By:Jenn Abelson
Village residents cope with heat wave
Snap! Crackle! Pop! While Rice Krispies cereal might be the first thought that comes to mind when hearing that trio phrase, after last week's blistering heat and thunderous rain showers, village residents understood those words in a totally new way.
It's how people barked at each other when the heat became unbearable. It's how air conditioners sounded on their last legs. It's how the thunder boomed in the ominous skies during the weekend.
To find relief from the upper-90 degree weather which caused more than 40,000 heat-related power outages last week throughout Long Island, village residents took all sorts of measures.
Large numbers sought refuge at Lynbrook's pool in Greis Park. Rose Bifulco brought her three children to the pool Thursday after spending an uncomfortable morning at the beach.
"It was too hot, so I'm taking advantage of the cooler pool," Bifulco said.
Anna Sobara also hit the pool last week, frequenting it with her kids numerous times a day. "I come during the day and I'll come again at night."
Throughout Long Island, efforts were made to keep people cool and electricity usage low. State parks and beaches were free on Thursday and government workers were asked to send workers home early to reduce voltage use.
If not in their homes, people sought businesses to keep them cool. Kim Troise, manager of Cinema 4 in Malverne, said many patrons asked whether the air conditioning was working before purchasing tickets.
"Of course it was," Troise said.
But just down the street was not-so-lucky employee Andrew Diaz at Ice Craze.
"The air conditioner broke down a few times," Diaz said. "We had a steady stream of customers, but, ugh, that freakin' heat."
At least he had an unlimited supply of cherry, lemon and pineapple ices to delve into for relief.
As did Susanne Adams, owner of the Ice Company in East Rockaway. Adams, whose store opened in June, said she saw a sizable jump in business last week.
Laura Scarlata found her treats in the basement of San-dee Lanes of Malverne. She spent the afternoon bowling with her kids, no sign of sunshine or heat anywhere.
"We were just at the park and the kids were really sluggish, so we came here," Scarlata said. "It's air conditioned. It's good."
subhead: Energy concerns
Richard Kessel, chairman of the Long Island Power Authority, called the surge of soaring temperatures a "heat storm" and implored the public to cut back on the use of unnecessary electricity.
LIPA used 4579 megawatts of electricity on Thursday, Aug. 9, just 11 megawatts short of the 4,590 record set on July 4, 1999, according to spokesperson Michael Lowndes.
Local public water suppliers also urged customers to limit their water usage in an effort to conserve the Island's electric supply.
"Public water suppliers consume a significant amount of electricity to pump water from our wells underground to the resident's faucet," said Bob Santoriello, chairperson of the Long Island Water Conference (LIWC). "Every gallon of water that our customers conserve gives LIPA that much more power to use during the heat wave."
As for local air conditioner sales and service, P.C. Richard and Son, on the border of Oceanside and East Rockaway, said business had skyrocketed.
"It gets busier every day," said Mark Dehos, who was among the few who actually hoped the heat wave would last.
Chet Goldberg of M+L Appliance Center in Cedarhurst could not give an in-depth interview because so many customers needed his attention.
"Service is crazy," he said. "It's been the lousiest season I had in years, but this week it's jumping."
SIDEBAR
hed: Hot-weather warning
With temperatures and humidity rising, the Nassau County Department of Health alerts residents to the dangers of possible heat stroke or heat exhaustion.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, "a major heat wave during the summer months can cause thousands of deaths in the United States. A 50-percent increase in the death rate has been frequently observed, with deaths from heat stroke increasing, as well as deaths from causes such as cardiovascular disease and respiratory disease."
To protect ourselves and others during high temperatures:
-Check on relatives and friends, especially the elderly.
-Increase time spent in an air-conditioned environment.
-Increase non-alcoholic fluid intake.
-Take cool baths.
-Individuals especially at risk like the elderly or those with chronic illnesses should refrain from physical activity, avoid being alone, keep their sleeping area well ventilated and avoid falling asleep in a hot room.
-Eat light but nutritious foods.
-Avoid the sun at the hottest times of the day.
-Wear a hat and light, loose-fitting clothing.
Elderly people, infants and many individuals with chronic medical conditions are at high risk for heat-related problems and should be very cautious about exposure.
If any person experiences heat stroke or exhaustion, get medical help immediately. Symptoms of heat-related illnesses may be headache, dizziness, fatigue, anxiety, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, low pulse rate, disorientation, unconsciousness or convulsion. Other symptoms may be cold, pale and clammy skin or hot, flushed skin.
Joseph Kellard, Keith Grant, Rebecca Shalomoff and Ryan Sloane contributed to this story.
