As North Texas heats up, job No. 1 is to stay cool

Workers for Lon Smith Roofing started climbing their ladders about 7:30 a.m. Thursday intent on beating the heat.

Working as a four-man team on a small house in the 2800 block of Lana Circle, the roofers were wearing long-sleeved shirts and pants to protect them from exposure to the sun, said Scott Hamilton, Lon Smith Roofing vice president.

“I grew up in Las Vegas so I’m used to the heat,” Hamilton said. “But I’m down here standing under a shade tree. You come off those shingles in the heat of the day, it’s maybe 160 degrees.”

Roofers, construction workers, athletes — anyone who has to be outside — are urged to use extra caution when temperatures soar, which was the case Thursday and will be for the next few days.

Temperatures were expected to reach 104 degrees Thursday afternoon and the National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory for the North Texas region through Sunday, with heat index values expected to reach up to 110 degrees. The heat advisory could be extended until Tuesday, but hopefully, the high pressure system that is parked over the region will shift to the west bring some relief and allow some relief by Wednesday.

“Try to stay indoors and don't leave children and pets in the car,” said Matt Stalley, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Fort Worth. “Hopefully we won't be looking at these temperatures after the end of August and there may be a few breaks in there for us to get below 100 degrees.”

Hamilton agreed that it’s important to stay out of the heat, which is what he did at a July 30 baseball game between the Texas Rangers and New York Yankees at Globe Life Park in Arlington. Game time temperature was 101 degrees.

“It was so hot we never even went to our seats,” Hamilton said. “We were upstairs in the clubhouse and gave our tickets on the second row away to some kids. Despite the heat it was pretty busy. It was the Yankees.”

To illustrate how dangerous the heat can be, Yankees’ pitcher C.C. Sabathia had to go to Medical Center of Arlington after the game to receive treatment for dehydration symptoms.

Just like the roofers, Fort Worth Water Department workers started gathering at the ice makers about 7:30 a.m. Thursday to prepare for their day.

“You have to remember if the air temperature is 100 degrees there on the street it’s about 120,” said Todd Longerbeam, who said he has been working with the department for about seven years.

Typically, men leave these jobs drenched in sweat and they keep an extra set of clothing in the truck, Longerbeam said.

The workers wear cooling towels that are made of material that speeds the evaporation process, special hats to keep the sun off their necks and shoulders, they take frequent breaks during the day to keep them from overheating, are provided with sunscreen, and they carry umbrellas in their trucks that they can set up for shade, said Mary Gugliuzza, water department spokeswoman.

But against a beaming sun, those measures offer only a small portion of relief.

“If you can find a big shade tree and you get a little breeze. Man, that’s a small piece of heaven right there,” Longerbeam said.

The water main repair people planned to be busy Thursday fixing pipes that likely ruptured due to the heat, Gugliuzza said. The area has not had any significant rainfall for nearly a month and when the ground gets dry it shifts, putting pressure on water mains, Gugliuzza said.

“We’ve had at least 12 breaks overnight and I’m certain the heat is at least a factor,” she said.

Rick Robinson, residency director of emergency medicine for John Peter Smith Hospital, said the most important rule for surviving the Texas heat is to stay hydrated and use water or electrolyte-filled sports drinks to replace fluids.

“Avoid the heat if you possibly can and if you have to work, work in moderation, and work during the cooler parts of the day,” Robinson said. “Avoid drinking anything that might have a diuretic (a substance that promotes the production of urine) effect, like anything that’s caffeinated, such as coffee, energy drinks and not too much tea.”

This story was originally published August 6, 2015 at 2:17 PM with the headline "As North Texas heats up, job No. 1 is to stay cool."