewater
• Glen Burnie Regional Library: 1010 Eastway, Glen Burnie
• Linthicum Community Library: 400 Shipley Road, Linthicum
• Maryland City at Russett Community Library: 3501 Russett Common, Laurel
• Mountain Road Community Library: 4730 Mountain Road, Pasadena
• Odenton Regional Library: 1325 Annapolis Road, Odenton
• Riviera Beach Community Library: 1130 Duvall Highway, Pasadena
• Severn Community Library: 2624 Annapolis Road, Severn
• Severna Park Community Library: 45 West McKinsey Road, Severna Park

• Northern District: 939 Hammonds Lane, Baltimore
• Eastern District: 204 Pasadena Rd, Pasadena
• Western District: 8273 Telegraph Road, Odenton
• Southern District: 35 Stepneys Lane, Edgewater

Residents who need transportation to any cooling center should contact the Office of Transportation during normal business hours, Friday and Monday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., at 410-222-0022.

All cooling centers are accessible, air-conditioned and have water and restroom facilities. Medical care is not available and anyone experiencing or observing a medical emergency should call 9-1-1. Pets are not allowed in any cooling centers. Accommodations will be made for service animals. Children must be accompanied by an adult at all times.

Health officials have reminders on how to safely beat the heat:

Drink more fluids, regardless of your activity level. Do not wait until you are thirsty to drink. Warning: if your doctor generally limits the amount of fluid you drink or has prescribed you water pills, ask them how much you should drink while temperatures are above average.

Do not drink liquids that contain alcohol or large amounts of sugar, as these can cause you to lose more body fluid. Also, avoid very cold drinks if possible, because they can cause stomach cramps.

Stay indoors and, if at all possible, stay in an air-conditioned place. If your home does not have air-conditioning, go to an air-conditioned public place or a county cooling center – even a few hours spent in air-conditioning can help your body stay cooler when you go back into the heat.

Electric fans may provide comfort, but when the temperature is in the upper 90s, fans will not prevent heat-related illness. Taking a cool shower or bath or moving to an air-conditioned place is a more efficient way to cool off.

Wear lightweight, light-colored, loose-fitting clothing.
NEVER leave any person or animal in a closed, parked vehicle.
Although anyone at any time can suffer from heat-related illness, some people are at greater risk than others. Check regularly on:
Infants and young children
Those aged 65 or older
Those who have a mental illness
Those who are physically ill, especially with heart disease or high blood pressure
Visit at-risk individuals at least twice a day and closely watch them for signs of heat exhaustion or heat stroke. Infants and young children require much more frequent watching.

Animal Alert

In accordance with Anne Arundel County Code, when the Anne Arundel County Executive declares a severe weather emergency, any dog left unattended outside must have:

• Fresh, clean and drinkable water at all times.
• A dog house that protects the animal against the sun and heat.
• Dry bedding or resting board inside the dog house.

Animal Control also recommends:

• A flap/door on the dog house or a dog house that is constructed to prevent wind from blowing on the animal. Please note if a flap is installed the dog must be able/trained to use the house with the flap.
• The entrances of dog houses be oriented away from prevailing winds.
• Dog houses to be elevated off the ground (at least 2 inches).
• Abundant dry bedding inside the dog house.

Failure to comply with the above requirements and recommendations may result in civil citations with fines from $125 - $1,000 in violation of the County Code, removal of the animal and/or criminal prosecution for abuse or neglect of an animal in violation of State Law.

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