Heatwave and rolling blackouts affect the Davis community

PHOTO: Lights go out over the Cannery housing development as PG&E enacts rolling blackouts amid heatwave.

By Declan Fee,

BlueDevilHUB.com Staff —

An unprecedented heat wave has struck a majority of California, including record-breaking temperatures in Yolo County and surrounding communities. Temperatures reaching 117 degrees Fahrenheit have led to rolling blackouts, causing 12,000 PG&E customers to go without electricity for around two hours on Wednesday afternoon.

Eliminating AC from the homes of many Davis residents, the blackouts proved a nuisance for many. “From the moment it started to the moment the AC came back, I just lay on my tile floor. It was unbearable,” senior at Davis High Maya McClain said.

The heat wave has changed many of the day-to-day operations of schools in Davis Joint Unified School District. All outdoor activities past 10:30 a.m. are to be held indoors, this includes lunch, recess and Physical Education. Back to school nights at Da Vinci High and DHS have also been rescheduled for Sept. 19. 

Davis High sports have been affected, with many practices either being cancelled or moved to be before school. Home games for the field hockey team have had to be rescheduled, and last weeks football game was forced to be held at a later time.

When making these decisions, the school district consults a chart developed by the Kory Stringer Insititute. Using a device called a wet bulb globe thermometer, that uses ambient temperature, relative humidity, wind and solar radiation to monitor the enviroment, they can cross reference with the chart to determine what the appropriate guidelines are for exercise at that time.

“Establishing WGBT (wet bulb globe thermometer) guidelines that dictate modifications in activity; work to rest ratios, hydration breaks, equipment worn, length of practice… plays a huge factor in helping prevent heat illness,” athletic director Jeff Lorenson said.