Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, August 16, 1995 TAG: 9508160090
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By SHANNON D. HARRINGTON STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
"It's hot as a furnace," said an Adams Construction Co. worker as he drove away in an asphalt truck.
The workers laid the asphalt on a stretch of U.S. 220 just south of Franklin Road in Southwest Roanoke.
Out there, "you can feel the heat from the material as well as the sun," said Sonny Vest, construction supervisor.
Some of the workers walked beside an asphalt-laying machine while chugging sports drinks.
The third consecutive day of sweat-wrenching heat in the Roanoke Valley brought slightly lower temperatures than Monday's, with a high of 97. The heat index, which measures the combined effects of temperature and humidity, reached 105.
But relief may be on the way, said Jeff Stewart of the National Weather Service in Blacksburg.
As early as Thursday, remnants of Hurricane Felix could affect Western Virginia, bringing rain and, ultimately, cooler temperatures.
Based on the hurricane's track Tuesday, Stewart said showers may hit the Roanoke Valley by Thursday morning or afternoon.
Heavier rains can be expected Thursday night and into Friday, he said.
Today, temperatures will drop - well, to the low- to mid-90s - with a 50 percent chance of rain.
Outdoor temperatures Tuesday were not nearly as hot as some indoors.
At the Yokohama Tire Corp. in Salem, temperatures inside the plant approached 140 in some areas, said Wayne Friend, United Steel Workers of America local president, which also represents the rubber workers.
The company has taken extra precautions, said John Holiday, manager of human resources for Yokohama.
Workers were urged to drink plenty of liquids. The company also offered them free refreshments, Holiday said.
"We just know it's hot as a dickens out there and want to show our appreciation," he said.
But Friend said he was concerned about the employees' welfare.
"A Popsicle every 15 minutes don't help when it's 130 degrees," he said.
Friend said a Yokohama employee who brought a thermometer to work Monday reported that temperatures on the tire-room floor reached 108 degrees.
Air from ducts circulating into the building from the roof was 110 degrees, Friend said.
Tuesday's heat affected more than those working in it.
The American Red Cross in Roanoke alerted blood donors that its stockpile of Type O blood was dangerously low - less than a day's supply.
The crisis probably is a combined result of the heat and the usual summer drop in donations, said Robert Lutjen, donor resources director.
"Many people opted to stay indoors," he said, adding that individuals don't realize the impact they make collectively.
Some service groups saw their donations increase, however.
The League of Older Americans Area Agency on Aging distributed 20 electric fans Tuesday.
The agency gives fans and air conditioners to elderly people who need them.
All 20 fans went out, but about 20 more people were placed on a waiting list at the day's end, said LOA spokesman Kevin McCullough.
McCullough said the number on the waiting list actually is lower than in most summers.
"The community has responded so well," he said.
Though not a life-or-death matter, but well appreciated, Windshields America on Virginia 419 reattached rear-view mirrors to windshields for free.
When temperatures rise above 90, the glue that holds rear-view mirrors to windshields sometimes melts, said Sharon Hartley, office manager.
Usually, the business will reattach six or more per day in such temperatures, she said.
by CNB