Eastern Half Of U.S. Still Sizzling
Scattered Outages As Many Regions Break Record For Power Demand
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Play CBS Video Video Scorching Heat Broils The U.S. Across the country, oppressive heat caused local governments to take broad-range measures to keep people cool and prevent power failures. Bob Orr reports on this extraordinary situation.
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Video Heat Wave 911 The heat wave is putting an enormous burden on police, fire and emergency crews across the country. Trish Regan reports on what one crew was up against.
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Video Coping With The Heat A heat wave that began in the West built to a boiling crescendo as it moved East. Blackouts, record-high temperatures and a heat emergency had some on edge. Dave Price reports on how folks are coping.
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A Baptist Church in Dortches, N.C., seizes the chance for a message and a little humor in the midst of the current heat wave. (AP)
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Teens seeking relief from hot temperatures take turns sliding into Dublin Lake at sunset in Dublin, N.H., Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2006. (AP Photo/Michael Moore)
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A man cools down in the spray of a fountain on the beach at New York's Coney Island on Aug. 2, 2006. (AP)
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A mercury thermometer in Des Plaines, Ill., hit 105 degrees on Aug. 1, 2006. (Getty Images/Tim Boyle)
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Brian Hall, 11, found a bit of refuge from another day of mid-90's temperatures while relaxing under a fountain at the Roosevelt Park pool in Gary, Ind. (AP Photo/Andy Lavalley)
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Photo Essay Extreme Heat Dangerously high heat and humidity grip a large part of the U.S.
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Photo Essay Western Warm Spell Triple-digit temps blamed for dozens of deaths and prompt scattered power outages.
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Photo Essay Cool At The Zoo Animals get some help in dealing with summer heat.
In Queens, N.Y., many residents found themselves in the dark again after recovering from a 10-day outage in late July. That included Ali, the grocer, who said he had to throw out $17,000 worth of produce last time.
Some Massachusetts residents were thrown into the dark Wednesday night because of thunderstorms, while in Stamford, Connecticut, Connecticut Light & Power cut electricity to some downtown businesses after two circuits failed.
In New York City, teams patrolled the streets, looking for homeless people and encouraging them to head to air-conditioned drop-in centers, carrying water and checking for dehydration. Officials in Washington, D.C. also were going door-to-door to get people to go to cooling centers, said Mark Brown, deputy director of the city's Emergency Management Agency.
As a precaution, the Dixie Chicks postponed an outdoor concert at Jones Beach Ampitheater on Long Island. In Fitchburg, Massachusetts, about 40 people attending a Warped Tour outdoor concert were taken to a hospital and treated for dehydration.
In Boston, animals at the Franklin Park Zoo were kept cool with sprinklers and frozen treats. The African wild dogs and lions got frozen blood; the primates received frozen fruit juice.
"It's a matter of taste, I guess," zoo president John Linehan said.
The broiling heat also took its toll on the sports world. The New England Patriots canceled "Patriots Experience," an American football-themed entertainment area for children that was supposed to run at the team's training camp Wednesday. Washington Redskins coach Joe Gibbs cut his players a break by pushing back their practice session to 7 p.m.
The heat wasn't terrible for everyone, however.
Bicycle messenger Gravett Dhuja tried to look at the bright side as he rested near a Capitol Hill office building: "It's been hot, but rain is a lot worse for us."
Costas Katemis, a fruit vendor outside Boston's South Station, was drenched in sweat as he handled brisk sales of peaches, plums and nectarines. But he didn't mind.
"I've been here when it's been 10 below zero, and the fruit actually freezes, so this weather is no problem," he said.
©MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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