As extreme heat grips Roanoke this week, emergency rooms across Virginia are reporting a sharp rise in heat-related illnesses. Local residents say they’re doing their best to stay cool, but for many, the conditions are unbearable.
“I just walked to the store. It’s burning up out here,” said Jeffrey Jones, a Roanoke resident. “And I don’t know what imma do. I got to get inside. I’m burning up, I’m about to fall out, out here.”
Jones isn’t alone in his concern. According to the Virginia Department of Health (VDH), from May 1 to June 23, there were nearly 900 emergency department visits for heat-related illnesses, more than 200 cases above the year-to-date average…