SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. – We are one week away from the Fourth of July, which means the dog days of summer are almost here.
Seminole County Animal Services is piping in air conditioning, powered by generators to beat the heat.
Adam Leath, the division manager for SCAS, spoke to News 6 about the measures they are taking to keep animals and staff cool and comfortable.
“We’ve just seen an extraordinary heat wave, and certainly earlier than we typically see,” said Leath.
News 6 got an inside look at the setup at animal services.
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“We are very fortunate to be in the Department of Emergency Management in Seminole County. So the generator that you see there that is mounted to a semi-trailer is what’s needed to power that,” Leath said. “We have two 50-ton units, and those units are actually taking so much electricity that our building, when it was designed and originally wired, doesn’t have the ability to carry that to that voltage. So we are very fortunate to be able to use one of those backup generators.”
Leath said his team has this system in place they can use during times of the day when temperatures are at a peak.
July is less than a week away, which means Red, Hot, and Boom is around the corner in Altamonte Springs. The banners are already up at Cranes Roost Park where the event is held each year.
We spoke to people trying to keep cool at the park Thursday. Many wore hats and carried water while they walked around the lake.
“The humidity. The heat. All of it coming together,” said one woman. “You come outside and just immediately start sweating.”
Our News 6 Pinpoint weather team says it will remain hot and humid across Central Florida this week, with highs in the low to mid-90s each day. It will feel more like triple digits with the heat index reaching 102-107 degrees.
It’s hot enough that you feel the heat, but low enough that there’s no need for a heat advisory.
“The good thing is we’re finally starting to get into our sea breeze action. So, at least we at least get a little bit of relief for some of Central Florida,” said meteorologist Jonathan Kegges.
The rain has also helped cool us down this week, compared to last week.
“Finally,” Kegges said. “We started off with May. May was one of the hottest on record in Central Florida.”
Since May, AdventHealth has seen a slight increase in the number of people coming into their emergency rooms with heat-related illnesses in Orange, Osceola, and Seminole Counties.
The Florida Department of Health says you can prevent heat-related illness by taking the following advice:
Stay Cool:
- Find an air-conditioned shelter
- Avoid direct sunlight
- Wear lightweight, light-colored clothing
- Take cool showers or baths
- Do not rely on a fan as your primary cooling device
Stay Hydrated:
- Drink more water than usual
- Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink more fluids
- Avoid alcohols or liquids containing high amounts of sugar
- Remind others to drink enough water
Stay Informed:
- Check local news for extreme heat alerts and safety tips
- Learn the symptoms of heat illness -- Information provided by the CDC’s Environmental Public Health Tracking Program. For more information, click here.