NOAA Weather Alert for Lower Eastern Shore, heat index 115...

NOAA Weather Alert for July 7-8, 2012

...EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 8 PM EDT
THIS EVENING...
...EXCESSIVE HEAT WATCH IN EFFECT FROM SUNDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH
SUNDAY EVENING...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WAKEFIELD HAS ISSUED AN EXCESSIVE
HEAT WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 8 PM EDT
THIS EVENING. AN EXCESSIVE HEAT WATCH HAS ALSO BEEN ISSUED. THIS
EXCESSIVE HEAT WATCH IS IN EFFECT FROM SUNDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH
SUNDAY EVENING. THE EXCESSIVE HEAT WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.

* AREAS AFFECTED: CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST VIRGINIA...LOWER EASTERN
  SHORE...AND NORTHEAST NORTH CAROLINA.

* MAXIMUM FORECAST HEAT INDEX VALUES: BETWEEN 110 AND 115 DEGREES
  THIS AFTERNOON AND SUNDAY AFTERNOON.

* TIMING: THE HOTTEST TEMPERATURES AND HEAT INDICES WILL OCCUR
  BETWEEN 1 PM AND 6 PM TODAY AND SUNDAY.

* IMPACTS: PROLONGED EXPOSURE TO THE HEAT OR ANY STRENUOUS
  ACTIVITY OUTDOORS WILL LIKELY LEAD TO HEAT RELATED ILLNESSES
  THAT REQUIRE IMMEDIATE MEDICAL ATTENTION. 

AN EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING MEANS THAT A PROLONGED PERIOD OF
DANGEROUSLY HOT TEMPERATURES WILL OCCUR. THE COMBINATION OF HOT
TEMPERATURES AND HIGH HUMIDITY WILL COMBINE TO CREATE A DANGEROUS
SITUATION IN WHICH HEAT ILLNESSES ARE LIKELY. DRINK PLENTY OF
FLUIDS...STAY IN AN AIR-CONDITIONED ROOM...STAY IN THE SHADE IF
POSSIBLE...AND CHECK UP ON RELATIVES AND NEIGHBORS.

TAKE EXTRA PRECAUTIONS IF YOU WORK OR SPEND TIME OUTSIDE. WHEN
POSSIBLE...RESCHEDULE STRENUOUS ACTIVITIES TO EARLY MORNING OR
EVENING. KNOW THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF HEAT EXHAUSTION AND HEAT
STROKE. WEAR LIGHT WEIGHT AND LOOSE FITTING CLOTHING WHEN
POSSIBLE AND DRINK PLENTY OF WATER.

TO REDUCE RISK DURING OUTDOOR WORK...THE OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND
HEALTH ADMINISTRATION RECOMMENDS SCHEDULING FREQUENT REST BREAKS
IN SHADED OR AIR CONDITIONED ENVIRONMENTS. ANYONE OVERCOME BY
HEAT SHOULD BE MOVED TO A COOL AND SHADED LOCATION. HEAT STROKE
IS AN EMERGENCY - CALL 9 1 1.

Alert is for following areas: DORCHESTER-WICOMICO-SOMERSET-INLAND WORCESTER-

MARYLAND BEACHES-NORTHAMPTON NC-HERTFORD-GATES-PASQUOTANK-CAMDEN-INLAND 

CURRITUCK-BERTIE-CHOWAN-PERQUIMANS-OUTER BANKS CURRITUCK-HANOVER-
CHESTERFIELD-HENRICO-KING WILLIAM-KING AND QUEEN-ESSEX-
WESTMORELAND-RICHMOND-NORTHUMBERLAND-LANCASTER-BRUNSWICK-
DINWIDDIE-PRINCE GEORGE-CHARLES CITY-NEW KENT-GLOUCESTER-
MIDDLESEX-MATHEWS-GREENSVILLE-SUSSEX-SURRY-JAMES CITY-YORK-
SOUTHAMPTON-ISLE OF WIGHT-NEWPORT NEWS/HAMPTON-NORFOLK/PORTSMOUTH-
SUFFOLK-CHESAPEAKE-VIRGINIA BEACH-ACCOMACK-NORTHAMPTON VA-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...CAMBRIDGE...SALISBURY...CRISFIELD...
PRINCESS ANNE...SNOW HILL...OCEAN CITY...MARGARETTSVILLE...
AHOSKIE...ELIZABETH CITY...EDENTON...COROLLA...ASHLAND...
COLONIAL HEIGHTS...RICHMOND...TAPPAHANNOCK...LAWRENCEVILLE...
PETERSBURG...HOPEWELL...EMPORIA...WAKEFIELD...WILLIAMSBURG...
POQUOSON...FRANKLIN...NEWPORT NEWS...HAMPTON...CHINCOTEAGUE...
WALLOPS ISLAND...MELFA...EASTVILLE.

* MAXIMUM FORECAST HEAT INDEX VALUES: BETWEEN 110 AND 115 DEGREES
  THIS AFTERNOON AND SUNDAY AFTERNOON.

* TIMING: THE HOTTEST TEMPERATURES AND HEAT INDICES WILL OCCUR
  BETWEEN 1 PM AND 6 PM TODAY AND SUNDAY.

* IMPACTS: PROLONGED EXPOSURE TO THE HEAT OR ANY STRENUOUS
  ACTIVITY OUTDOORS WILL LIKELY LEAD TO HEAT RELATED ILLNESSES
  THAT REQUIRE IMMEDIATE MEDICAL ATTENTION.

My alert for pet owners: Please make sure outdoor pets have plenty of fresh drinking water. 

Feed wet food, if possible, as dry food can speed dehydration. Outdoor pets should be provided 

with adequate shade. If you have indoor pets, leave air conditioner running when away from 

house. If you are trying to save money on electricity, put pets in one room with air. Even 

indoor pets with no air-flow can succumb to heat exhaustion. Both indoor and outdoor pets can

be cooled with a gentle rubdown using ice cubes. You can also add cubed ice to pet's water 

several times a day.       

 Press Release from Delmarva Power, released today:

Delmarva Power Monitors the Weekend Forecast and Prepares for Potential Severe Weather

SALISBURY, Md. – Delmarva Power is carefully monitoring the weekend forecast which is calling for more severe storms. Amidst record-breaking heat, the forecast is calling for more severe storms on Saturday and Sunday which may include damaging winds, lightning and hail. 

Customers should be prepared for this weather and unexpected power outages that it may cause. Tree limbs are already weakened from last week’s storm and are vulnerable to further damage that may be caused by additional wind and rain. Delmarva Power is fully prepared to respond to the potential impacts of these forecasted weather conditions, and has a full complement of utility and contractor line crews and tree crews, as well as damage assessors on hand to address any outages.

 If the  area does get hit with these potential storms, Delmarva Power  will work with state and local emergency management agencies, if they are activated, to address concerns and priorities of the respective communities. “Our personnel, including both Delmarva Power and mutual assistance crews, have been working tirelessly for the last week in extreme, and often times dangerous conditions,” said Gary Stockbridge, Delmarva Power Region President. “However, if called upon, we are ready to respond to another storm event.  We appreciate our customers’ patience during these challenging times.”  The National Weather Service predicts that extreme heat and humidity will continue into the weekend with temperatures exceeding 100 degrees.