The county is activating its heat plan for the second day in a row this week.

With a Heat Advisory in effect from noon to 7 p.m. today (Wednesday), the heat plan intended to offer cooling centers during normal operating hours. The centers will also provide supplies like bottled water, sunscreen, insect repellent, and body wipes.

Heat index values of up to 107 degrees are expected.

Three emergency shelters for single adults will activate day and night overflow shelter capacity.

Here’s more from the National Weather Service:

Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Young children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles under any circumstances.

Take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside. When possible reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or evening. Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Wear lightweight and loose fitting clothing when possible. To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent rest breaks in shaded or air conditioned environments. Anyone overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location. Heat stroke is an emergency! Call 911.

It’s another stifling day in Fairfax County with no immediate relief in sight.

As of 11 a.m., temperatures at Fort Belvoir had reached 90 degrees, but thanks to 65% humidity, it likely feels closer to 103 degrees outside, according to the National Weather Service.

An Excessive Heat Warning will remain in place until 8 p.m. today — only for another alert to take effect from noon to 8 p.m. tomorrow (Saturday). The NWS warns that “dangerously hot conditions” can be expected on both days, with the heat index potentially climbing up to 111 degrees.

To help community members, particularly those who are unhoused, Fairfax County has activated its Heat Plan for both today and tomorrow, establishing public facilities like libraries and recreation and community centers as designated cooling centers.

“When Fairfax County’s heat plan is activated, cooling centers around the county will be available during normal operating hours for individuals needing relief from the heat,” the county said. “These cooling centers will also have supplies available including bottled water, sunscreen, insect repellant, and body wipes.”

.@NWS_BaltWash has issued an Excessive Heat Warning for today, July 28, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. You can expect dangerously hot conditions with heat index values around 110 degrees.

In response, we've activated our heat plan, which includes cooling centers and supplies. pic.twitter.com/BtVB7qOC7i

— Fairfax County Government 🇺🇸 (@fairfaxcounty) July 28, 2023

The county is also distributing supplies through partners who work with unsheltered residents and at homeless shelters, drop-in centers and meal distribution sites.

In addition, overflow capacity is being allowed at the county’s three emergency shelters for adults: the Katherine Hanley Family Shelter in Fairfax (12970 Katherine Hanley Court), the Embry Rucker Community Shelter in Reston (11975 Bowman Towne Drive) and the Patrick Henry Family Shelter in Seven Corners (3080 Patrick Henry Drive).

Here’s more from the county on how to handle the high temperatures that have lingered since Thursday: Read More

(Updated at 2:05 p.m.) A Heat Advisory will take effect tomorrow (Thursday) for the D.C. area, including Fairfax County, with temperatures expected to near 100 degrees.

Released by the National Weather Service this morning, the alert is slated to be in place from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. tomorrow.

While currently forecasting a high temperature of 97 for Fairfax County, the NWS warns that the day could feel more like 105 degrees based on the heat index, which factors in humidity. An Excessive Heat Watch has also been issued, predicting “dangerously hot conditions with heat index values up to 110 possible.”

A Heat Advisory has been issued for Thursday. Maximum heat indices in the advisory area are expected to be 105-109 degrees. Outside of the advisory, it will still be hot. Heat and humidity will increase the potential for heat related illnesses, particularly for those outdoors. pic.twitter.com/kgggr7V88z

— NWS Baltimore-Washington (@NWS_BaltWash) July 26, 2023

“Heat and humidity will increase the potential for heat related illnesses, particularly for those working or
participating in outdoor activities,” the alert said.

The NWS is urging community members to take some precautions if they have to spend time outside:

Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Young children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles under any circumstances.

Take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside. When possible reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or evening. Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Wear lightweight and loose fitting clothing when possible. To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent rest breaks in shaded or air conditioned environments. Anyone overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location. Heat stroke is an emergency! Call 9 1 1.

The Fairfax County government shared a reminder of the symptoms of heat exhaustion or stroke, which can include fainting, dizziness, muscle cramps, headaches, nausea and either excessive or no sweating.

“During hot and humid weather, your body’s ability to cool itself is challenged in ways you may not expect,” the county said.

During hot and humid weather, your body’s ability to cool itself is challenged in ways you may not expect.

Stay #WeatherReady by learning the symptom of heat-related illnesses: https://t.co/DiDPYHsJm1 pic.twitter.com/72uTMvAT2t

— Fairfax County Government 🇺🇸 (@fairfaxcounty) July 26, 2023

If the advisory unfolds as scheduled, the county will activate its extreme heat response, opening up a number of public facilities as cooling centers and providing supplies like water and sunscreen at those locations and homeless shelters.

The county has also recently bolstered its response to extreme heat events by improving its process for alerting unsheltered residents and offering free Fairfax Connector bus passes to cooling centers.

In addition to heat, tomorrow’s forecast holds a 30-40% chance of thunderstorms after 2 p.m.

As homelessness increases in Fairfax County, affected residents can use revamped county resources to cope with extreme summer heat.

The county will activate its extreme heat response when the National Weather Service issues a heat advisory, excessive heat watch or excessive heat warning.

As part of the response, 47 county facilities are now designated as cooling centers and will provide supplies, such as water, sunscreen, insect repellant, body wipes, and bus passes, according to a presentation to the Board of Supervisors’ health and human services committee last week.

“Like in previous years, all county facilities that are open to the public can be used by residents to come in for cooling,” Jill Clark, health and human services policy and planning manager with Fairfax County Neighborhood and Community Services, said in the presentation.

The cooling center facilities include all libraries and community centers. In those locations, staff will be prepared to welcome residents in need, and there will be supplies and seating in designated spaces.

Supplies will also be available at shelters and drop-in centers and from outreach workers. Most of the supplies are single-use and/or lightweight and portable. The decision to supply single-use items, among other parts of the plan, came from feedback from a September 2022 survey of 81 unsheltered residents.

“In the responses, you could hear the challenges they experienced both in terms of discomfort and real negative health effects from the extreme heat, including nausea, shortness of breath, exhaustion, asthma attacks, inability to eat as well as sunburns and rashes,” said Tom Barnett, deputy director of housing and community development in the Office to Prevent and End Homelessness.

The county will also aim to better notify unsheltered residents about heat advisories by using a new dedicated channel of Fairfax Alerts.

“We learned through the unsheltered residents survey that most respondents actually have a phone with internet access, and actually prefer getting information about resources and heat alerts via text messages and emails,” Barnett said.

To help residents get to cooling centers, drop-in centers or weather-related overflow sites, the county will offer free Fairfax Connector bus passes in the form of 3,000 postcards that cover two rides each. In addition, the county will provide pre-loaded Transportation Options, Programs & Services (TOPS) cards to assist unsheltered residents who cannot access Fairfax Connector buses.

These changes came out of recommendations from a workgroup that formed in August 2022 in response to concerns raised by the Fairfax County NAACP. The board received the workgroup’s recommendations in a March memorandum.

“The work group and its four committees included a robust membership across many different county departments as well as key partners and representatives from the homeless service providers, the faith community and advocates,” Barnett said.

In an effort to reduce heat islands in vulnerable communities, the Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental Services has applied for millions of dollars in grant funding to establish a street tree planting program.

The county will use its Vulnerability Index to identify communities in need of the program, according to county staff.

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved the department’s request on Tuesday (June 6) to apply for a $11.5 million Inflation Reduction Act Urban and Community Forestry (UCF) grant from the U.S. Forest Service.

“The grant period is five years from the award date which is anticipated to be October 2023,” the board meeting package said.

Department of Public Works and Environmental Services spokesperson (DPWES) Sharon North told FFXnow the department is proposing to plant 1,000 trees over a five-year period. Although the county is looking at vulnerable communities, she said “no decision on the grant recipients will be made until October.”

The Forest Service announced the funding opportunity back in April. The UCF program received $1.5 billion under the Inflation Reduction Act to support urban tree planting and forest planning and management in at-risk communities.

“The Resilient Fairfax Plan notes that 91 percent of vulnerable households are in areas identified as having a significantly high urban heat island effect and that vulnerable populations are more likely to be impacted by extreme heat,” the package said.

Factors considered by the county’s vulnerability index include household income, education, English proficiency, health insurance and the percentage of the population that owns a home or vehicle.

If the county is awarded the funds, the program will also promote tree planting through partnerships with the Virginia Department of Transportation, the Fairfax County Park Authority, Fairfax County Public Schools, and nonprofit organizations.

The county also identifies specific activities that will receive the funding:

1. identifying areas in the county that are heat vulnerable low tree canopy and/or areas where green infrastructure would provide additional community and resilience benefits
2. planting and maintaining up to 5,000 native and/or climate-resilient street trees over five years in neighborhoods and within the right-of-way and on public property
3. educating and engaging the public on the benefits of green spaces and trees
4. expansion of a green workforce to maintain existing and new street trees.

The county launched a pilot program in 2021 that provides free trees to residents of areas with minimal tree canopy coverage. The program initially focused on the Richmond Highway corridor but was expected to shift to Bailey’s Crossroads this year.

Fairfax County and the rest of the D.C. area should be on alert for potential outdoor fire hazards today (Wednesday), the National Weather Service says.

A combination of wind gusts and dry weather has created an “elevated threat” of wildfires throughout the region until the early evening, according to a special weather statement issued just after 9 a.m.

From the alert, which will be in effect until 8 p.m.:

…ELEVATED THREAT FOR THE SPREAD OF WILDFIRES THROUGH THE EARLY EVENING…

West to northwest winds of 10 to 15 mph are expected with gusts around 20 to 25 mph through this afternoon and relative humidity values will fall to between 20 and 30 percent. Given recent dry weather, fuels are very dry. Therefore, an elevated fire danger will continue until about 8 PM before the winds gradually weaken and humidity rises.

Outdoor burning is strongly discouraged during this time. Please refer to your local burn permitting authority on whether you can burn. If you do burn, use extreme caution and ensure fire suppression is readily available.

Some areas of Northern Virginia further to the west are under a Red Flag Warning.

The fire risk comes as temperatures are expected to reach the low 80s, which is well above average for April, according to the weather service.

That warmer-than-average trend is projected to continue into tomorrow (Thursday) and Friday (April 14), the Capital Weather Gang forecasts, stating that the next couple of days could feel like early summer.

Clouds will be on the decrease this morning, with sunny skies expected during the afternoon hours. Temperatures will be well above normal for April. pic.twitter.com/mOQblDA2p1

— NWS Baltimore-Washington (@NWS_BaltWash) April 12, 2023

With the D.C. area’s summer heat in full swing, local organizers worry that there are too few options for unhoused residents in the county to cool down.

Last month, the Fairfax County NAACP approved a resolution calling on Fairfax County to improve heat relief services for low-income residents and those experiencing homelessness in the county.

“Summer temperatures and storm frequencies are increasing due to climate change, thus homeless people are at greater risk of health impacts and even death,” says the resolution approved by the civil rights organization’s executive committee on July 28.

Potential solutions proposed by the resolution include a pilot program like D.C.’s heat emergency plan, better communication of hours and locations for the county’s cooling centers, vouchers to families for motel rooms, and distributions of water bottles, personal fans, and sunscreen at government centers.

The Fairfax NAACP general membership unanimously approved a resolution to work with the county to enhance heat relief services to homeless residents in August. At NAACP's request, an assessment of current heat emergency plans will be conducted. Full text: https://t.co/NhVrgAvslF pic.twitter.com/eBekzJr1uu

— Fairfax County NAACP (@FairfaxNAACP) July 29, 2022

In response to the resolution, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Health and Human Services Committee directed the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to provide the county’s current heat emergency plan.

In a memo dated July 29, DHHS listed a number of options available for cooling down. It also agreed to “enhance our efforts” and enact more “immediate action” for the county’s unhoused residents in need of relief from the August heat and humidity:

This work includes addressing transportation access gaps, evaluating both the variety and coordination of supply disbursements (both direct provision and at our cooling sites), considering the use of hotel vouchers in the event overflow shelters are at capacity, and providing a more robust communications plan as well as additional opportunities to provide direct communication outreach to individuals in need.

Additionally, NAACP officials tell FFXnow that a committee will meet tomorrow (Aug. 12) to discuss more solutions and ways to better help those in need.

Mary Paden, who chairs the NAACP’s Fair and Affordable Housing Committee, says she’s encouraged by the county’s willingness to listen and work with the group. But action needs to happen now, considering there are likely plenty of very hot days still left in the summer.

“Many [unhoused residents] are older and sick and are more affected by the heat than a younger, healthier person,” Paden said. “It took deaths for the hypothermia program to get set up in the winter…and you wonder if we have to wait for a death to get really serious about taking care of people in the heat.” Read More

It’s August, and we have fully arrived at the hell’s front porch portion of the D.C. area’s seasonal cycle.

Over the past week or so, thermometers have been clocking in the upper 80s and 90s, but with the humidity adding an extra 10 degrees to every day, the summer heat offers an almost tangible reminder that, despite all the concrete, asphalt and landscaped lawns, Fairfax County is still a wetland at heart.

Like other kinds of extreme weather, heat can be dangerous, contributing to hundreds of deaths per year in the U.S., and climate change will likely push that toll higher.

Absolutely gross humidity right now. Reagan National reporting dew point of 78…awful. It's just 87 but that makes it feel like 100. pic.twitter.com/CiTBd4DWer

— Capital Weather Gang (@capitalweather) August 8, 2022

To take your mind off the prospect of hot, muggy days becoming even more of a norm in the future, what’s your go-to method of handling this summer weather? Do you try to escape with a vacation, or are you more apt to seek relief at the nearest swimming pool or ice cream shop?

If you have other tips and secrets for cooling off, feel free to share them below.

Photo via john labelette/Unsplash

August has definitely arrived in the D.C. area, with another day in store for tomorrow (Thursday).

Like the rest of the region, Fairfax County will be under a Heat Advisory from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

According to the National Weather Service’s alert, the heat index — which combines heat and humidity — could reach up to 106 degrees Fahrenheit, enough to potentially lead to heat-related illnesses.

Fortunately, the NWS has some advice:

Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Young children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles under any circumstances.

Take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside. When possible reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or evening. Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Wear lightweight and loose fitting clothing when possible. To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent rest breaks in shaded or air conditioned environments. Anyone overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location. Heat stroke is an emergency! Call 9 1 1.

Fairfax County has several facilities designated as cooling centers, including its two government centers, libraries, community centers, rec centers, and emergency shelters for those experiencing homelessness.

“Resting for just two hours in air conditioning can significantly reduce heat-related illnesses,” the county said in an emergency information blog post.

[1:02 PM] HEAT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 11AM TO 8PM THURSDAY. Make sure to hydrate, and to move outdoor activities inside if possible. pic.twitter.com/QvDDvT5TlX

— Ready Fairfax (@ReadyFairfax) August 3, 2022