Cities across Nebraska struggle to deal with triple-digit heat

As the first real heat wave of the summer descended on Nebraska on Friday, communities across the state were looking for ways to keep people safe from the heat.

The National Weather Service issued an extreme heat warning for all of eastern Nebraska and much of central Nebraska starting at noon because of heat indexes that were expected to reach 110 degrees or higher.

In Lincoln, where the temperature hit 101 with a heat index of 107 by 2 p.m., officials were urging people to stay indoors and take precautions.

“We’re urging residents to take precautions to avoid heat-related illnesses and to closely monitor weather conditions as temperatures rise,” said Kerry Kernen, health director for the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department.

The city extended hours for its three cooling centers, keeping them open until 8 p.m. for people without air conditioning.

Among those most vulnerable to the heat are people without a permanent home, which is why Matt Talbot Kitchen announced it would extend its hours and stay open from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday and from 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday.

“Dangerously high temperatures are especially tough for our guests experiencing homelessness who may already struggle with other challenges such as addiction, mental illness, and food insecurity,” said Alynn Sampson, executive director of Matt Talbot Kitchen & Outreach. “We are here as a safe refuge, and we encourage anyone in need to come inside.”

Daniel Buller, executive director of Crossroads Mission Avenue in Grand Island, said he’s been seeing more people coming to the shelter during the extremely hot conditions.

“There’s kinda two times a year that we see an increase in the number of people who are seeking our services, usually when it's really hot and really cold, and that's when there are places that people are trying to live that become uninhabitable and really unsafe and life threatening for people,” he said.

Buller says although the shelter gets the most donations during the winter months, the greatest financial need tends to be in the summer months.

Other shelters said they, too, need more supplies to help the people in need of their services.

“The big things that we need right now are bottled water, sun lotion, aloe vera because some of our people that have been outside are already experiencing sunburn,” said Kelvin Nygren, community relations director for the People’s City Mission in Lincoln. “So those are the big items that we need right now.”

Open Door Mission in Omaha was seeking donations of bottled water to hand out to homeless residents, and it also was encouraging people to call the organization to report anyone who might need help.

"With the extreme hot temperatures, lives are in danger," said Candace Gregory, president and CEO of Open Door Mission. "During this weekend heat wave, we really want to encourage people experiencing homelessness to seek cool, safe shelter and people in our community can help by keeping an eye out for anyone they see who might be in distress."

Protecting CWS fans

The need to protect people also extends to those who choose to be outside, including fans at the College World Series.

Officials are advising the more than 20,000 fans expected to attend each game of the championship series this weekend between Louisiana State and Coastal Carolina to take precautions.

Douglas County Health Department Director Lindsay Huse said fans need to be particularly careful about alcohol consumption.

“We are realists and realize that people are probably going to be partaking, especially if they're out celebrating,” Huse said. “If that is the case, (they should be) alternating with fluids that will help to replenish and keep them well hydrated, but avoiding alcohol is, of course, the best measure to help prevent dehydration.”

She also said that people need to be on the lookout for signs of heat exhaustion or heatstroke, such as heavy sweating, dizziness, fatigue, muscle cramps and nausea or headache.

In an effort to help fans deal with the heat, the Metropolitan Entertainment & Convention Authority, the nonprofit that operates Charles Schwab Field, has adjusted its rules for what people are allowed to bring into the stadium.

We have water stations available throughout the concourse, and guests are encouraged to bring a clear, empty, reusable water bottle that's no bigger than 20 ounces to refill,” said Grace Safford, MECA’s director of communications.

She also said fans will be allowed to bring sunscreen, handheld fans and cooling towels into the ballpark.

MECA already works closely with first responders and doesn’t request any extra help on hotter days.

“We're prepared for it every year, because it's always a really hot time in Omaha during the College World Series,” Safford said.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, Omaha and the area around Charles Schwab Field is a “heat island,” meaning large swaths of asphalt contribute to warmer surface temperatures.

The baseball village is an area with tents and shops for fans to walk through just outside of the stadium. Nick Lemek, captain of the public education division at the Omaha Fire Department, said fans should look for shade or air conditioning around downtown Omaha.

“When you're out in the baseball village, walking around, take frequent breaks indoors,” Lemek said.

Patrons can expect a 15- to 20-degree difference between sunny areas and shaded ones, Lemek added.

The CWS isn’t the only event making concessions.

The annual Solstice Gravel Grinder biking event in Beatrice is taking place this weekend, and because of the extreme heat, organizers have made some modifications to the race.

Racers could sign up to ride either 37, 50 or 100 miles, and those who signed up for longer rides will be able to drop down a category if they want.

“We're trying to get everybody off the course by one o'clock, so we beat the major heat of the afternoon,” said event director Joe Billesbach.

Increased power demand

The heat also puts stress on the power grid, with hundreds of thousands of air conditioners all running nonstop across the state.

There were some scattered, sporadic power outages across the Lincoln and Omaha areas, Friday, although it’s not known if they had anything to do with the heat.

A spokeswoman for Omaha Public Power District said the utility was expecting very high power demand Friday and during the weekend that could approach the all-time peak record of 2,810 megawatts set in August 2023.

Lincoln Electric System offered tips for reducing power usage during the extreme heat. They include closing blinds and curtains, making sure your air-conditioning unit is clean and free of debris, using microwaves and air fryers to cook rather than a stove or oven, and setting ceiling fans to move in a counter-clockwise direction to push cool air down.