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Sweltering Heat takes Macoupin County Life
Sweltering temperatures associated with a week-long heat wave in the Midwest may have contributed to at least one death in Macoupin County on Tuesday, according to county officials. Macoupin County Coroner Brad Targhetta said Jerry Freese, 72, of Lerner, died late Tuesday afternoon after collapsing initially at the Macoupin County Fairgrounds. Freese had been participating in harness racing at the fair and had won a couple of races, Targhetta said. He apparently became overheated in the sun and attempted to cool himself by sitting in his truck with the air conditioning running.
“He couldn’t get cool enough in the truck,” Targhetta said. Freese was taken to the air conditioned County Fair Office, where he collapsed. He was taken by ambulance to Carlinville Area Hospital and was being prepared to helicopter transport to Springfield when he died, according to Targhetta. The apparent cause of death was a massive heart attack, Targhetta said, but extreme heat was “definitely” a factor. “He never got cooled off,”Targhetta said.
Soaring temperatures prompted fair officials to cancel the fair’s annual senior citizens luncheon and activities on Wednesday. The Macoupin County Public Health Department opened its offices in Gillespie and Carlinville to the public as ‘cooling centers.’ Area hospitals, however, reported no increase in the number of patients visiting emergency rooms with heat-related conditions or illnesses. The extremely hot weather is expected to last through Friday night. A National Weather Service heat advisory remains in effect through 7 p.m., Friday.
The culprit reportedly is an intense and extremely large high pressure system that has put much of the Midwestern United States in a pressure cooker. A ‘heat dome,’ a huge area of high pressure is compressing hot, moist air resulting in higher than normal temperatures and extremely high humidity levels. The high humidity has added to the misery, resulting in heat-index levels well over 100 degrees. The high humidity also means air remains hot longer even after sundown. Nightime lows during the week have hovered in the 70s and 80s. Heat domes are not an unusual phenomenon, but they rarely are as large or as long-lived as the one affecting local weather this week. Thunderstorms can develop around the perimeter of the dome, according to the Weather Service, providing some relief from the heat. But the dome is so large that the heat is rebuilding rapidly even after a thunderstorm.
Temperatures on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday were in the upper 90s in Macoupin County with heat indexes soaring to 111 to 114 degrees. The thermometer hit 100 degrees on Wednesday. Highs of 100 degrees or more are expected on Thursday and Friday, before dropping back into the 90s on Saturday. Cooler air is expected to start moving into the area over the weekend as air from the jet stream begins to push hot air to the east. By Monday, temperatures could drop into the mid-80s.
In the meantime, residents are advised to deal with the hot weather cautiously and sensibly: Drink plenty of water, even if you don’t feel thirsty. Avoid drinks with alcohol or caffeine, which are dehydrating. Wear loose-fitting, lightweight, light-colored clothing.
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Another major winter storm is forecasted to blanket the BenGil area in heavy rains, flooding and snowfall starting Wednesday night through Thursday.
The mixture of precipitation and rapidly changing weather likely will produce the potential for sudden icing on roads, with high winds leading to blowing snow and reduced visibility.
“The Illinois Department of Transportation’s snow-and-ice teams will be prepared and out in force, but the public needs to be ready for conditions to change quickly and worsen if they are out on the roads,” said Illinois Transportation Secretary Omer Osman. “As always during periods of extreme weather, the safest option is to postpone any unnecessary trips and stay home. If you must travel, prepare for very slow and potentially hazardous conditions. And please slow down around our plows and other emergency vehicles, giving them plenty of room to do their jobs.”
The National Weather Service is predicting a wintry mix of precipitation to start with thunderstorms and heavy rain in much of the state this evening, converting to freezing rain overnight before turning to snow Thursday morning. In addition to localized flooding, ice and sleet accumulations are likely, creating extremely slippery surfaces and slick conditions.
Due to the rainy conditions ahead of temperatures falling overnight, the effectiveness of pretreating and salting surfaces in advance of significant snowfall will be limited. The public should anticipate icy conditions even when roads appear clear and greatly reduce speeds.
“As the Illinois State Police plans to take on the unpredictable Illinois weather, we would like to remind motorists to do their part in keeping the roads a safe place,” said Illinois State Police Director Brendan F. Kelly. “ISP, alongside IDOT and other agencies, will be working in hazardous weather conditions. Please remember to slow down, stay vigilant and move over for ANY vehicle on the side of the road.”
Statewide, IDOT has available more than 1,800 trucks and equipment to plow, treat roads and respond to weather emergencies. If you encounter a plow or any maintenance vehicle during your travels, please slow down, increase your following distance and remain patient. Do not attempt to pass – conditions in front of the plow will be worse than behind it.
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Police are investigating the death of a Bunker Hill woman who was found dead at the end of her driveway near the roadway on Monday morning, January 31.
Nancy Blycker, 91, had multiple injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene, according to police. The Macoupin County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call to the 2900 block of Wood Hill Lane around 7:40 a.m. on Monday.
The initial suspicion was homicide, according to a release by the Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis who said approximately 20 investigators were working the investigation, but the autopsy contradicted that suspicion.
The Major Case Squad said on Tuesday it is “highly unlikely” Blycker’s death was the “result of homicidal means.”
The Major Case Squad turned the case back over to the Macoupin County Sheriff’s Department. The official cause of death is pending further lab analysis.
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The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Warning for the BenGil area, southwestern Illinois, and the St. Louis area.
The warning was issued early Tuesday taking effect at midnight tonight until noon on Thursday, February 3 calling for a “wet, heavy” snow. The forecast also calls for ice prompting a warning about possible power outages.
“All indications continue to point to a disruptive, impactful, and dangerous winter storm impacting the region starting late tonight and lasting through Thursday night,” the National Weather Service said in its Area Forecast Discussion.
The BenGil area is expected to receive heavy mixed precipitation including snow accumulations between 6 and 10 inches, sleet accumulations around three-quarters of an inch, and ice accumulations around two-tenths of an inch. Wind gusts will be as high as 35 mph on Thursday.
The storm is expected to start with rain most of the day today before transitioning into a mixture of freezing rain and/or sleet Tuesday night, then all snow Wednesday morning or as late as Wednesday afternoon continuing until about noon on Thursday.
