Some people across Dallas-Fort Worth are dealing with the challenges of dangerously high temperatures. NBC 5’s Candace Sweat shows the impact this heat wave is having.
Throughout North Texas, heat safety is a concern and people are looking for any way to stay cool.
Extreme heat impacts how people move about their daily lives. Dallas resident Edward Tut rides the DART rail to and from work. He’s thankful for reliable and cool transportation.
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WATCH HERE“Trying to stay hydrated and stay in the shade as much as possible,” Tut said. “It’s nice to have a cool ride.”
DART spokesperson Gordon Shattles said they’ve planned for intense heat, and they send AC technicians out daily to check vehicles.
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SIGN UP “We service every 10,000 miles, but every morning we make sure we give them a check-over,” said Shattles.
DART has also taken measures to maintain infrastructure. When it gets this hot, Shattles said rail conductors are told to reduce speed by 5 mph as they approach curves.
“As you’re heading around the curve area that steel is under a little more pressure,” he said. “By slowing down and taking stress off the line, it can hopefully prevent those sudden kinks and deformation in the steel.”
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DART opened seven additional transit stations with air and water fountains and partnered with the Salvation Army which opened its own cooling centers in Dallas, Denton, Collin, Tarrant and Ellis Counties.
The cooling centers will offer shade and hydration to those at risk of heat-related conditions. Guidelines vary for each location, and exact protocols by city and county may vary.
Cooling stations will be opened when there is a forecast of 100 degrees or higher, usually for more than one day, or if there's a heat index of more than 105 degrees for more than two days in a row.
Intense heat sometimes calls for quick action when cooling shelters aren’t available.
Dallas County Resident, Summer Galvez witnessed this recently when an exhausted delivery driver, stood in her front yard sprinklers for a moment of relief.
“My Amazon driver was standing there just arms spread open just taking it all in,” Galvez said.
MedStar said they’ve responded to 150 heat-related calls since May and prevention is key.
“I came inside and grabbed a bottle of water, and they weren’t cold yet, so I so grabbed a refrigerated energy drink,” said Galvez.
As the public keeps an eye on weather watches and advisories, Galvez said we should also look out for each other.
“She [the Amazon driver] was really just trying to collect herself and it was really hot that day, so my heart just immediately went out to her,” she said. “I was just grateful that I was able to catch her before she drove off and I could share those drinks with her.”
Starting next week, the West Dallas location and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center near Fair Park will turn into the city's official "Beat the Heat" cooling centers. Reliant Energy is also partnering with the city to give out free portable AC units and evaporative coolers to families in need. Quantities are limited to only one unit per household.
Reliant also provides financial assistance to customers facing hardship to help pay their electricity bill through the CARE program.
The United Way of Tarrant County also launched its second annual Beat the Heat campaign on Wednesday to collect 100 air conditioning units in honor of the organization’s 100-year anniversary. Click here for details.
