SAINT LOUIS, MO (KMOX) - Three days into the heat wave, St. Louis Fire Chief Dennis Jenkerson says they're starting to get more ambulance calls for people suffering in the heat. "Our heat cases are starting to ramp up, but so are our psychiatric cases. I attribute a lot of the psychiatric cases to the heat as well."
Jenkerson is warning about the compounding effect on the human body of a string of days in the 100's. He says the ongoing heat is also making it harder for people in older brick homes to cool down, as the bricks hold the heat even at night. He advises anyone who can't get cool at home to get to a cooling center or a library.
Construction worker Matt Click doing street work Downtown says it's so hot, he doesn't even like to turn on the A.C. when he gets in his truck, because it might spoil him. "I don't turn it on very often so I don't get acclimated to it." But he does turn it on in the house, "I could hang meat in my house."
The 48-year old Click tells KMOX he drinks lots of water all day long, and it hasn't gotten to the point where he's dizzy or can't work.
The Excessive Heat Warning for the St. Louis region continues through this afternoon. The forecast from AccuWeather:
• Today-Clouds and sun. Hot. High 99.
• Tonight-Cloudy. A severe thunderstorm. Flash flooding possible. Low 76.
• Friday-Morning thunderstorm. Afternoon sun and clouds. High 92.