NEWBURYPORT — As the heat wave that has been oppressing Greater Newburyport for more than a week continues, local first responders discussed how folks can stay safe and what resources they have available to them.
The National Weather Service has issued an excessive heat warning for all of New England as Greater Newburyport continues to face days of high humidity and temperatures peaking in the 90s.
Salisbury Fire Chief Scott Carrigan said his department has noticed a sizable spike in heat-related calls.
“It has been a very good amount,” he said. “Especially with people down at the beach trying to enjoy the outdoors, we’ve seen a pretty marked increase in heat-related calls over the past several weeks.”
He urges people to keep their eyes on the weather when making plans.
“Obviously, we want to enjoy the outdoors this time of year, it’s a great time to be out but people need to take precautions when they go outside,” Carrigan said.
With dehydration able to sneak up on folks, he said drinking plenty of water is the most important thing to do.
“They need to make sure that they bring ample supplies of water and maybe some sports drinks or something similar,” Carrigan said. “If they don’t, they should take advantage of the local vendors that we have in and around those areas.”
As Carrigan noted at the start of a heat wave in June, the Hilton Senior Center at 43 Lafayette Road and Salisbury Public Library at 17 Elm St. have been turned into cooling stations.
“People just need to be aware of when the hours are that those facilities are open, but they’re open most days and during the hottest times of the day for certain,” he said. “So it’s certainly an option that people could take advantage of if they need to.”
Across the Gillis Memorial Bridge, Capt. Jessica Berkhoudt of Salvation Army Newburyport Corps said their Water Street building is open to those who may need a place to escape the heat.
“Our cooling center is open all day Monday through Wednesday from 8 in the morning to 4 in the afternoon,” Berkhoudt said. “We will be serving lunch on Wednesday at 11:30 a.m.”
The cooling center will be open longer on Thursday, she said.
“It’s a hotter day, so we will be open until 6 and will be serving dinner and then Friday, we’re open again from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.,” Berkhoudt said.
In addition to being a cool place to hang out, The Salvation Army center has a lot to offer to people seeking refuge from the heat, according to Berkhoudt.
“There’s opportunity for people to socialize have iced coffee, a water, charge their phones, and just have a reprieve from the hot weather,” she said. “So we’re always happy and willing to have that service open to the community when it’s needed.”
In Amesbury, Fire Chief Jim Nolan said his department has not noticed an increase in heat-related calls.
“I don’t think so. We’ve been doing our normal round of calls that we normally do,” he said. “I’m not sure if any of them have been really heat related.”
The city has not opened a cooling center, he said.
“We have very limited resources to be able to offer a big place for somebody to come and cool down,” Nolan said.
He said if needed, they would look to the Senior Center as a cooling spot.
“They have a sitting room there,” Nolan said.
As for what residents should do, Nolan suggests they look out for one another.
“Check on your elderly neighbors because sometimes they don’t reach out when they need help, maybe air conditioning’s not working properly,” he said. “Just give a check on your neighbor. Make sure they’re doing OK.”
Dr. James Morse, chief of emergency medicine at Anna Jaques Hospital, said the elderly are the most vulnerable to long stretches of oppressive heat.
“Along with that would go younger children, the very youngest children, who sometimes don’t always perceive heat as accurately as people in the more middle age ranges and sometimes they can’t compensate for the heat as easily,” Morse said.
Morse explained how early signs of dehydration and heat-related illness can go undetected.
“Once the heat starts affecting you and you start getting a little bit dehydrated, it could make you get a little bit weak, which could affect your mental state, how you’re perceiving things,” Morse said.
It leads to a cycle of declining brain function as symptoms remain unnoticed, according to Morse.
“It’s important to recognize early the signs that are happening and know how you’re going to best deal with this thing,” he said.
Morse listed excessive sweating while resting and an inability to quench thirst as some of the earliest signs, which could progress to headaches, dizziness, muscle cramps, a reduction in urine, and weakness and tiredness.
“I think those would be what I would call the beginning stages of a heat illness and things that you have to recognize before it gets any worse,” Morse said.
He said people should never feel self-conscious about getting checked out if they think they may be suffering from heat-related illness.”
“If it’s crossing your mind to come in and get checked, there’s a reason for it,” he said. “Please let us take a look at you if you are feeling unwell.”
Even before the calendar switched to summer, intense heat has been on the minds of Greater Newburyport residents.
In mid-June, the National Weather Service issued a heat advisory for most of the state as heat indices soared to between 98 and 106 degrees. That prompted Gov. Maura Healey and her staff to share some hot weather precautions.
While it is now July, the same advice remains pertinent:
To reduce the risks of heat-related illness, including heat stroke and heat exhaustion, residents should:
Minimize time spent outdoors, especially during the hottest parts of the day.
Stay hydrated by drinking lots of cool water every 15 to 20 minutes and avoiding alcoholic or caffeinated beverages.
Seek out air-conditioned buildings such as libraries and community centers to spend time in; Call 211 to find cooling centers or shelters near you.
Never leave children or pets in the car alone – the temperature will rise to unhealthy levels within minutes.
Check in on neighbors who may need assistance making a plan, including the homebound, elderly or disabled.
Dress for the heat by wearing a hat and light-colored, loose fitting and breathable clothing.
As always, call 911 in an emergency.
Matt Petry covers Amesbury and Salisbury for The Daily News of Newburyport. Email him at: mpetry@northofboston.com.