EASTON, MD - With temperatures soaring, the Talbot County Free Library is offering a much-needed respite for those seeking relief from the heat. The library has become a popular cooling center, drawing a steady flow of visitors enjoying the free air conditioning.
Many people outside are seen with cold drinks in hand, especially road crews working in the hot conditions.
“We’ve got a cooler in the back of one of the trucks, filled with water and Gatorade. We’ve almost gone through the whole cooler already this morning,” said Mike Steenken, Assistant Superintendent of the Talbot County Roads Department.
In extreme weather, Steenken and his team use their trucks as mobile cooling centers. “We’re working out here surrounded by cornfields. If we need a cooling center, our only option is to get in the truck and cool off with the air conditioning,” he explained.
For other residents, dressing appropriately is key to coping with the heat.
“My wife told me to come straight home because it was going to be too hot to hang around. But I had several things I wanted to do, so I wore my short pants and short sleeve shirt, left my tail out, and put my straw hat on,” said Easton resident Sam Webster.
Dana Newman, Director of the Talbot County Free Library, noted an increase in visitors seeking to escape the high temperatures. “Usually, it’s when the heat is excessive, over 90 or 92 degrees. Right now, the heat index is 111 degrees, so we are seeing a lot of people coming in because of that,” she said.
“Anybody who’s outside for longer than two or three minutes is sweating,” added Newman.
Residents across Delmarva are finding ways to either work through or escape the heat. The Talbot County Free Library branches in Easton and St. Michaels are open as cooling centers until Wednesday, staying open until 8 p.m. on Monday and 6 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday.
