Heat in Maryland, July 20 to 23, 1998

After an unusually pleasant start to the month, a singular heat wave affected much of Maryland west of the Chesapeake Bay during the climatological peak of highest annual temperatures. The heat wave, caused by the combination of hot and humid air associated with "Bermuda" high pressure and increasingly dry ground, caused temperatures to soar into the mid and upper 90s. The heat index, however, equalled or exceeded 100 each afternoon. Highest temperatures were recorded in the Baltimore metropolitan region, with 99 degrees on the 22nd at Baltimore/Washington International Airport. This heat wave was less tolerable than those in recent years since much of the summer had been cooler and less humid than normal.Two deaths were reported by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner - both in Baltimore City. One of the fatalities, a 47 year-old male, resulted from exposure (likely heat stroke) while working at the Bethlehem Steel plant near the shipyards. A 51 year-old male was found dead in his un-air conditioned home on South Parish Street.There were numerous cases of heat exhaustion, some requiring a brief hospital stay for observation. At least 12 persons checked into medical facilities in Anne Arundel Co (MDZ014) with heat exhaustion. A bigger outbreak of heat-related sickness occurred during the evening of the 20th, when 16 teenagers were treated after attending a scouting convention at the University of Maryland's Cole Field House in College Park (MDZ013). Four of the teens were hospitalized; two of them suffered heat stroke. The event was attended by 4,000 persons at the un-air conditioned hall on one of the hottest days of the summer. The problems were noted roughly between 1945EST and 2015EST. During the three-day episode, another 30 to 44 persons were treated for heat exhaustion in the county, and there were perhaps a dozen incidents of heart attacks which may have been heat-related.In Bethesda (MDZ009), a 37 year-old male perished after sustaining cardiac arrest (1420EST) following a 213-ft. climb up an inoperable escalator at a subway station. The heat may have been a contributing factor, though the escalators are partially enclosed in air-conditioned tunnels.The heat wave and attendant power usage allowed daily wattage to surpass previous records in the Baltimore Gas and Electric service area; an all-time record of 6,016 megawatts was used on the 22nd.