Md. Health Dept. Reports 8 More Heat-Related Deaths; Toll Now At 31
BALTIMORE (WJZ)-- Deadly summer. High heat claims more lives in Maryland.
Meghan McCorkell has more on just how dangerous this heat can be.
Eight more heat-related deaths are now reported in the state of Maryland between July 17 and July 24. That brings the total to 31 deaths this summer.
This baking hot summer continues to broil Maryland.
Another day of a high heat has people scrambling to stay cool. The Druid Park pool is packed full of swimmers in the afternoon.
Chip Thompson found his ideal spot under a shady tree.
"Trying to relax. Stay out of the sun. Drink plenty of fluids. And just try not to overexert yourself," he said.
Dr. Clifford Mitchell with the state's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene warns spending too much time outdoors can be hazardous to your health.
"If you feel sick for any reason whatsoever, light-headed, sick to your stomach, just you don't feel well, get out of the heat, get in to some place cool," he advised.
Thirty-one people have now died from heat-related illnesses here in Maryland this summer, 10 of them in Baltimore City.
"Like the others, they follow the same pattern. They tend to be older. All of them are over the age of 45. They are distributed around the state," Dr. Mitchell said.
The elderly and those with preexisting medical conditions are most vulnerable.
And that message is getting out.
"If you do have someone that's elderly in your family, you need to check on them, especially if they don't have air conditioning," Thompson said.
One step that could prevent the death toll from rising as we head into August.
Maryland has issued 12 heat advisories this summer alone.
The city opened several cooling centers throughout the day on Friday and extended hours at public pools. For more information on these cooling centers, click here.
Residents can call 311 to report concerns about their neighbors to authorities. Anyone experiencing a heat-related medical emergency is urged to call 911.
