Toni A. Jones-Ellen, 56, didn’t need to check the thermometer or flick on the Weather Channel to know what the day was going to be like when she woke up Saturday in her North Side home, which has no air conditioning: burning heat and stifling humidity.
“Smoldering,” she said of the temperatures. “You just peel out of bed.”
People with working air conditioners apparently were using them in full force, as evidenced by an all-time high for electricity use by Commonwealth Edison customers for a Saturday in Chicago, a ComEd official said.
Jones-Ellen didn’t have that option, so she was out the door by 8 a.m., in search of places to cool off. She wound up at a city cooling center on Sheridan Road.
Chicago’s temperature was a year-high 97, with the peak heat index also at 97, according to the National Weather Service bureau in Romeoville. Officials warned that Sunday temperatures are expected to reach the upper 90s and that the heat index may soar as high as 105.
With libraries, police stations, Park District buildings and some city offices opening their doors, more than 100 places to cool off were open around Chicago on Saturday. No heat-related deaths were reported.
ComEdison announced a city record for Saturday electricity use when 19,342 megawatts were in use about 5 p.m., which exceeded the record of 18,501 set last summer on June 25, spokesman Luis Diaz said. About 1,900 ComEd customers on Chicago’s Northwest Side and in Harwood Heights and Niles lost power for less than an hour Saturday afternoon, but there were no other outages, Diaz said.
The National Weather Service said soaring temperatures and high humidity are expected through Tuesday evening.
“You almost have to walk like you’re walking on air to stay cool,” said Jones-Ellen, as she sat comfortably in 72 degrees at the cooling center in the 4700 block of Sheridan Road. “Barely move any part of your body.”
As the weekend opened, officials were taking the heat threat seriously.
“People without air conditioning who need any respite from heat are welcome to spend time in these comfort zones,” Mayor Richard Daley said Saturday morning. “If you know a senior citizen you haven’t seen, if you haven’t seen someone who is disabled, please call us immediately.”
City officials urged people to call 311, the city’s information number, to find a cooling center. People who need transportation to cooling centers also can call that number.
“We’re really waiting for the heat to settle in and take a grip on the city,” said Lisa Elkuss, a spokeswoman for the Department of Human Services.
The city began making plans to deal with extended periods of heat and humidity after oppressively hot weather contributed to the deaths of as many as 733 people in Chicago in 1995. Many victims were senior citizens.
“It’s really the seniors we are concerned about,” Daley said.
But he added, “I ask everyone to take precaution.”
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Not everyone was complaining about the heat.
On Michigan Avenue, cabdriver Michael Mezengi’s air-conditioned ride was earning him extra business.
“They tell me, `Oh, you have a nice car–it’s very cold.'” he said. “I never turn my air conditioning off, even though gas is very expensive. I started at 7 o’clock this morning, and I turned the air conditioning on as soon as I got in the car.”
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Keeping cool
– Avoid going out in the heat, especially around midday.
– Don’t leave any person or pet in a parked car, even for a few minutes.
– Drink plenty of water and natural juices, at least eight glasses a day; avoid alcohol, coffee and colas.
– Keep shades drawn and blinds closed, windows slightly open.
– Take cool baths or showers; use cool towels.
– Wear loose, light cotton clothing. Slow down, avoid or minimize physical exertion.
Source: City of Chicago
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