San Francisco endures another day of hot weather
SAN FRANCISCO - For a second day, temperatures soared past the 80 degree mark in San Francisco. In a city that is known for foggy cool temperatures, medical experts say the heat can be especially dangerous for people who aren't accustomed to it.
"Remember we in San Francisco aren't used to heat like this, said emergency room Dr. Christopher Colwell. "So, people who live in places that are typically hotter tend to acclimate and we don't. So, it can impact us more easily and quickly than we would otherwise realize."
Dr. Colwell advised people to stay hydrated and recognize the early symptoms of heat related illness, like feeling light headed or weakness and seek treatment if the symptoms get worse, like disorientation. "You won't always feel hot even when impacts from the heat are affecting you," said Dr. Colwell. "So, you really need to pay attention to the symptoms you're having. Don't wait until you're overwhelmed by heat."
The head can also be hardest on the elderly, and Dr. Colwell recommends contacting older friends, family members and neighbors to make sure they're tolerating the heat wave.
Some community members took matters into their own hands. For the second day, Bless Alexander passed out water to thirsty people in the city's Tenderloin District. He said just yesterday he put a bottle of water into the hand of a man who was lying on the street and warned him to get into the shade on the other side of the street. "And maybe three hours later I was walking back by and saw the ambulance on the corner, and they were giving him CPR, and I was just like, 'Oh God,'" said Alexander.
Neither the fire department nor the medical examiner has been able to confirm this was a heat-related call. But, Alexander says he'll keep passing out water. He said after spending years in Las Vegas and Southern California, he says he knows heat can kill. "In Las Vegas and in LA, when it's hot, it's really easy for people to get water," said Alexander.
Temperatures were so hot that even at Dolores Park where people frequently lounge in the sun, park visitors were looking for every scrap of shade they could find. And for a second day, the city offered free admission to its pools, making sure that anyone who needed to cool off could take a dip. "We're cooling off right now," said Devon Devine. "There's a free swim in the Mission Pool and this is everyone from my building. We decided this morning that we were going to go on a field trip."
Yesterday, San Francisco schools canceled athletics or moved them indoors to protect kids from the heat, but today many of those young athletes are back at it. The district says it doesn't have any outdoor athletics cancelations.
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