Central Ohio’s had a steamy summer. The Licking County Health Department wants to help you beat the heat.
Licking County Health Department has been trying to be proactive in ensuring the community is well equipped for hot summer days, county Health Commissioner Chad Brown said.
Partnering with the Ohio Emergency Management Agency, the Licking County Health Department hosted a “Beat the Heat” event July 8 in Pataskala and is adding two more events in Heath and Hebron to help the community stay cool. The department will hand out free box fans at those events, limited to one per vehicle, with a limited supply. It also will take donations of new fans, still in the box.
The Hebron event runs from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. on July 15 at Hebron New Life Church, 925 W. Main Street in Hebron. In Heath, the event runs from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. on July 17 at Geller Park, located near the intersection of Cynthia Street and Louise Avenue.
Brown said the health department has not received notice from local hospitals about abnormally high numbers of heat injuries.
Newark started out this spring wetter and cooler, with more rain than normal. But the summer has generally been wet and warm, said Al Randall, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Wilmington.
In May, rainfall in Newark was 7.26 inches, which is 3.18 inches above normal, he said. Temperatures were cooler: 2.5 degrees below normal. In June, rainfall was 6.71 inches, which is 2.65 inches above normal. But it was warmer in June, with temperatures cresting 2.6 degree above normal.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Licking County Health Department offers free fans to beat the heat
Reporting by Donna Chang, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
