Heat puts pressure on valley

Near record-high temperatures in Las Vegas Valley are sending the homeless to the showers, igniting tempers and putting a strain on air conditioners.

"Over the next couple of days, we're going to be at or near record temperatures," Scott Cordero of the National Weather Service said Wednesday.

An area of high pressure is being blamed for temperatures that can be expected to reach between 112 and 117 degrees through the weekend.

"We expect at McCarran International Airport to have a temperature of 113," Cordero said of today's conditions. "The record high of 114 was set in 1979."

Normal high for this time of year is 106.

The heat is causing Nevada Power Co. to set records of its own, spokeswoman Sonya Headen said.

At 4 p.m. Tuesday, the electric company set an all-time usage record of 3,476 megawatts. The previous record was set last year, on Aug. 7, with peak usage at 3,469 megawatts.

The high demand is not causing problems with supply, Headen said.

"The company has adequate power," she said.

The Citizens Area Transit system, however, is having a little power-supply problem of its own concerning air conditioning in its buses.

"There is a problem with keeping up with the cooling on the buses," David Parks, assistant director, said Wednesday.

There have been a number of complaints and inquiries from CAT riders who were wondering whether the air conditioning on the vehicles is broken or inadequate.

Parks said the problem is not mechanical -- it's with the weather.

"The problem is, it's so darn hot," he said.

It isn't unusual to receive complaints each year when temperatures begin to rise above 110 degrees.

There are many riders on the buses, and each person produces heat. In addition, the doors constantly opening and closing results in cool air escaping.

The air conditioners are blowing air out of vents at the required rate, according to Parks, but it's impossible to keep it as comfortable as some people would like.

"Buses are built to specifications that we request, and we specify the maximum that air conditioner units can put out," Parks said. "We went to rooftop-mounted units because they more evenly distribute the air. Most buses have them at the back of the bus over the engine."

Homeless people may be suffering the most in the heat.

The Shade Tree, an emergency shelter for women and children, is seeing more people for a wide variety of heat-related reasons.

"Tempers flare more quickly in the heat," Executive Director Brenda Dizon said. "We're going to see a higher incidence of domestic violence."

And, she said, heat can affect the effectiveness of medication, which potentially creates behavioral problems for those taking medicine that controls behavior.

Those with asthma seem to suffer the most in the heat, Dizon said.

With only 2,500 square feet of room at The Shade Tree, the crowded circumstances and the heat are a volatile mix.

The shelter serves between 800 and 1,000 people each month.

With only 54 beds, the shelter almost always will have women and children sleeping on the floor.

"It's difficult to keep it cool enough in here with all the warm bodies and the opening and closing of the doors," Dizon said.

In the hottest part of the year, it isn't unusual for the shelter to have a utility bill of $1,200 per month, Dizon said.

The emergency shelter is in the process of raising money to build a $3.2 million, 35,000-square-foot facility that would accommodate 500 women and children per night.

"No one will have to sleep on the floor," Dizon said.

While The Shade Tree is just beginning its construction drive -- it has raised $1 million so far -- Catholic Charities is looking forward to moving into newly constructed facilities for homeless men later this month.

The Fertitta Residential Center will have an opening-day ceremony July 23, according to spokesman Charles DeSiderio.

The opening is for the first phase of the new facility, which will accommodate 200 men.

When the second phase is completed, more than 800 homeless men will have a place to sleep at any given time.

It is all part of a $25 million construction project, which also includes a new dining facility funded by the Lied Foundation.

The new dining room seats 300, compared to 100 in the old room.

The old building was constructed in 1950, and its air-conditioning system is not adequate and sometimes breaks down.

DeSiderio said homeless people, 600 to 700 per day, are coming into the shelter just to take showers to cool off and get in out of the heat.

"Our shower lines are a lot busier because of the heat," he said.

He said tempers at the shelter often flare because of the heat.

"Thank God we have an excellent security system," DeSiderio said.

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