Zionsville residents have been flocking to local pools to try to beat the historic heat wave that passed through the area in June.
And Azionaqua’s pool has stayed busy, said Manager John Diercks.
“We’ve been pretty busy so far this year,” he said. “The crowds come a little bit later this year than they did last year. Usually we have a crowd from after lunch until 4 p.m. Now, we are seeing a bigger crowd after dinner.”
Zionsville resident Emily Sagor said she is at the pool nearly every day.
“I love coming here to cool off the kids,” she said. “It also gets them some exercise.”
Al Shipe, National Weather Service hydrologist, said the average temperature in June was above average but not extreme.
“What has been extreme was the heat wave that came at the end of the month due to the dryness,” he said Monday, July 2. “Next week, we expect the temperatures to dip around 90 or so.”
Shipe said that the temperatures could get extreme in a couple of weeks.
“We believe that the upper air pattern that caused that heat wave at the end of June will build back stronger,” he said. “Then, we may see temperatures that we haven’t seen since the 1930s with the Dust Bowl.”
Shipe said July could be similar to June in both temperature and lack of precipitation.
“The July forecast is again above normal temperatures,” he said. “Most of Indiana will still remain in the lower precipitation category. That is certainly not a good sign of things to come.”
Shipe said June was the driest month for Indianapolis in more than 100 years.
“The southern portion of Boone County got around half of an inch to an inch and some areas may have gotten up to two inches,” he said. “The normal for the month would be about four or five inches. It was certainly bad, but not as bad as some areas.”
Shipe said the area could see some rainfall in late August and into September.
Because of the excessive heat and lack of precipitation, Boone County communities have had to enact watering, burn and firework bans.
Boone County has instituted a 30 day ban on personal use of fireworks due to the drought conditions.
Citizens Water issued a lawn watering ban for the Zionsville area until further notice.
According to a press release, Citizens has experienced low water pressure in the Zionsville area due to the record water usage levels, caused primarily by lawn watering.
On Friday, June 29, Whitestown enacted an emergency burn and fireworks ban, which prohibits the use of campfires, fire pits, burning of any other open air fires and the use of fireworks.
The Whitestown Fire Department is also making door to door visits throughout the area to ensure residents have the resources to stay safe during this oppressive heat. Thanks to a donation from Lowe’s, firefighters will be distributing electric fans and water bottles to anyone in need. The department hopes that fan distributions will help prevent heat-related illnesses in those who may not otherwise be able to beat the heat.
Heat-related injuries and death are common throughout the nation during severe high heat days like we are experiencing this summer. Residents are reminded to drink plenty of water and to limit outdoor activities as much as possible. The signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion should be heeded immediately and precautions taken to avoid heat stroke, a dangerous and sometimes fatal condition. Watch for such common signs as dizziness, lightheadedness, profuse sweating followed by cold sweats, difficulty breathing and fainting. Anyone suffering from heat-related illnesses should call 911 immediately.
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