Heat in Cecil, Maryland

A ridge of high pressure both surface and aloft that was broiling the central part of the country moved east and covered the Delmarva Peninsula during the work week of August 6th. This brought the most oppressive hot spell since July of 1999 to the region and peaked on the 9th. A 65-year-old man in Elkton succumbed to the heat on the 9th. He was found dead inside his mobile home and the temperature in the trailer was around 100 degrees. In Port Deposit, transportation was provided to senior citizens to transport them to air conditioned facilities. The hot weather put a strain on electrical usage. About 2,200 Elkton residents lost power for two hours on the 7th. The PJM Interconnection (An independent organization that coordinates electric delivery for 22 million people in Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania and New Jersey) set a usage record of 54,176 megawatts on the 9th. It was also forced to reduce voltage by 5 percent that day between 310 p.m. and 615 p.m. EDT to protect power reserves.Highest temperatures included 101 degrees in downtown Baltimore, 98 degrees at the Baltimore-Washington International Airport, 95 degrees in Salisbury and 94 degrees in Ocean City. A cold front moved into the region the evening of the 10th and stalled throughout the weekend (the 11th and 12th). While it did not remove the humid air in place, the clouds and precipitation prevented temperatures from reaching into the 90s after the 10th.