CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — Central Virginia residents are looking for any and every way to beat the heat as temperatures reach the 90s in some areas and are expected to hit triple digits.
First responders in the area, like Henrico Battalion Fire Chief Doug Reynolds, are urging residents to take precautions to avoid heat-related illness as the heat index is expected to continue rising.
“As soon as you start to struggle with breathing, you start to feel like you can’t walk,” Reynolds said about what a person might experience when exposed to dangerous heat. “You’re getting very nauseated, you’re sweating profusely. You need to get inside, get out of the hot weather, get into some air conditioning and, you know, try to cool down.”
Linemen are no exception, as Dominion Energy Spokesperson Craig Carper said the company makes sure workers don’t tire themselves out too quickly in dangerous weather.
“Scheduling, timing, pacing, taking breaks and not overexerting yourself in heat like this, because it gets very hot,” Carper said about the precautions the company takes when temperatures are high. “If you’re doing something a bit strenuous, it’s going to wear you out faster than it normally does. And when it does, you need to take a break.”
Chesterfield County resident Shelita Gaskins said she prefers staying home with her son and working in her garden when temperatures are high.
“Having the greenery here creates a positive space,” said Gaskins. “Of course, it’s better when the shade is here, but I just really like to connect with nature and, you know, learn how to be self-sufficient and plant my own food.”
CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — Central Virginia residents are looking for any and every way to beat the heat as temperatures reach the 90s in some areas and are expected to hit triple digits.
First responders in the area, like Henrico Battalion Fire Chief Doug Reynolds, are urging residents to take precautions to avoid heat-related illness as the heat index is expected to continue rising.
“As soon as you start to struggle with breathing, you start to feel like you can’t walk,” Reynolds said about what a person might experience when exposed to dangerous heat. “You’re getting very nauseated, you’re sweating profusely. You need to get inside, get out of the hot weather, get into some air conditioning and, you know, try to cool down.”
Linemen are no exception, as Dominion Energy Spokesperson Craig Carper said the company makes sure workers don’t tire themselves out too quickly in dangerous weather.
“Scheduling, timing, pacing, taking breaks and not overexerting yourself in heat like this, because it gets very hot,” Carper said about the precautions the company takes when temperatures are high. “If you’re doing something a bit strenuous, it’s going to wear you out faster than it normally does. And when it does, you need to take a break.”
Chesterfield County resident Shelita Gaskins said she prefers staying home with her son and working in her garden when temperatures are high.
“Having the greenery here creates a positive space,” said Gaskins. “Of course, it’s better when the shade is here, but I just really like to connect with nature and, you know, learn how to be self-sufficient and plant my own food.”