On Minnesota Ave. in Washington DC, residents struggle with record heat

“Someone said you passed out,” paramedic Lt. Brian Perry told the man. “We’re going to sit in this nice air conditioning for a few minutes while we check you out.”

Minutes earlier, firefighters and Perry had carefully lifted the man, in his 60s, onto a stretcher after he fell to the sidewalk in the 3700 block of Minnesota Avenue NE.

During a brief investigation they checked boxes of what could be possible have brought him down: Diabetes, prescription medications, blood pressure. They even took pictures of his heart.

A likely culprit? That day, last Tuesday, DC reached a high of 104 degrees.

Firefighter-EMT Sheena Sanders helped the patient stay calm during the exam. “It’s really hot; it’s too hot to be out here,” Sanders told him. “It’s too hot for us to be out here, sir.”

This call, along this block of Minnesota Avenue, is familiar territory for first responders in DC. The working-class area has commercial areas interspersed with a mix of apartments, townhomes and redeveloped homes.

Despite the dangerous conditions, no heat-related deaths appeared to have been reported last week, as authorities sent residents to cooling centers, water playgrounds and swimming pools, and canceled other outdoor activities.

For many working Washingtonians — and many without jobs — staying indoors wasn’t an option, especially along busy stretches like Minnesota Avenue between the Deanwood and Anacostia neighborhoods. Many people here succumbed to the heat, and while some needed medical attention, others needed a chair in the shade.

Firefighters in Washington, D.C., reported being called to 29 heat-related emergencies across the city from Monday through Thursday. However, heat was often found to be a contributing factor in calls for patients who were reported unconscious, ill, or having difficulty breathing.

City officials said a cooling center was set up in Ward 7 at the Department of Aging and Community Living’s Washington Seniors Wellness Center. The city also deployed refrigerated vans to Minnesota Avenue and T Street SE nearly a dozen times between June 21 and Thursday.

On Thursday, residents were able to escape the scorching heat for a while, with temperatures dropping below 32 degrees Celsius for the first time this week.

But even in 85-degree weather at a bus stop at Minnesota Avenue and Benning Road, construction worker Cliff Villagram was drenched in sweat and had to wipe his forehead with a gray washcloth after finishing a shift that started at 5 a.m.

“There’s no other way to stay cool than drinking water. I drink ice-cold water all day long,” the 53-year-old said as he waited for the bus to his mother’s house in NOMA for his second job as her home help.

Sweat towels and cool drinks were indispensable tools to brave the heat.

Vendor Diego Cunningham eats a lot of fruit and takes the bus for any trip that goes more than a few blocks. The 36-year-old Texas resident stashed a bottle of generic Pedialyte in his bag Thursday and admitted the heat was unbearable even for him.

“It’s almost Houston hot!” Cunningham said. “Between drinking electrolytes and eating fruit bars, I’m staying cool.”

All along Minnesota Avenue, people found shady spots under trees, bus stops and vendor tents.

During their lunch break, office workers rushed from pillar to post to grab their lunch as quickly as possible to avoid the heat.

“I literally walked to Popeyes because Popeyes is right around the corner and it’s way too hot,” said 30-year-old Nadiia Hernandez.

It was only two minutes — 120 meters — from her building, but it was enough to make the owner sweat in her blazer.

Activist Jay Brown, who runs Community Shoulders, said some residents tell him the nearest cooling center, the Benning/Dorothy I. Height Library, isn’t staying open long enough and that more resources would help them better cope with the heat.

“The DC government’s disconnection or willful neglect of sustainable life-saving resources on Minnesota Avenue is a reflection of how community members of certain races and backgrounds are treated throughout the city,” Brown said. “The city cannot expect to have a positively functioning ecosystem if all of its citizens are not involved in input into the problems and solutions.”

When asked about these criticisms, city officials said they have partnered with the East River Family Strengthening Collaborative to distribute air purifiers, fans, surge protectors and smart outlets to seniors in Ward 7. Additionally, some families received financial assistance to pay outstanding utility bills so they had electricity to run air conditioning.

“Each year, we review and evaluate the District’s heat emergency plan to expand our resources and guidance for residents and visitors to help them stay safe during periods of extreme heat,” Clint Osborn, director of the District’s Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency, said in a statement. “The D.C. government stands ready to support our most vulnerable communities with resources and information on how to protect themselves from extreme weather and stay safe, cool and healthy.”

On Wednesday, Rich Gibson camped out all day in a folding chair near Minnesota Avenue and Naylor Road, leaning two gold-framed prints of African art against a tree.

The licensed clinical social worker has been homeless for the past two months, and as afternoon temperatures soared to 100 degrees, the shady spot provided the best lighting he could find.

Gibson had two wishes: a cool breeze and a client for the art that could pay for his next meal and a sweet tea with lots of ice.

“I’ll sell you the whole thing for $15,” Gibson said.

Short of cash and unable to receive favors from family and friends, Gibson sat on the sidewalk with his merchandise.

The homeless often seek shelter in vacant apartment buildings nearby, but not during the heat wave, Gibson said. It was simply too hot inside.

“If you go by at night, you see people sleeping under these trees, brother. Really, nowhere to go,” Gibson said.

By mid-afternoon, he still hadn’t made a sale, and cool breezes were almost as rare as customers. A friend offered Gibson a place to stay for a few days, but there was no air conditioning.

He set his sights on a new goal: a low-cost fan.