People sought refuge from this weekend's extreme heat in different ways, including in the fountains ... [+]
The worst of the recent blistering heat wave that has spread across much of the U.S. appears to be behind us, but nonprofits from coast to coast remain vigilant as the summer warmth continues.
The YMCA took to Twitter to share information from the Center for Disease Control about common heat-related illnesses, urging readers to "keep hydrated and stay safe."
And just last week, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies rolled out a comprehensive 96-page report aimed at helping city officials plan for increasingly dangerous heat waves.
“Heat waves are silent killers,” IFRC President Francesco Rocca said at a news conference last week. “They take the lives of people who are already vulnerable.”
The CDC warns that each year, more than 600 Americans are killed by extreme heat. This weekend's temperatures presented challenges for a number of high-risk groups, including the elderly, outdoor workers and individuals with chronic medical conditions.
Around the country, The Salvation Army kept cooling stations open throughout the weekend.
"We have to have (air conditioning) available to people who do not have access to it, whether it's because of lack of funds, or because they just don't have any place to go," Brenda Ooley, of The Salvation Army in Floyd County, Ind., told WKLY-TV. The Army had a trio of cooling stations opened in southern Indiana this weekend.
In North Texas, The Salvation Army last week opened up 13 cooling centers indefinitely, providing air conditioning and ice-cold water to anyone in need.
Heat warnings are a regular occurrence in Maricopa County, Ariz., where according to the Dept. of Public Health, more than 1,500 heat-related deaths have occurred since 2001. The slate of cooling centers provided by The Salvation Army in the Phoenix area stretches from Peoria all the way east to Apache Junction.
Some nonprofits offered additional supplies to help community members in need. In Wichita, where three cooling centers were opened, The Salvation Army also advertised box fans available for pickup.
With temperatures at or near record numbers across much of the country, public officials recognized the value of the services provided at cooling stations in their local communities.
"Listen, it's hot," congressman Mike Gallagher told WTAQ Green Bay. "So the fact that they are providing this service for people that find it hard to escape from the heat is huge."
Cooler temperatures are anticipated across most of the country on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.
