Missouri State Fair swelters under heat wave
SEDALIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
High temperatures and heat indexes pushed conditions at the Missouri State Fair into dangerous territory for the first two days as responders treated dozens of heat-related calls into Friday.
On Friday, the heat index value at the fair surpassed 100 degrees, causing first responders to monitor several high-risk areas on the fairgrounds that are known hotspots.
The Disaster Medical Assistance Team on site operates like a fully functional hospital and is monitoring National Weather Service data each day to prepare for the heat wave.
"We monitor the weather so we have an idea of what it's going to be like, and then we start basically setting up our water supplies, our fluids, our electrolyte solutions," medical officer Doctor Lynthia Bowman said.
Assistant Fire Chief Larry Eggen said the fair's emergency personnel responded to 41 calls for service on Thursday, most of them for heat illnesses.
Grant Oetting, a firefighter medic at the fair, said that the carnival area is the prime hot spot during the day for heat-related issues. A thermal thermometer measured the asphalt temperatures in that area, ranging from 120 to 140 degrees.
“Number one, the carnival -- the carnival area, especially around the Ferris wheel, becasue it's in the middle of the carnival; very little air moving down there, and the heat index yesterday at the fair was 115," Oetting said Friday.
Bowman said the heat typically starts to intensify around 11 a.m., but physical effects of the sun exposure start to show later in the day as the crowds start to gather for the evening concerts.
"Starting here around 4 or 5 in the afternoon, we are going to see more of those crowds in, and they may not have been exposed to heat, but they also may not have been drinking a lot," Bowman said.
Another primary hotspot occurs near the Grandstand during evening concerts due to crowd density. Oetting said the heat index measured 110 degrees there Thursday night.
To mitigate heat risks, air-conditioned buildings and concession areas are open throughout the grounds. First responders told ABC 17 News they recommend fairgoers split their time between outside fair festivities and heading inside to cool down.
The fairgrounds fire station and the DMAT tent are also open to the public, offering shaded space, drinking water and cooling towels.
"Come and join all of the festivities during the fair. If you get a little hot, stop by the firehouse and we'll take good care of you," Eggen said.
DMAT officials advise attendees to wear light-colored clothing, seek shade frequently, and drink water consistently throughout the day.
The National Weather Service reported a heat index of over 105 degrees at Sedalia Memorial Airport on Friday afternoon. Saturday's high is expected to reach near 100 degrees, not counting humidity's effects.
