Camarillo, Calif., U.S.A. — Summer of 2012 is now nearly half-way over, and it looks to easily be among the hottest on record, both nationwide and in Southern California. While residents of Sally’s Residential Care Home, a widely praised assisted living facility located in Eastern Ventura County, live in air conditioned comfort and are monitored regularly while out of doors, the same can’t always be said for seniors who are on their own.

Sally and Kayhan Mojab, registered nurses and owner/operators of Sally’s Residential Care Home, are concerned that seniors living independently may tend to discount the threat posed by a heat wave. Seniors on their own often like to put up a brave face and may not fully realize themselves just how serious a toll extreme summer temperatures can take.

When temperatures and heat indexes become very high, independent seniors without access to air conditioning need to spend time cooling off in air conditioned surroundings. Senior centers, coffee shops, malls, and movie theaters may offer potentially lifesaving respite from the extreme daytime heat. State funded cooling centers located in various spots around Ventura County also allow seniors to cool off without having to spend money, as commercial venues often demand.

Of course, seniors with access to air conditioning should use it. Sally’s Residential Care Home suggests that those with concerns about high energy bills should contact utilities to see if they qualify for one of the low income energy programs available in Southern California.

As registered nurses as well as owners of the Camarillo assisted living facility, Sally and Kayhan Mojabalso know that regular contact with seniors is important to ensure that all is well. Family and friends of seniors are therefore advised to check in regularly during heat waves to make sure loved ones are comfortable and in good health. Heat-stroke and other conditions may tend to creep up even on healthy young people, so a brief conversation with an aging friend or family member can make a crucial difference.

Comprised of three licensed facilities located in close proximity to the Leisure Village senior living facility and Las Posas Estates in Camarillo, Sally’s Residential Care Home is among the finest facilities for seniors who are unable to live on their own. Assistance on a host of health issues is provided on a round-the-clock basis and the emotional and psychological needs of guests are given an extremely high priority at the facility. Founders and operators Sally and Kayhan Mojab are concerned members of their community and deeply involved with the concerns of local seniors.

For more information on the services provided by Sally’s Residential Care Home, please visit www.sallyscarehome.com

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When most people think of summer, they think of hot days that are enjoyable to spend outside. Bathing suits, swimming pools, the ocean, flip-flops, gardening, and cook-outs all come to mind, basically anything outside for people to take advantage of the warm weather. However, this summer, particularly the past few days, have been unbearable for much of the eastern United States as record breaking temperatures are causing power outages and even deaths.

“Hot and hotter will continue to be the story from the Plains to the Atlantic Coast the next few days,” the National Weather Service said Monday. “The widespread excessive heat warnings and heat advisories have certainly decreased in coverage, but temperatures will remain well above average across a large portion of the U.S.”

Over the past weekend, emergencies were announced in several states including Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Ohio, and Washington D.C. as a result of the “hurricane-forced wind storms.” The storms have left severe damage, resulting in power outages and dangerous living conditions for those without power living in the sweltering heat.

According to the website Reuters, “The storms’ rampage came as sweltering temperatures topped 100 Fahrenheit (38 Celsius) in several southern cities, including Atlanta, where the mercury hit an all-time record of 106 degrees (41 C) on Saturday and reached 105 on Sunday. Over two-dozen cities across 10 states set or tied all-time record high temperatures on Friday and Saturday, including Columbia, South Carolina; Knoxville, Tennessee; and Raleigh, North Carolina.”

Thus far, the storms have killed 22 people and have resulted in power outages in over three million homes, and as the heat index increases more deaths are anticipated.

David Glenn of the National Weather Center said that a man was killed when his shed collapsed on him in North Carolina. Additionally, six people in Virginia have died as a result of the storms, two were killed in Maryland, a falling tree killed two young cousins in New Jersey and two brothers, ages 3 and 5, were killed from heat stroke in Tennessee, according to reports.

Two-thirds of the state of Ohio lost power last Friday and to revive power, Ohio’s Governor John Kasich received federal emergency assistance.

Pepco CEO Jim Rigby told CNN, “”We’ve restored about 45% of the customers (which are considered households), but obviously, we’re not satisfied,” Rigby said. “We have a lot of work to do, and we won’t be satisfied until we have everyone back.”

According to CNN, Rigby also said that, “he understands the frustration some people may be experiencing. Crews from as far away as Canada’s New Brunswick have arrived to help, with more expected Monday. Our foot is on the pedal.”

As electrical companies are working hard to get the power restored for their customers, they are hoping to have regained power for 90% of households by Friday. Rigby, after making significant progress overnight, said he believes “we should be able to beat that.”

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Washington, U.S.A. — The American Red Cross had more than 55 shelters open with as many as 1,180 overnight residents Saturday, June 30 from California to the east coast as people sought relief from the soaring temperatures, wildfires in the west and this week’s massive flooding in Florida.

“The Red Cross is helping people who have no power during this dangerous heat wave while continuing to feed and shelter people impacted by the wildfires out west and flooding in Florida,” said Charley Shimanski, senior vice president, Red Cross Disaster Services. “We urge people to stay safe and follow the direction of local officials during these emergencies.”

Power outage

Millions are still without power after Friday’s strong storms and officials say it could be several days until electricity is restored in some areas. The Red Cross is operating shelters and supporting numerous cooling centers in West Virginia, Virginia, New Jersey, Maryland, Indiana, Kentuckyand Ohio, as well as in and around Washington, D.C. More than 900 people spent Saturday night in Red Cross and community shelters due to the power outages.

If someone needs to find a Red Cross shelter they can go to www.redcross.org or access the free Red Cross phone app. Both are refreshed with updated information every 30 minutes. People can also watch local media reports to find out where shelters are located.

Safety Tips

If a community is without power, people should check on those who are alone or more likely to be affected by the heat. They should also make sure animals have plenty of water and a shady place to rest. Many people are resorting to generator power. They should connect the equipment they want powered directly to the generator outlets, and never connect a generator to the home’s electrical system.

• While the power is out, people should keep their refrigerator and freezer closed as much as possible. If the refrigerator remains closed, it can keep food cold for about four hours. A full freezer can hold its temperature for about two days if the door remains closed.
• People should turn appliances and electrical equipment off and unplug them, leaving one light on to know when the power is restored.
• Those affected should travel only if necessary. Traffic lights are out and roads will be congested.

Wildfires

As wildfires continue to scorch several states out west, more than 200 people spent Saturday night in 12 Red Cross shelters in Colorado, Utah and Montana. Hundreds of Red Cross disaster workers are providing people with a safe place to stay, food to eat and emotional support. Red Cross workers are focused on providing emotional support and mental health services to families as they wait to learn about damage to their homes.

Florida Flooding

Almost 75 people in Florida are staying in Red Cross shelters as communities clean up after the massive flooding from Debby. Several hundred disaster workers and a fleet of emergency response vehicles are providing safe shelter, warm meals and distributing relief supplies like flashlights, work gloves, rakes, shovels and tarps.

Image Courtesy of  Cesar Rodriguez/American Red Cross 

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ABC’s hit show Castle is not only dominating the Monday night airwaves—it is also conquering bookshelves all over the nation with the third Nikki Heat novel, Heat Rises. For those who do not know, the Heat novels that Richard Castle (Nathan Fillion) based on the gorgeous Detective Kate Beckett (Stana Katic) are tie-ins to the show. The books are credited to the fictional Richard Castle, but in real life they are written by a mysterious member of the Castle crew who has yet to be revealed. Rises is an intriguing, danger-laced romp through the world of crooked cops, dangerous ex-military men, and corrupt political figures.

Heat Rises was originally released September 20th of last year but was recently released in paperback. It is preceded by Heat Wave and Naked Heat, and will be followed by Frozen Heat, which has been slated for later this year.

The story is centered on homicide Detective Nikki Heat and an investigative journalist named Jameson Rook. The novel focuses around a murder that entangles Heat, Rook, and her co-workers, Detectives Raley, Ochoa, Hinesburg, and Captain Montrose, with many unexpected twists and turns. There are many similarities to the show—a tongue-in-cheek joke for the characters on Castle as well as the loyal Castle fans—but since Rises is a novel, it can take certain liberties with its content. For instance, curse words and sex scenes are permitted as well as in-depth moments between the characters, such as conversations about their day-to-day lives or extended looks into their pasts. It also allows the mystery to unravel at a slower pace since the plot is not limited to 42-minutes like an episode. These elements work to the novel’s benefit as it creates a wealth of tense, action-packed moments as well as funny, heartwarming ones, whether it’s Heat chasing down criminals or kicking back in her apartment with Rook.

Heat Rises picks up with Nikki Heat investigating the supposed suicide of Father Graf, a priest, found dead in a New York bondage club. The bizarre marks on his skin and the strange place his body is found leads Heat deep into the underbelly of New York, where she speaks to all kinds of people, from other clergymen to people who frequent the bondage circuit, to solve the case. Heat is also up for the position of lieutenant in her precinct, which adds pressure from her superiors as well as her co-workers.

Meanwhile, Rook has been on assignment in another country taking down a drug lord, and leaving Nikki feeling a bit lonely, as they had been dating before he left. However, to her shock, she finds out he has been in New York for a couple of weeks when the paparazzi photographs him coming out of a swanky party with his ex-girlfriend. Furious, Nikki pushes aside her anger and continues pursuing the case without trying to contact him to find out why he didn’t call her when he returned to the states.

However, as Nikki examines the events leading up to Father Graf’s death, Captain Montrose steers her away from certain aspects of the case, which frustrates her. She attributes this change in his behavior to the recent death of his wife and the investigation Internal Affairs has put him through, but she learns that Captain Montrose may actually be a suspect in Father Graf’s murder. The case gets heated as she is forced to choose between following the orders of her commander, who had previously been her friend and mentor, and discovering the truth about Father Graf’s murder, whether it deals with her Captain or not.

Later, Rook finally shows up at Nikki’s place and explains himself. She reluctantly accepts his apology and the two reconcile. He no longer rides along with her as he did in the previous novels because she feels it is too dangerous, but he does stick around to help her piece together the odd elements of Father Graf’s death.

The writing style used in Heat Rises is astounding. It has all the best parts of a classic crime noir story, but it keeps everything modern with hilarious one-liners and plenty of fun pop culture references, including a shout out to Nathan Fillion for his role as Captain Malcolm Reynolds in Joss Whedon’s Firefly. There is also a shout out to Stana Katic for her role in the James Bond film Quantum of Solace.

The characters are all vividly depicted and easy to picture both as their fictional selves and as representatives of the Castle characters. Many of their traits are taken directly from the show, but they also have their own hang ups that make them different, which is the entire appeal of reading the Nikki Heat series.

The mystery itself is a pulse-pounding enigma for most of the novel, and there are several dramatic moments that rival the show. It is far from predictable, but some seasoned fans may know where the plot is leading because of their knowledge of the show.

The only thing that detracts from the quality of the novel is the length. It is easier to keep track of suspects on Castle because we are given both faces and names, but in the novel, it is harder for the names of suspects to stick in the mind.

Overall, Heat Rises raises the stakes and does not disappoint by the end. There is no better way to beat the heat this summer.

Grade: 5/5

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The heat wave that smothered much of the central portion of the United States in July might have moved eastward in August, but Texas continues to feel the burn through September. Cities across the state, such as Dallas, saw the weather stay hot, and even began seeing record-breaking streaks for triple digit temperatures.

Wichita Falls, a city in northern Texas along the Texas-Oklahoma border, saw their 100th day of triple digit temperatures on September 13. The city was also the first city in Texas to reach 100 days of 100-degree weather. The longest consecutive number of days with 100 degree or higher temperatures in Wichita Falls was 79 days in 1980.

Wichita Falls is another city that can be added to the list of cities in Texas that have seen such a streak. Dallas reached a 100-degree plus weather on the same day as Wichita Falls. Laredo, a city approximately 220 miles from the Gulf of Mexico, has already seen over 100 days of 100- degree plus temperatures. Laredo also saw similar streaks in 1989 and 1998.

The temperatures are not helping wildfires that are continuing to scorch the state. What little rainfall the state saw in August was not helpful, either. According to the National Climatic Data Center, the average amount of rainfall in Texas was 0.73 inches, which is far below average. Lack of rain has been contributing to the current drought in Texas, which is at D4 – Exceptional, the most severe level of drought on the US Drought Monitor.

When the amount of rainfall is small, less moisture in the soil is available to be evaporated into the air. Temperatures then rise faster because there is not enough moisture in the atmosphere to slow rising temperatures and keep the temperatures cool, writes Brett Israel in OurAmazingPlanet.com.

Forecasters at Weather.com predicted cooler temperatures and thunderstorms for Wichita Falls for the following days after the 100-degree temperature streak. Predictions hovered between the high-80s to high-90s for the city.

Temperatures immediately began falling on September 14, and stayed within the predicted range. There were also small amounts of rain, though still way below the average amount Wichita Falls usually sees by this time of the year.

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