Anne Arundel Cooling Facilities Open As Heat, Humidity Soar

ANNAPOLIS, MD — Anne Arundel County will open cooling centers Monday, Aug. 6, through Wednesday, Aug. 8, as prolonged extreme heat, humidity, and poor air quality conditions smother the area. Temperatures are forecasted to be in the low-90s with oppressive humidity, creating heat index values — otherwise known as what the temperature feels like — above 100 degrees.

A code orange air quality alert has been issued for the Baltimore metropolitan area on Monday, Aug. 6, which includes Anne Arundel County. The alert means that pollution concentrations may be unhealthy for children, older adults, heart/lung disease sufferers and asthmatics.

The Anne Arundel County Department of Aging and Disabilities will designate these Senior Centers as cooling centers from noon to 6p.m. Monday through Wednesday:

• Annapolis Senior Center: 119 South Villa Avenue, Annapolis
• Arnold Senior Center: 44 Church Rd, Arnold
• Brooklyn Park Senior Center: 202 Hammonds Lane, Brooklyn Park
• O'Malley Senior Center: 1275 Odenton Road, Odenton
• Pasadena Senior Center: 4103 Mountain Road, Pasadena
• Pascal Senior Center: 125 Dorsey Road, Glen Burnie
• South County Senior Center: 27 Stepneys Lane, Edgewater

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These Anne Arundel County Public Libraries will be open and designated as cooling centers from noon to 6 p.m. Monday through Wednesday:

• Annapolis Library (at Monarch Academy): 2000 Capital Drive, Annapolis (open until 5 p.m.)
• Broadneck Community Library: 1275 Green Holly Drive, Annapolis
• Brooklyn Park Community Library: 1 East 11th Avenue, Baltimore
• Crofton Community Library: 1681 Riedel Road, Crofton
• Deale Community Library: 5940 Deale-Churchton Road, Deale
• Eastport-Annapolis Neck Community Library: 269 Hillsmere Drive, Annapolis
• Edgewater Community Library: 25 Stepneys Lane, Edgewater
• Glen Burnie Regional Library: 1010 Eastway, Glen Burnie
• Linthicum Community Library: 400 Shipley Road, Linthicum
• Maryland City at Russett Community Library: 3501 Russett Common, Laurel
• Mountain Road Community Library: 4730 Mountain Road, Pasadena
• Odenton Regional Library: 1325 Annapolis Road, Odenton
• Riviera Beach Community Library: 1130 Duvall Highway, Pasadena
• Severn Community Library: 2624 Annapolis Road, Severn
• Severna Park Community Library: 45 West McKinsey Road, Severna Park

Anne Arundel County Police will designate District Station Community Rooms at these precincts as cooling centers from noon to 6 p.m. Monday through Wednesday:

• Northern District: 939 Hammonds Lane, Baltimore
• Eastern District: 204 Pasadena Rd, Pasadena
• Western District: 8273 Telegraph Road, Odenton
• Southern District: 35 Stepneys Lane, Edgewater

Residents requiring transportation to any cooling center should contact the Office of Transportation during normal business hours, Monday through Friday 12 p.m. to 4 p.m., at 410-222-0022.

All county cooling centers are accessible, air-conditioned and have water and restroom facilities. Medical care is not available and anyone experiencing or observing a medical emergency should call 9-1-1. Pets are not allowed in any cooling centers. Accommodations will be made for service animals. Children must be accompanied by an adult at all times.

The body normally cools itself by sweating. But under some conditions, sweating just isn't enough. Very high body temperatures may damage the brain or other vital organs.

Symptoms Of Heat-Related Illness:

• Heat cramps are muscle contractions that are connected to heat and dehydration.
• Heat exhaustion is also a result of excessive heat and dehydration. The signs of heat exhaustion are paleness, dizziness, nausea, and vomiting, fainting and increased temperature.
• Heatstroke is the most severe form of heat illness. These people have warm, flushed skin and do not sweat. This is considered a critical medical emergency. These patients must have their temperature reduced quickly and taken directly to the hospital. The Centers for Disease Control offer guidance on extreme heat:
• Air-conditioning is the number one protective factor against heat-related illness and death. During conditions of extreme heat, spend time in locations with air-conditioning such as shopping malls, public libraries, or public health sponsored heat-relief shelters in your area.
• Get informed. Listen to local news and weather channels or contact your local public health department during extreme heat conditions for health and safety updates
• Drink cool, nonalcoholic beverages and increase your fluid intake, regardless of your activity level. During hot weather, you will need to increase your fluid intake, regardless of your activity level. Don't wait until you're thirsty to drink. During heavy exercise in a hot environment, drink two to four glasses (16-32 ounces) of cool fluids each hour.

What, How Much To Drink:
If your doctor generally limits the amount of fluid you drink or has you on water pills, ask how much you should drink while the weather is hot.

Don't drink liquids that contain alcohol, or large amounts of sugar. These actually cause you to lose more body fluid. Also avoid very cold drinks, because they can cause stomach cramps.

Replace salt and minerals: Heavy sweating removes salt and minerals from the body. These are necessary for your body and must be replaced. If you must exercise, drink two to four glasses of cool, non-alcoholic fluids each hour. A sports beverage can replace the salt and minerals you lose in sweat. However, if you are on a low-salt diet, talk with your doctor before drinking a sports beverage or taking salt tablets.

Animal Alert

In accordance with Anne Arundel County Code, when the Anne Arundel County Executive declares a severe weather emergency, any dog left unattended outside must have:

• Fresh, clean and drinkable water at all times.
• A dog house that protects the animal against the sun and heat.
• Dry bedding or resting board inside the dog house.

Animal Control also recommends:

• A flap/door on the dog house or a dog house that is constructed to prevent wind from blowing on the animal. Please note if a flap is installed the dog must be able/trained to use the house with the flap.
• The entrances of dog houses be oriented away from prevailing winds.
• Dog houses to be elevated off the ground (at least 2 inches).
• Abundant dry bedding inside the dog house.

Failure to comply with the above requirements and recommendations may result in civil citations with fines from $125 to $1,000 in violation of the county code, removal of the animal and/or criminal prosecution for abuse or neglect of an animal in violation of state law.

For more information visit Anne Arundel County Animal Control's website.

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