Sussex Gearing Up to Battle Week of Nasty Heat, Humidity

Are you finding ways to keep cool?

No matter where you go in Sussex and surrounding areas, there's not a whole of lot relief to be had from this hot, sticky weather.

According the National Weather Service, Sussex is currently under a heat advisory, with hot and humid air expected to remain in the area for the entire week. Thermometers will generally be stuck in the 90s, with dew points hovering in the 70s the entire time. That combination will at times generated a heat index of between 100 and 110 degrees, the service says.

Unfortunately, unless you own a private pool, you're going to have to find other options for beating the heat.

"We unfortunately do not have a pool or lake in the village of Sussex, so our recommendation is for people to do indoor activities," said Amy Jeske, director of recreational services for the village. "Our Community Center is certainly one place where they can come and hang out, and we’re open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Even if they’re not here for a program and they just want to come in and cool off, they’re welcome to do that."

The will have extended hours this weekend to accommodate people who want to come in and cool off. The library will be open from 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

In addition, both the and Waukesha County's  Public Health Division are taking extra precautions to ensure that those most vulnerable to the heat will be protected.

"The elderly, children, people on certain medications, and anyone with heart or respiratory issues like asthma are especially vulnerable," said Benjamen Jones, an epidemiologist with the county. "There’s a pretty wide range of people that the heat affects. It can be very serious, even for people who don’t have these problems."

There are several telltale signs of heat related illness, including:

• Cramps and muscle spasms. This usually happens when people are doing activity in the heat.
• Heat exhaustion, including heavy sweating, muscle cramps, feel weak, dizzy, and a headache.

Heat stroke is the most serious issue and is marked by high body temperature, redness in the face, elevated heartbeat, headache, and confusion.  If this happens, call 911 immediately.

The Fire Department also is taking steps to prepare for heat wave.

"We’re gathering our equipment together, including things like ice packs, saline solution and things like that to cool people down and get fluids into them quickly," said Sussex Deputy Fire Chief Greg Zoellick. "We especially keep an eye on the elderly because once it gets hot, they don’t eat. Many of them are diabetics, so we need to keep an eye on them to make sure they’re not going outside.

"A lot of the elderly have air conditioning but they’re worried about their electric bill going up, so they crank it down and it’s not doing them much good," Zoellick added. "They’ve got heart problems and this heat is making them sweat and makes the body work harder. Once the heart has to work harder, they run into trouble."

The staff at the , a senior facility at W240N6351 Maple Ave., also is taking extra precautions with its elderly clients.

"We provide extra fluids and make sure everybody’s being hydrated and we just really make sure that nobody’s outside for any length of time," said Kim Bibb, director of the facility. "Instead of going outside, we’ll do different games, puzzles and a lot of our residents like to read. Again, our biggest concern is to protect them against dehydration and we offer them things like fluids and Popsicles frequently."

Common sense tips for coping with the heat include drinking lots of water to stay hydrated, staying inside in an air conditioned building, and wearing light clothing. Taking a cool shower or bath can cool down body temperatures faster than air conditioning.

People are also advised to watch their pets and not leave them in the car while going to the store.

If need be, Waukesha County Emergency Management will ask the Red Cross to set up cooling sites and open shelters. In addition, the Waukesha County Aging and Disability Resource Center has numerous resources that are geared to helping the elderly get through the heat wave.

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