Stay cool tip: Drape cold, wet towels around your neck.
That’s what Robert Vidal and Krenar Mehmeti did to stay cool in the hot kitchen at Bella’s Pizza Tuesday afternoon.
As temperatures topped 100-degrees around the Valley Tuesday, residents tried to stay cool as best they could.
For Vidal, a cook and delivery man for Bella’s, that meant changing the wet towel every half hour or so.
“It’s pretty cool in here for being a small place,” Vidal, of Shelton, joked.
With the air conditioner, fans and a dehumidifier, it was only a piping 99 degrees inside the Minerva Street shop.
Outside, temperatures were above 100 degrees during the afternoon.
Seniors Sweat It Out
In Shelton, 122 residents at the Gardner Heights assisted living facility were trying to stay cool in dark rooms after their power went out. The building’s generator stopped working, prompting a large-scale EMS response.
At about 1 p.m., Shelton fire fighters and ambulance crews surrounded the Rocky Rest Road building, staging for an emergency evacuation.
“We were going to evacuate, but it’s still pretty cool in there,” said Deputy Fire Marshal Bob Albert. “We decided not to take them out into the heat.”
Instead, ambulances lined up along the road, ready to deliver emergency oxygen tanks and transport patients as needed.
Any resident that needed oxygen was given a portable unit, Albert said, and extras were on hand in case those failed or ran out.
The power outage was caused by two blown fuses, Albert said.
By 1:30 p.m., United Illuminating employees were on scene evaluating the fuses. Albert expected the situation to be fixed within the hour.
Hot Weather Tips
If you aren’t down with the wet towel trick, here are some other tips on how to beat the heat, according to the United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention:
- Drink lots of water. Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to do it.
- Don’t drink alcohol or high sugar drinks, as they can cause you to lose body fluid.
- Stay indoors — if possible in an air-conditioned place. City buildings, such as public libraries or city halls, are good places to cool off during the day.
- Taking a cool shower or bath is more effective than sitting in front of a fan to stave off heat-related illness.
- Don’t leave anyone in a closed, parked vehicle.
Click here to view a complete list from the CDC.
