To plan ahead and know what future weather patterns may bring, the DC Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency is the key team working with the National Weather Service.
The D.C. Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency is the central team working with the National Weather Service as the city tries to plan ahead and learn what future weather patterns may bring.
At the beginning of last week, the municipal agency analyzed the temperatures that could reach last Thursday and Friday. And then, late last week, the NWS began sending out notifications about the extreme heat projected to hit the D.C. region this week.
As the forecast called for (and has now become) a prolonged heat emergency, Clint Osborn, the agency’s acting director, consulted with other city entities to determine what the public’s needs would be.
The calendar presented an obstacle. D.C. pools were not scheduled to begin operating on a weekday schedule until later this month, and recreation centers were closed Wednesday for the day, June 16.
That left agencies looking for possible contingencies in hopes of coming up with a plan that Mayor Muriel Bowser would ultimately have to approve.
Now, some select pools, including one in each district, and certain recreation centers are scheduled to be open Wednesday, despite the holiday and other city plans.
More weather and holiday news:
Flexibility, Osborn said, is essential to ensuring DC offers what residents need.
“We meet the needs of the community. We work with the agencies to identify the path forward and then take it to the mayor to make a decision,” Osborn said. “As we do that throughout the week, things tend to change as we work through the week and look for solutions.”
The final decision was essential, Osborn said, because other city services normally offered at neighborhood centers, such as libraries, will not be offered Wednesday because of the holiday.
“Because some of our other cooling centers, such as libraries, will be closed for the holiday, (the Department of Parks and Recreation) opened several pools and recreation centers, to make sure everyone in the District has a place to rest. go if they can’t cool off at home,” Osborn said.
Now, the agency is using the first major heat wave of the summer to ensure residents have some way to find out that an extreme weather pattern is coming. For some, that means signing up for alerts from the city, Osborn said.
HSEMA is also working with other groups to ensure that homeless residents also have a way to know and prepare for any weather ahead.
“Our residents experiencing homelessness don’t necessarily have the after-hours relief that some of us have,” Osborn said. “So (these agencies) have increased their patrols, services and support throughout the community over the next few days as we get through this heat wave.”
Residents should familiarize themselves with the signs and symptoms of heat injuries, stay hydrated, and rest as needed.
“Visit your neighbors, especially seniors and young children, and make sure they have what they need,” Osborn said. “They are some of the most vulnerable to heat-related problems and injuries.”
It’s also essential for drivers to check their cars to make sure they don’t leave a child or pet behind, he added.
For more information about the city’s pools and recreation centers open Wednesday, visit the Parks and Recreation Department’s website.
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