Philly declares another heat health emergency

It is the second such declaration of the summer and takes effect noon Monday and continues until at least 8 p.m. Tuesday, with heat indexes of 100 to 104 degrees expected.

Kids play in the spray of a cooling center near 19th and the Parkway on a 97-degree day during the city's first heat health emergency of the summer last month.Read moreSTEVEN M. FALK / Staff Photographer

by Diane Mastrull

Published Aug. 7, 2022, 4:17 p.m. ET

The region’s unrelenting heat is taking another wicked turn, leading Philadelphia officials to issue the second heat health emergency declaration of the summer.

The emergency takes effect noon Monday and continues until at least 8 p.m. Tuesday, but could be extended if the forecast warrants. That happened a couple times with the city’s first heat health emergency declaration this summer, last month.

The declaration activates a number of relief efforts, including the Philadelphia Corporation for Aging’s Heatline, cooling centers, home visits by field teams, and enhanced daytime outreach to people experiencing homelessness. Callers to the Heatline (215-765-9040) can get guidance on detecting and guarding against heat stress, or talk to city health department nurses about heat-related medical problems.

Triggering the heat health emergency is a forecast calling for above-normal temperatures in the mid-90s Monday and Tuesday, and maximum heat index values of 100 to 104 degrees. Heat indexes are what the temperature feels like when humidity is factored in.

“The Health Department declares a Heat Health Emergency when the temperature gets high enough that vulnerable people — especially our elderly neighbors and family members — are at an increased risk of getting sick or dying from the heat,” Health Commissioner Cheryl Bettigole said in a statement issued Sunday. “The best way to protect our loved ones is to make sure they can get into air conditioning during the hottest part of the day. We recommend that people wear masks if they are going to an air-conditioned place, like a cooling center.”

Bettigole encouraged Philadelphians to check on elderly friends and neighbors over the next couple days, avoid strenuous activity and stay hydrated.

Eleven public libraries will have extended hours to serve as cooling centers, and four “cooling buses” will be available throughout the city. Pools and spraygrounds are also available for relief from the scorching temperatures. Locations and hours of operation can be found here.

During a heat health emergency, the Philadelphia Water Department suspends shutoffs for nonpayment.