As Lori Nulton rose from her chair near the shores of Lake Washington at Kenmore’s Log Boom Park on Wednesday afternoon, she proclaimed: “It’s way too hot.”
The time was about 12:30 p.m. and the temperature was in the mid-90s. The heat would get worse later — climbing into the record-setting 100s in Seattle and outlying areas; Kenmore topped off at 102 and Bothell around 104, according to weather reports — but it was brutal at the moment.
Nulton, who was out with her son, Lee, and friends, Dominique Zito and Elisa Behrens, had much more to say before grabbing her “floaty” and hitting the water.
“We just got back from Priest Lake in Idaho and it was 90 right on the lake. It was a lot cooler there than it is here because of the humidity here,” she added. “I’m not gonna sit in the sun. Oh, god.”
Around the corner from Nulton’s hot spot, cyclist Bud Bakker of Brier took a quick break and fixed a tire before continuing his journey along the bike path.
He didn’t seem tired or fazed by the heat — and he didn’t want to stay indoors.
“Beautiful days like this don’t come around here that often. Sure, it’s hot …,” he said, noting that conditioning is key. “I’m backing off a little bit. I don’t drive myself quite as hard.
“The trick is to know yourself: If you feel light-headed or have a headache, you should definitely get off the bike and get in the shade and drink some water.”
Bothell Yakima Fruit Market customers favored watermelon the day before the really hot one. According to workers, they sold about 100 watermelons on Tuesday in preparation for the 100-degree heat.
Over at Blyth Park in Bothell about 200 Camp Fire Day Camp kids and leaders mostly stayed in the shade during the 2 o’clock hour, but were up in a flash when the hoses went on.
Site director Shannon Latta, who runs the Blyth camp with her husband, Keith, said they cool off the campers every half hour with the hoses. She noted that parents bring popsicles, they fill kiddie pools with ice and they use lots of sunscreen on days like this.
“We want to keep everyone safe, have a good time and be happy,” Shannon said. “I’ve been with Camp Fire for 12 years, and it’s the first time ever we’ve had heat like this at this park.”
She noted that Camp Fire was canceling Thursday’s session because of the extreme heat in the forecast.
Sure, the heat was unbearable, but a City of Bothell Fire and EMS truck saved the day by barreling into the Blyth parking lot and spraying the campers with their mammoth hose.
The kids yelled, “Spray me, Spray me!” until the fire guys delivered. And for a few moments, the heat didn’t matter.
On the medical front, according to Sherry Grindeland of Evergreen Hospital Medical Center, the emergency department hasn’t seen anything unexpected, a bit of dehydration but no cases required hospitalization.
At the Evergreen Medical Group Canyon Park clinic in Bothell, the only heat-related problem was sunburn when a patient fell asleep in the sun. The patient was not severely burned and didn’t require any special treatment.
Grindeland noted that emergency personnel said in this kind of weather flare-ups in existing conditions may occur. “The example the manager gave me was, ‘If you have asthma, this kind of weather will exacerbate it and make it worse,'” she said.
According to Grindeland, Evergreen Healthline nurses have handled more than four dozen heat-related queries this week. The nurses review heat-injury symptoms with callers and help the callers figure out the best way to handle the problem/problems.
Lisa Allen, City of Bothell Fire and EMS public educator/public information officer, said city employees have been distributing hot-weather safety information to high-risk communities, including senior citizens, people who are sick or don’t have air conditioning and those folks without computer or TV access.
According to the fire battalion chief, they weren’t experiencing a significant increase in calls to heat-related medical issues the last two days.
On Thursday morning, workers at local businesses and one King County designated cooling center reflected on Wednesday’s scorcher and prepared for another hot one.
Margaux Carter of Margaux’s Espresso on Bothell Way Northeast said she sold “a lot” of white-chocolate cold-and-blended drinks on Wednesday.
“They (customers) were happy to be in their air-conditioned cars. They were satisfied (with their drinks),” she said.
Over at the downtown Bothell Safeway, one crew member noted that, “Water and ice were flying out the door. We had an increase in sales and people were just grocery shopping and (came in) because of the air conditioning in here.”
Other Safeway big sellers were ice cold beer, sandwich meat, produce — and lots of ice cream and popsicles.
According to Deborah Bagg, managing librarian at the Bothell Regional Library, just over 1,900 people visited her workplace on Wednesday, a 26-percent increase over that day last year. (Thirty-one percent more people strolled into the library on Tuesday compared to that day last year.)
“We were very busy. We had a lot of people staying in here, hanging out and staying cool,” said Bagg, noting that the Friends of Bothell Library group dropped off four cases of water (96 bottles) and some pop. “Lots of people were reading to their children.”
Bagg expected a throng of customers on Thursday, as well, since the library is also a cooling center.
Cooling centers
In Bothell, there’s the Northshore Senior Center, 10201 E. Riverside Drive.
Hours are from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday. Community dining lunch is available from 11:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.; reservations are suggested.
To contact the Northshore Senior Center, call (425) 487-2441.
There’s also Eastside Foursquare Church, 14520 100th Ave. N.E., which is available until 5 p.m. Thursday. Iced water and lemonade will be available.
The Bothell Regional Library, 18215 98th Ave. N.E., is another cool spot and is open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday.
In Kenmore, there’s the Spring Estates Living Center, 7221 N.E. 182nd St.
Hours are 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., with a capacity of 20-25 people.
Public Health tips for hot weather safety
Hot weather, with temperatures in the upper 90s and 100s, are forecast for upcoming days and have prompted local health officials to urge residents to stay cool and safe while they enjoy summertime activities. Heat can lead to serious medical problems, particularly for older adults, young children, people with chronic illness and people with weight or alcohol problems.
“The danger for heat–related illnesses rises when outside temperatures are very high,” said Dr. David Fleming, director and health officer for Public Health — Seattle & King County. “Fortunately, all of us can prevent heat exhaustion or heat stroke with some simple steps.”
Stay cool
· Spend more time in air conditioned places. If you don’t have air conditioning, consider visiting a mall, movie theater or other cool public places.
·Cover windows that receive morning or afternoon sun.
·Dress in lightweight clothing.
·Check up on your elderly neighbors and relatives.
Drink liquids
·Drink plenty of water or non-alcoholic beverages.
·Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink.
If you go outside
·Limit your direct exposure to the sun.
·Do not leave infants, children, people with mobility challenges and pets in a parked car, even with the window rolled down.
·Avoid or reduce strenuous activity.
·Limit outdoor activity to morning and evening hours.
·Avoid sunburn. Use a sunscreen lotion with a high SPF (sun protection factor) rating.
Check with your physician if you are concerned about heat and the specific medications you are taking. Certain medications may increase sensitivity to the heat. Do not take salt tablets unless directed to by a physician.
Recognizing heat exhaustion and heat stroke
• Overheating occurs when people’s bodies are not able to cool themselves quickly enough and can lead to symptoms of heat exhaustion, including muscle cramps, weakness, dizziness, headache, nausea and vomiting. If you notice someone with signs of overheating, move the person to a cooler location, have them rest for a few minutes and slowly drink a cool beverage. Seek medical attention for them immediately if they do not feel better.
In severe instances, people can suffer heat stroke, which can cause can cause death or permanent disability if emergency treatment is not provided. Symptoms of heat stroke include:
·an extremely high body temperature (above 103 degrees F)
·red, hot, and dry skin
·rapid, strong pulse
·nausea, confusion and unconsciousness
For more tips and resources on staying cool in hot weather, visit www.kingcounty.gov/health/BeatTheHeat.
