Homeless vulnerable during North Texas heat wave

Charles Stewart doesn’t have a home, but he has some shelter from the heat, and so do hundreds more in his situation.

As August temperatures settle into triple digits, homeless people can get a cup of cold water and take refuge inside cooling stations, including 15 throughout North Texas opened by the Salvation Army in July and 20 more activated by the city of Fort Worth at community centers Wednesday.

People can also go to Salvation Army community centers at the Northside Corps, 3023 NW 24th St., and in Arlington at 712 W. Abram St.

“The heat index is making it so hot,” said Stewart, who was at the J.E. & L.E. Mabee Social Services Center at 1855 E. Lancaster Ave. “It’s going to get to 105.”

He was right about that: The day’s high was 101, but the heat index — how hot it feels when relative humidity is combined with temperature — was 105, the National Weather Service in Fort Worth reported.

Higher temperatures are forecast for the rest of the week: 103 on Thursday and Friday, and 104 on Saturday and Sunday, with nighttime lows of 80 to 81. The weather service has issued a heat advisory until 7 p.m. Saturday.

Not that there is anything unusual about this. Temperatures were about the same at this time last August and most Augusts before that, and it was even hotter in August 2011.

But the state’s demand for electricity continues to increase. ERCOT, the operator of the state’s electricity grid, reported an “all-time record for hourly demand” Wednesday, peaking between 4 and 5 p.m. The previous record was set on Aug. 3, 2011.

“ERCOT will continue to monitor system conditions closely to determine whether voluntary conservation is needed by consumers to maintain overall reliability and protect the grid,” Brad Jones, ERCOT’s CEO, said in a news release.

Water and fans

On Tuesday, the cooling station on East Lancaster gave out 220 cups of water; on Monday, 250 were distributed, according to the Salvation Army.

Another sign that people are seeking heat relief is calls to the 211 help line. From July 1 to Monday, 12 requests about cooling centers and 64 requests for fans were made to the 211 Texas assistance hotline at United Way of Tarrant County.

This week, 390 box fans were donated to the Salvation Army, and they will be distributed to the community centers, said Carol Cavazos, public relations manager for the Salvation Army DFW.

The Fort Worth community centers have areas where people can sit in air conditioning and get a drink, city spokeswoman Whitney Rodriguez said.

“Anyone can come and escape the heat during normal hours,” she said.

Staying safe

Emergency and healthcare workers urged all residents to stay hydrated and take precautions when they’re outside.

“Be careful. Be vigilant,” said Lt. Kyle Falkner, a Fort Worth Fire Department spokesman. Firefighters are keeping an eye out for homeless people affected by the heat.

Joel Hunt, a physician’s assistant with the JPS Care Connections Outreach Team, said the team is seeing an increase in heat-related health issues among the homeless, especially dehydration, which can exacerbate chronic illnesses such as diabetes.

“I can’t imagine being on the streets all day long in this heat,” said Don Shisler, president and CEO of Union Gospel Mission in Fort Worth, which is on alert because of the heat.

People are encouraged to get water and come early for breakfast, lunch and dinner at the mission. Workers are watching for signs of heat-related illness. People who want to stay overnight are being admitted about 4 p.m., a little earlier than usual, Shisler said.

“We let them in the chapel a little early so they can cool off and use the restrooms and get hydrated,” Shisler said.

When the shelter is not serving meals, people are encouraged to go to the DRC, formerly the Day Resource Center for the Homeless, which offers programs for homeless during the day.

This story was originally published August 5, 2015 at 3:53 PM with the headline "Homeless vulnerable during North Texas heat wave."