People react to extreme heat, resources available
Our StormTrack first alert has been in effect since Sunday. On Wednesday, city officials warned El Pasosans of the dangers, by declaring a heat emergency.
Overnight lows in the upper 70s means the borderland isn’t getting much relief from the heat. The three groups to always keep in mind during extreme temps are: elderly, children and pets.
“It’s very hot out here but we got lots of sunscreen and umbrellas,” one man said while waiting in line outside the new Chick-Fil-A on Remcon and Mesa in west El Paso.
Extreme triple-digit temperatures didn’t stop a group of people from waiting outside to score some free food.
While the National Weather Service says June is normally our hottest month, temps aren’t normally seen this high so soon.
“It’s always best to check your neighbors and your family during at outage,” Eddie Gutierrez from El Paso Electric said. EPE has already experienced outages.
They, and other city agencies, came together to issue a heat emergency.
“You can go to the rec centers, the senior centers, our public libraries. We were able to contact our neighborhood malls which is Sunland Park, Cielo Vista, Bassett Place. They are most accommodating. They want people to don’t have air to come,” Grace Ortiz from the Extreme Weather Task Force said.
Some of the most important things you can do during record-breaking temperatures is drink plenty of water, find some shade, and wear light, loose-fitting clothing.
Not only are there plenty of free options and resources, but low cost ones as well such as pools, and movie theaters.
These few tips now can help people survive the rest of the summer in the desert southwest.
For help, contact the following agencies:
Call 911 for extreme emergencies. To contact the Extreme Weather Task Force, possibly to request a fan, call 211 from any cell phone or land line.
The Salvation Army – donations always welcome to assist in heat-related relief
Calling All Seniors Program – check up calls for seniors – 915-212-1685
El Paso Parks and Recreation – swimming pools, rec centers, etc.
Department of Public Health – 211
Safety Violations Hotline – 1-800-452-9595 – safetyhotline@tdi.state.tx.us
