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American Morning
Midwest Blisters Under Hot Temperatures
Aired July 24, 2001 - 11:07 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: First, though, the really nasty, hot temperatures that are in the works for the middle part of the country again today. It should cool down a bit in Chicago. A blistering heat wave there has killed nine people. Temperatures have been in the 90's, the heat index at 110 since the weekend. Residents without air conditioning can check into one of the city's 100 cooling centers.
As we said, it should cool down a bit. Chad Myers keeping an eye on that, but it sure has been uncomfortable in the Midwest, Chad, hasn't it?
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: It has. Yesterday, it was very uncomfortable; 110 for a heat index with Chicago, even along the lake front, is just incredible, and even for East St. Louis at 118, a record-breaking heat index there. Cincinnati, it felt like 102 and right now, even in Oklahoma City, it's already heating up, and the problem is not so much the heat, as we say, it's the humidity.
So, where does this humidity really come from? I mean, you think of it as just ground out there. It's not by the ocean, it's not by the Gulf of Mexico; it's just a bunch of dirt out here. Well, there's a lot of plants out there as well: Corn, wheat, soybeans, all these things growing, all evapotranspirating their moisture back up into the atmosphere, and we get that humidity from those plants.
Joining us now, meteorologist Tuttle, one of my old TV stations back in Oklahoma City, KOCO. Aaron, you're in the same set I've been in. I worked there 10 years ago. Looks a lot of the same things, maybe some new graphics. What's it like in Oklahoma City when the heat index is this high?
AARON TUTTLE, KOCO-TV METEOROLOGIST: Well, Chad, actually, I'm looking around, I think it's just about the same as you left it. We have updated those graphics, and, of course, we're keeping that hot weather around and you're right, it is unbearable this time of year here in the South.
But I will at least be honest with you. If you live here in Oklahoma or even into Texas or even in Kansas, you get kind of used to the heat for the most part. So, I know that when that heat does make it a little further to the East or the Northeast across your neck of the woods or even New York, I know it's unbearable for those folks, but that doesn't make it any easier here. We've seen a lot of dry conditions. As a matter of fact, the soil about 9 inches down is bone dry. As a matter of fact, the average temperature, if you were to stick a thermometer in the dirt, as you mentioned, it is actually running about 90 degrees. That does make it a hard time for the atmosphere to cool off during the night.
As you mentioned, you factor in the humidity during the daytime and you get those heat advisories that have been issued from the National Weather Service which, again, when you are outdoors in this neck of the woods, it's just not a good idea as people can really suffer here pretty quick.
MYERS: It was a week ago or two weeks ago that I remember a fatality in Edmond because of the heat. Any more reports of people getting sick like this?
TUTTLE: Actually, you are correct. I think it's totaled about five so far that have succumbed to the heat. We had another one pass away yesterday and of course, that's not good news. We also had some water restrictions, some rationing across town here in the Oklahoma City area. So, that will continue, and if we don't see rainfall soon, the crops really are already beginning to suffer.
Hay has already stopped growing, and if the rain doesn't start, it will not continue to grow. And then later on, cotton will suffer. Now, that's not a big commodity here across Oklahoma, but still, anything outdoors that grows this time of year is having a hard time doing so. As a matter of fact, there is no Bermuda grass. It's all kind of brown and crispy when you walk outside.
MYERS: Aaron Tuttle, from my old TV station KOCO, thank you very much. Take care of all those folks there, and try to keep them cool if you can. You can go to a movie or something in the middle of the day. That helps a little bit. At least the movie theater is air- conditioned.
TUTTLE: Thanks, Chad.
MYERS: Thanks, dude.
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