Westminster Feels the Heat as Temps Hit 100

In spite of preparing with cooling centers and news releases about pending high temperatures, the fire company and police department are still busy dealing with heat-related problems. 

Several traffic lights on Rt. 140 between Rt. 91 and Gorsuch Road are out. Traffic is backed up on Rt. 140 starting at the Market Street intersection. Westminster City police, Carroll County sheriffs and Maryland State police are directing traffic at these intersections.

The WAWA at Market Street is closed due to the power outage. 

The Carroll County Sheriff's Department also reported that traffic lights are out on Rt. 30 in Hampstead. 

The Westminster Fire Company dispatched five ambulances to the YMCA around 3 p.m. Fire Department representative Guy Garheart said that the fire company received a call for children in distress due to the heat. 

According to Garheart, the kids were on a field trip and several of the children on the bus were feeling ill. Six, all in stable condition, were transported to the Carroll Hospital Center for evaluation.

"If we have residential power outages, we would expect to get more distress calls," Garheart said. 

BGE representative Linda Foy said that as of 5 p.m. there are about 300 outages in Carroll County.  

Weather Underground reports that an excessive heat warning remains in effect until 10 p.m. today and an excessive heat warning is in effect from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday.

High temperatures this afternoon hit in the low 100s, and temperatures are expected to be around 100 on Saturday, according to Weather Underground.