CHICAGO (Sun-Times Media Wire) -
The insufferable heat spell that engulfed the city with 100-plus-degree temperature days is over, taking with it the lives of ten people whose deaths are being tied to the extreme heat.
At first glance, Saturday morning appeared to follow the rhythm of the past three 100-plus-degree temperature days, quickly shooting up to 98 degrees near O'Hare and Midway airports. But that temperature steadily dropped to 81 degrees by early evening, according to National Weather Service officials, who earlier forecasted that the mercury wasn't going to rise to 100 degrees.
"While the worst appears to be over, I urge Chicagoans to continue to be vigilant and check on their neighbors, particularly the elderly and individuals with medical conditions," Gary Schenkel, director of the city's Office of Emergency Management and Communications, said at a Saturday evening news conference. "The effects of heat are cumulative," he noted, in stressing the need for continued vigilance in such conditions.
Schenkel praised the efforts of personnel from across city departments, from police and fire, to the Department of Family and Support Services, and 911 and 311 operators, as well as residents who checked on their neighbors and called the city for assistance for their fellow Chicagoans.
"As we know from past experience, the outcome could have been much worse," Schenkel said. "The most vulnerable members of our community would have been in much worse trouble without assistance."
Evelyn Diaz, Commissioner of the Department of Family and Support Services, also lauded the response by the city and residents alike.
"We asked Chicagoans to check on any frail or older neighbors, and they did," she said. "More than 70 public agencies and private businesses" helped the city extend its outreach efforts "far beyond" what would have been possible before. "our non-profit partners have placed more than 12,000 individual calls to some of our most vulnerable seniors to see if they needed assistance, and technology from the OEMC allowed us to place 7,000 verbal calls to seniors twice this week, cautioning them to keep cool and stay hydrated during the heatwave." She called it "a tremendous team effort" to alert residents of the dangers of the heat and help them to get through it.
Officials went over the stats from the heat wave, dating back to June 28:
-- 734 heat-related calls to 911, including 50 Saturday;
-- 605 heat-related emergency transports by the Chicago Fire Department, including 43 Saturday;
-- 328 requests for well-being checks to the city's 311 line, including 22 Saturday;
In addition, officials said Chicago Police conducted "thousands" of well-being checks on their own in the past week and a half, and said that agencies and non-profits working with the city's Department of Family and Support Services did 3,700 home visits.
Officials also confirmed Saturday that Friday's sweltering heat — which reached 103 degrees at O'Hare Airport — played a role in at least four more deaths across the city, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner's office.
Those who died from heat-related causes Friday included: Linda Figgures, 46, of the 6600 block of South Damen Avenue; Pamela Dairyco, 65, of the 4900 block of West Fullerton; Mark Logerquist, 53, of the 1500 block of North Pulaski Road, and an unidentified male in his 30s who was discovered in the 0-100 block of South Cicero.
Autopsies found Figgures died from heat stroke, with a secondary cause of obesity. Dairyco died of heart disease with chronic drug use and heat stress listed as secondary causes. Logerquist also died of heart disease, with heat stress listed as a secondary cause of death. The unidentified man had a core body temperature of 106 degrees when he was found on Friday, authorities said. He died of heat stroke. All four deaths were ruled accidents, the medical examiner's office said.
Earlier this week, six others in Cook County died from heat-related causes.
The deaths mark the end of the dangerous heat wave, which buckled city streets, left hundreds of thousands without power and caused frustrations for those unable to cool off.
The good news, the National Weather Serice says, is the extreme heat is over for now: "The relief is coming," meteorologist Jamie Enderlen said. Temperatures should remain in the 80s for the next few days.
"These past few days have underscored the importance of not taking extreme temperatures lightly," Dr. Suzette McKenney, of the city's Department of Public Health, said at the city's press conference Saturday. "Luckily, we are beginning to see some relief this weekend, but it is still important to take precautions during higher temperatures that can still affect the body."
Meanwhile Saturday morning as the temperature dropped, tourists and locals milling in the Loop tried to enjoy the cooler weather.
"It's much, much better today. It's nice," Rena Honorow, 49, of Chicago said. "There's actually a breeze for the first time in days."
Shaded areas were popular for people walking near Millennium Park. But some locals embraced the sun, plopping down right in direct sunshine. Matt Meyers and LeeAnn Reider rode their bikes into the park from the South Loop.
"I'm just sitting down and trying not to move too much," Meyers, 36, said while taking a break.
"I'm drinking a lot of liquids. . .I don't like 100-degree heat. I like summer and being outside but 100 degrees for three or four days is a little too much for me."
