Chicagoans endure record-setting hot spell as heat index hits 120
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The record-breaking heat on Thursday didn't stop Chicagoans from getting out and about, while looking to cool off any way they could.
Some even braved the dangerous temperatures Thursday night to catch some live music outside.
Chicago hit 100° for the first time since 2012, and the heat index hit a record 120°, the hottest in the city's recorded history.
Despite the sweltering heat, some people lined up at Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island an hour and a half before the concert started to be first in line.
Staff working the concert said, on Wednesday night, some people at a different concert needed medical attention due to the heat.
Doctors said even younger people without preexisting medical conditions are at risk outdoors with this intense heat.
Exceptions were being made for the heat at Huntington Bank Pavilion for Dominic Fike's show, where guests were allowed to bring in their own water.
"We're just trying to get as comfortable as possible," concertgoer Katy Koetz said. "Especially being in the pit, it's going to be hot with everyone around you."
"I prepped. I ate a lot of sandwiches, a lot of goldfish. I have my candy right now," Katelyn Lacunza said.
For those working the concert, safety is no joke. Ambulances were stationed outside the venue if needed.
"We have ambulance, medical on deck," said Huntingon Bank Pavilion staffer Kayla Coronado. "We're prepared for the heat, and we get people in to see their favorite artists. So that's what keeps me going."
The heat was also a concern for the Guns N' Roses concert at Wrigley Field.
"We're not used to it, so your body isn't used to it. It's an incredible stress," said Dr. Mark Cichon, chair of emergency medicine at Loyola Medicine.
Emergency room doctors at Loyola University Medical Center saw an uptick in patients with preexisting conditions suffering from the heat.
Cases of rhabdomyolysis caused by the heat were also treated—a potentially life-threatening condition that causes muscles to breakdown.
"This rapid acceleration into the heated environment for prolonged periods of time will just make any medical condition that much more of a challenge," Cichon said.
Fans were working overtime at the Salvation Army's cooling center in Englewood.
"Just a place to where they can just get themselves together to battle that heat outside," said Salvation Army Captain Nikki Hughes.
