Heat advisory in effect today for Western Pennsylvania
With a heat advisory in effect for most of the region today, emergency management officials are suggesting that older adults who don’t have air conditioning and need to cool off visit one of the numerous senior centers in the area.
The National Weather Service in Pittsburgh issued the heat advisory from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. for Greene and Washington counties, along with the lower-lying areas of Fayette County below the ridges.
The weather service said temperatures in the 90s with high humidity could lead to a heat index making it feel like 103 degrees, which could lead to heat-related illnesses.
Washington, Greene and Fayette counties usually rely on the 24 senior centers and 14 satellite locations operated by the Southwestern Pennsylvania Area Agency on Aging that are open on weekdays for people who need to cool off during heat waves.
“Older adults are at higher risk of heat-related problems,” said Mary Lynn Spilak, the director of Aging Services in Washington County.
While the senior centers will be open for their normal business hours and operations, dedicated cooling centers won’t be available unless there is an additional emergency during the day such as power outage. However, public safety officials said they’re ready to open those locations, if needed.
“In the past few years, we really haven’t had any requests (to open cooling centers), but it’s always in the contingency plan,” Greene County Emergency Management Director Richard Policz said.
Policz said they typically coordinate with fire departments to offer additional places to cool off, should the need arise in an emergency.
“We do those in conjunction with the senior centers, and anything larger will go in with the fire departments,” he said. “If we get a large number of requests, we’ll reach out to the (fire department) social halls, but that’s as needed.”
That’s a similar stance to what Fayette County public safety officials are planning for today.
“We’ll definitely monitor and see if there is a need and take action at that time,” Fayette County Emergency Management spokesperson Susan Griffith said. “As of right now, we don’t have anything slated. But (the heat advisory) is during the week, so the senior centers will be open.”
The weather service cautioned people to stay in an air-conditioned location, if possible, and to drink plenty of fluids and stay out of the sun when outside. Anyone who is overcome by the heat should move to a cool and shaded location, and call 911 if they are showing signs of heat stroke.
Spilak asked people to pay close attention to older adults living in their neighborhood to ensure that they aren’t adversely affected by the heat.
“I would encourage neighbors and friends of older adults to check on them and make sure they’re staying cool and hydrated,” Spilak said. “We’re all in this together. We all have to check in on each other and make sure we’re OK.”
A list of senior center locations is available online at www.swpa-aaa.org under the Senior Community Centers tab. The agency recommends that people call ahead to ensure the center is open before heading out to cool off.
Editor’s Note: Incorrect information appeared in Friday’s edition about what phone number seniors should call for transportation. Washington County residents who need a ride to their local senior center should contact Freedom Transit at 724-223-8747 for more information.