Day of Records, Night of Relief
Heat Wave Ends With High of 101; Today Might Dip to Low 90s

By Megan Greenwell
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, August 4, 2006

Record high temperatures began to subside last night, ending three days of a brutal heat wave that took a toll on humans and machines across the region.

A high of 101 degrees was noted at Reagan National Airport at 2:10 p.m. yesterday, one degree above the record, which was set in 1930. Until a cold front headed into the area last night, the electrical grid was so strained that the agency overseeing power distribution through the mid-Atlantic was considering a mandatory "voltage reduction" to enforce conservation.

But the cold front -- the "cold" was relative, unfortunately, with temperatures hovering around 90 at 10 p.m. -- didn't come without costs. At times last night, about 35,000 homes across the region were without electricity, in part because of scattered thunderstorms with gusts up to 35 mph. In Virginia, areas around Herndon and Alexandria suffered the most outages, and nearly 20,000 residents in the District and Maryland suburbs lost power.

This year's heat wave will be remembered for its inescapable effect on daily life, particularly for senior citizens and other vulnerable people. Thousands of folks went to cooling centers throughout the region. The Baltimore area recorded three heat-related deaths. Redskins Coach Joe Gibbs pushed practice from 4 to 7 p.m. Wednesday and yesterday, until the temperatures had fallen.

The oppressive temperatures created problems for commuters as well. Heat restrictions slowed trains on MARC and Metro lines, and AAA Mid-Atlantic logged more than 7,400 vehicle rescues Wednesday, nearly 40 percent more than its usual summer day load.

But the cold front, coming from the west, should lower today's high to the low 90s, said James Brotherton, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. Humidity levels should also decrease. Temperatures are expected to drop into the upper 80s by the weekend and stay at those levels through next week, he said.

Reflecting heavy air conditioner use, Dominion Virginia Power, Pepco and Baltimore Gas and Electric Co. reported record-breaking electrical use. Pepco spokesman Bob Dobkin said that the high voltage transmission grid has been functioning but that the prolonged heat wave could cause problems. He likened the situation to driving a car at 100 mph for 48 hours.

"The car can do that," he said, "but how long before something breaks down."

Utility officials scrambled to ensure the electrical grid would not break down. A warning of a potential voltage reduction was issued yesterday afternoon by PJM Interconnection, the electric grid operator for 13 mid-Atlantic states and the District. Company spokesman Ray E. Dotter said several power plants in the region suffered boiler leaks, and others had to curtail output for other reasons.

The cutback resulted in a reduction in the reserve cushion of power that PJM likes to maintain. The warning was lifted at 6:50 p.m.

The region was lucky in other ways, too. A Code Red day was averted again as ozone levels stayed out of the unhealthy range. The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments initially predicted elevated ozone levels, but they never rose above a Code Yellow, a moderate rating.

Joan Rohlfs, chief of air quality planning for the council of governments, said only a small number of pollutants was moving in from the west. Rohlfs said evidence indicates that the region's residents are taking precautions needed to maintain healthy air.

"We hope it shows that we're making progress," she said. "We've had perfect conditions for high-ozone episodes, so perhaps some of our measures are taking effect."

Another pleasant surprise as the heat wave crested: Area hospitals have not been inundated with heat-related medical problems this week. Officials at numerous facilities said that emergency department visits had not spiked and that admissions were few.

"They've seen less than they expected," said Josh Sekine, a spokesman for Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington. He ticked off less than half a dozen cases, all of them treated and released.

Providence Hospital in Northeast Washington has been one of the exceptions, with a 10 percent rise in emergency patients and admissions. Providence serves an older, more vulnerable population with a marked degree of chronic health problems such as asthma, heart conditions and diabetes and with less access to assistance or air-conditioning.

"The lion's share of the increase . . . we're seeing are exacerbations of pre-existing conditions," spokesman Curtis McCormick said.

Cooling centers and emergency homeless shelters had more clients this week as people sought relief from the heat. The District's Emergency Management Agency reported that its cooling centers had served more than 5,000 people this week. Homeless shelters in Prince William and Montgomery counties also reported increases in the number of walk-ins.

Sharan London, executive director of the Montgomery County Coalition for the Homeless, said the group's shelter for men in Rockville had seen its population swell to about 74 residents as 14 newcomers found their way to the Gude Drive building.

"We are not usually open during the day, but we are this week," said London, adding that the group would find a way to absorb the cost of the new residents.

But at least one public facility in the District was unable to provide a cool place for residents to sleep. Despite pressure from Ward 8 council member Marion Barry to resolve the problem immediately, most residents of the Southeast Washington halfway house Hope Village remained without air conditioning last night, said Barry's chief of staff, E. Faye Williams.

Barry was not the only politician taking time out to respond to the heat. D.C. Council Chairman Linda W. Cropp (D), who is running for mayor, announced she would suspend her field campaign this weekend and have 20 to 30 staffers distribute fliers listing locations of city-operated cooling centers. Cropp, whose power went off at her home for a few hours Wednesday night, said helping residents avoid heat-related problems was more important than campaigning.

Staff writers Karlyn Barker, Susan Levine, David Nakamura, Michael E. Ruane, Philip Rucker, Sandhya Somashekhar and Miranda S. Spivack contributed to this report.