The first two weeks of July brought record-breaking heat to Central Oregon and across the state. With daytime temperatures exceeding 100 degrees for consecutive days in Bend, on July 3, Gov. Tina Kotek urged Oregonians to take extra precautions in advance of the heatwave.
During the extreme heat, several local businesses shifted their hours to keep themselves and their employees safe from the severe temperatures.
Local food cart, The Farmer's Deli, decided to close an hour early each day last week to beat the afternoon heat. "I'm not going to make my employees work when it's that hot and I honestly didn't really want to either," said owner Justin Halvorsen.
Halvorsen added that the inside of the food truck hit 110 degrees last week. While this is only his second summer in business, Halvorsen noted that this wasn't the first time he's closed early for hot weather to sneak off and play in the water.
To stay cool, Halvorsen brought an air conditioner from home, which he said didn't help much with the heat coming from the giant grill.
"All businesses are susceptible to the ups and downs based on weather, but especially food trucks, not having any inside dining. It definitely deters people when it's too hot, cold or raining," said Halvorsen "I did see a slight dip in sales, but I hope the indoor spots got what I didn't."
Karen Fry-Lee, one of the owners of All Elements food truck, located at Spider City Brewing, felt the need to delay opening during certain days. The local food truck adjusted its hours due to heat and a lack of customers.
"We are used to the heat, working in the kitchen, but it is incredibly hot inside of there once we turn on all of the equipment," said Fry-Lee. "We just decided to wait until about 3-4pm, when it's gonna be cooling down, to open." Fry-Lee also shared that they may continue those hours through the rest of the summer.
Another food truck at Spider City Brewing, Fresco and Fryed, announced it was closing early on July 7 due to the weather, stating that it was 115 degrees inside the truck on Instagram.
Local food cart pods have also seen the effects of the heat wave. Alesha Goodman, General Manager of Midtown Yacht Club, told the Source Weekly that the heat has affected business. "Even with fans and outdoor misters, people avoid the heat and the one thing we can't compete with is the river and other bodies of water," she said.
Midtown Yacht Club has seven food carts at its location. While none of them shut down completely, some adopted special extreme heat hours and closed from 2-5pm on the days with the highest temperatures.
To combat the weather, the food cart pod added cooling units, cooling towels for staff, misters and heat-blocking window coverings. Goodman has been trying to figure out other options to help keep her staff adequately cool.
"We have dealt with extreme heat before, but not for this long. It has been very relentless," she said.
With high temperatures, it's important for people to stay hydrated and aware of how they're feeling, according to Emily Horton, Deschutes County Public Health program manager. Extreme heat can cause heat stress and heat strokes, which can be deadly.
"If something's happening... you're getting dizzy or lightheaded, acknowledge that and move to a cooler place, because sometimes we need to prioritize our health," she said.
Due to the heat, several local shelters and public spaces served as cooling shelters for individuals to help mitigate risks of dehydration and heat-related illnesses.
As of July 15, Alandra Johnson with St. Charles Health System reported that the hospital saw a handful of patients treated for heat-related illnesses. The Deschutes County Medical Examiner reported no heat-related deaths as of July 10.
"It's really important to just be aware of the signs and symptoms and pay attention to our bodies and the people around us that are more vulnerable," said Horton.
