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Heat Wave Affecting People Around Baltimore

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- The extreme heat has doctors worried that some people may not take it seriously. The moment you step outside, you feel the heat.

Ava-joye Burnett explains why the heat mixed with the humidity could be a deadly combination.

Tuesday may be even worse.

Parts of 795 North buckled. With two lanes closed, Sky Eye Chopper 13 showed traffic towards Owings Mills was backed up.

On day two of a heat wave, the kids and adults had the right idea.

"Plenty of water, we stay hydrated. We got them water, we got them juices," says Shelly Gray from Baltimore.

"This is very hot, it's actually very hot," says Eva Dalhoff, visiting from Denmark.

Three of more days of 90-degree weather constitutes a heat wave, and to make matters even worse, a code orange is in effect.

That means air quality will be bad, especially for children, senior citizens or people with certain health problems.

"Yeah for me, because I have asthma. I cannot be out here too long, that's why I picked the shadiest part to sit at," says Lakisha Johnson from Baltimore

Maryland's department of health says between '99 and 2010, more than 74-hundred people died from heat issues in the U.S doctors say with heat and humidity, there's no natural way to cool off.

"People can become very sick to the point they go into seizures, you can lose consciousness and then if your body gets too heated, you die," says Dr. Lisa Kirkland with Sinai Hospital.

Dr. Kirkland also said with this kind of heat if you're sweating, that's a good sign the body is trying to cool off.

State Highway Administration says it conducted a temporary fix on 795, so all lanes are open now. A permanent fix is expected tomorrow.

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