Latest news with #PalakRaval-Nelson
23-06-2025
- Climate
As heat wave grips half the nation, nighttime temperatures will bring little relief
A dangerous heat wave has set in, leaving nearly 150 million people from Texas to Maine under heat alerts on Monday. In some regions of the country, including the Northeast, thermometers are expected to rise this week to the highest temperatures in more than decade. Nearly 50 cities could see daily high temperature records broken, including New York City, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. "This level of HeatRisk is known for being rare and/or long duration with little to no overnight relief, and affects anyone without effective cooling and/or adequate hydration," the National Weather Service (NWS) said in an advisory issued Monday morning. A heat wave is a continuous period of abnormally hot weather, generally lasting over two days, according to the NWS. However, the definition of a heat wave varies by region. In the Midwest and the Northeast, a heat wave is defined as three or more consecutive days of at least 90 degrees. On Monday, the heat index, a measurement of what the sweltering weather feels like as opposed to the actual temperature reading, is forecast to soar above 100 degrees for much of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, as well as in the Midwest from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to Memphis, Tenn. Philadelphia is forecast to reach a high of 100 degrees on Monday, a temperature the city hasn't seen since July 2012. In anticipation of the first heat wave of the season, Philadelphia city officials declared a heat health emergency that began at noon on Sunday and will stay in place until at least 8 p.m. on Wednesday. Dr. Palak Raval-Nelson, Philadelphia's health commissioner, said a heat health emergency is declared when the temperature gets high enough to increase "the risk of getting sick or dying from the heat" -- especially for elderly people, individuals with chronic medical conditions and pregnant women. "The best way to protect our loved ones is to make sure they can get into air conditioning during the hottest part of the day," Raval-Nelson said in a statement. Philadelphia is opening more than 40 cooling centers across the city to help people beat the heat. In New York City, the temperature surpassed 90 degrees by 11 a.m. and expected to rise to the mid-90s to upper 90s on Monday afternoon and reach the upper 90s on Tuesday. The last time New York City hit 100 degrees was in July 2012. "Extreme heat will not just be uncomfortable and oppressive for New Yorkers this coming week, it will be brutal and it will be dangerous," New York City Mayor Eric Adams said in a statement. On Tuesday, temperatures across the Northeast and Midwest are expected to be slightly higher than on Monday, and the heat index will make cities like Syracuse, New York, and Burlington, Vermont, feel over 100 degrees. Nighttime temperatures are expected to provide little relief and could be particularly dangerous for people without air conditioning. Overnight temperatures are forecast to be hovering near 80 degrees. The heat wave is expected to subside on Wednesday, but it will take until Thursday for much of the eastern United States to see real relief from the extreme temperatures. Elsewhere across the country, the cold front that will help break the heat wave will move through the upper Midwest, producing severe thunderstorms from Kansas to Michigan. The primary risks for the Midwest will be damaging winds, hail, flash flooding and the possibility of tornadoes.
Metro
05-06-2025
- Metro
Dozens of buses alight as fire rips through Philadelphia bus depot
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Several dozen buses were scorched after a massive fire broke out at a depot for them in Philadelphia. The blaze ripped through the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority's (SEPTA) facility around 6am on Thursday. Firefighters responded to reports of several buses alight just before 6.30am, according to the Philadelphia Fire Department. Black smoke billowed into the air as the fire reached third-alarm-level by 7.25am. 'We had some initial challenges with access points into the yard as well as getting water into the area where we needed it so we could address the fire,' stated assistant fire Chief Charles Walker. Up to 40 buses may have been damaged, according to the police department. More Trending There were no injuries or deaths reported. The city Department of Public Health sent inspectors to collect air samples. 'We know that the air is still not entirely safe,' stated Philadelphia Health Commissioner Palak Raval-Nelson in the afternoon. 'That is why my recommendation as the health commissioner is for residents to stay away from the area of the fire. People living in the area should stay inside.' Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Madeleine McCann searches called to a halt after three days MORE: Oscar Pistorius in first appearance at sports event since murdering girlfriend MORE: Are Trump's hardline tariffs and travel bans stopping Brits from visiting the US?
Yahoo
13-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Pennsylvania Department of Health reports measles case in Lancaster County
EPHRATA, Pa. (WHTM) — A visitor to Lancaster County coming from Texas tested positive for measles, the Pennsylvania Department of Health said Sunday. The patient was visiting Lancaster County and was contagious between April 3 and April 11 and had visited after a trip from Texas. They visited the WellSpan Ephrata Community Hospital Emergency Department between 9:30 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. April 8 and anyone who was there at the time may have been exposed. Measles exploded in Texas after stagnant vaccine funding. New cuts threaten the same across the US 'Our team took all necessary precautions when managing this patient, but outreach has been conducted and completed with any other patients that may have been in this individual's presence in our emergency department,' WellSpan Health said in a statement to abc27 News. The Department of Health said they live out-of-state and became infected after visiting Texas. The risk to the general public is low due to high vaccination rates across Pennsylvania, the department says. People who are fully immunized are at very low risk of contracting the measles. People unsure of their vaccination status should contact their health care provider. 'The best protection against measles is vaccination,' said Secretary of Health Dr. Debra Bogen. 'With two MMR vaccines, residents are at low risk of getting and spreading the measles. Knowing the signs of sickness and places people may have been exposed will help protect individuals and communities from this disease.' People who believe they were exposed to measles and are experiencing symptoms should contact their health care provider or call the Pennsylvania Department of Health toll-free hotline at 877-PA-HEALTH. All residents are encouraged to monitor for symptoms. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) people most at-risk are: Infants less than one year old who are too young to have received the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine; Individuals who are unvaccinated; and Individuals from parts of the world where there is low vaccination coverage or where there is circulating measles. Earlier this week, a measles case was reported in Philadelphia County. The Philadelphia Department of Health reported that a patient tested positive for measles and had visited the Pennsylvania Hospital Emergency Department in Philadelphia on Sunday, April 6 between 3:55 p.m. and 11:20 p.m., and the Holy Redeemer Hospital Emergency Department in Meadowbrook on Tuesday, April 8 between 6:05 p.m. and 9:45 p.m. 'As vaccination rates across the country continue to drop, there are more and more opportunities for people who cannot be vaccinated to be exposed to this deadly disease,' said Dr. Palak Raval-Nelson, Commissioner, Philadelphia Department of Public Health. 'However, because Philadelphia has high rates of immunity against measles, we are hopeful that this case won't spread further. For us to keep that protection, it is critical for everyone who isn't already immune from measles and can be vaccinated, get vaccinated as soon as possible.' Download the abc27 News+ app on your Roku, Amazon Fire TV Stick, and Apple TV devices That case in Philadelphia County came while travelling abroad and is not connected to the outbreak out west. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBS News
11-04-2025
- Health
- CBS News
Philadelphia warns of possible measles exposure at 2 local hospitals
Philadelphia health officials are warning of a potential measles exposure at two hospitals in the region but say the case is not connected to the outbreak in western states . The Philadelphia Department of Public Health announced Friday that the possible exposure to the highly infectious virus happened over the last weeks at a hospital in the city and another in Montgomery County. According to the health department, the first potential exposure was in Penn Hospital's emergency department on Sunday, April 6, between 3:55 p.m. and 11:55 p.m. The second exposure was days later at the Holy Redeemer Hospital's emergency department in Meadowbrook on Tuesday, April 8, between 6:05 p.m. and 9:45 p.m. The Philadelphia health commissioner said the patient was exposed to the measles virus while they traveled abroad. "We believe there is no threat to the general public," Health Commissioner Dr. Palak Raval-Nelson said in a statement. Raval-Nelson said that with vaccination rates dropping in the United States, the risk of people who cannot be vaccinated against measles being exposed to the virus is increasing. She added that she was hopeful the measles case wouldn't spread further in Philadelphia due to the high rates of immunity against the virus in the city. The health commissioner pleaded for anyone who isn't vaccinated to get the MMR vaccine . Research shows one dose of the vaccine is 93% effective against measles, and the recommended two doses are 97% effective. In an interview with CBS News earlier this week, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. encouraged people to get the vaccine amid an outbreak primarily in West Texas, where measles has killed two children and infected more than 500 people. It was the first time since becoming HHS secretary that Kennedy publicly urged people to get the vaccine.
