Barely Surviving

Last week saw a heat wave unlike anything seen in March since 2012. Temperatures either hit or came dangerously close to hitting 100 degrees. And the nights!! Though the thermostat said temps were lower in the evening, it didn’t necessarily feel that way. At our house, Steve and I had the air conditioner on at night – something we rarely do – but in order to get any sleep we had to do something. 

And apparently we weren’t alone in our heat-related misery. According to weather.com, California and Arizona were among several states that set temperature records. Others included:

• • Nevada: 106 degrees on March 20 and 21
  • Colorado: 96 degrees on March 21
  • Nebraska: 99 degrees on March 21
  • Missouri: 97 degrees on March 21
  • Minnesota: 88 degrees on March 21

In cities across the country, March records were tied or set in Lubbock, Texas (98 degrees), Kansas City (93 degrees), Des Moines, Iowa (91 degrees), Nashville, Tennessee (89 degrees), Louisville, Kentucky (89 degrees), Indianapolis, Indiana (88 degrees), Columbus, Ohio (86 degrees), Pittsburgh (84 degrees) and Charleston, South Carolina (90 degrees).

All the while, I was keeping an eye on the rain that was pounding Hawai’i. Our son Danny and his family had traveled to Kona for a vacation and all we were hearing was how the islands were drenched in rains not seen for 20 years. I even saw a department store that had about three feet of standing water in it! 

The state’s governor, Gov. Josh Green, warned of potential public health risks from floodwaters, including possible sewage contamination that can carry bacteria such as enterococcus and staph. He said state and city teams are coordinating to ensure resources are available for direct services as needed.

Danny and his family made it safely back home and all of us had dinner on Sunday. He shared with us that staying in Kona wasn’t bad at all and, in fact, they had limited rain. Thankfully, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) lines weren’t excessive either at LAX or in Kona. 

According to CNN.com, security wait times vary widely from airport to airport because of callouts from TSA officers who haven’t been paid since mid-February. In Houston, travelers have been warned they could be waiting for more than four hours but in Atlanta, lines pale in comparison from one day to the next. Some travelers have turned to private jets to avoid the hours-long lines at airports. 

Of course, the photos of their vacation were beautiful. I’m glad they didn’t experience the rain like I saw – or the heat that we had here!