Extreme Summer Heat Brutal For Green Country Workers

By Craig Day, The News On 6

TULSA, OK – Green Country was under an excessive heat warning once again on Tuesday.

Often the people who need help are those who have to work outside. Turns out, even in a cooled-off economy, there are plenty of hot jobs in the Tulsa area, as in really hot.

7/19/2010 Related Story: Sizzling Summer Heat Poses Serious Risk For Heat-Related Injuries

You think it's hot? Many people don't know hot like jack hammering, post hole digging, sweating from every single pore kind of hot, like these guys.

"Brutal," said Alan Worthington, Fence Company. "Definitely brutal."

"It's unbearable sometimes," said Wayne Simpson. "You've got to take your breaks."

Installing a fence in this heat is no fun, especially when you're staring at a nice refreshing pool all day while doing it.

"Each of us drink at least three gallons of water a day, minimum," Worthington said. "That's really the only way you can keep from dropping."

With temperatures in the high 90's and a heat index ranging from 106 to 113, keeping cool is a hot topic and a high priority. The sweltering weather can make for a long day for anyone working outside, including at Ram Produce.

"I'm going to have to drink a lot of water and then maybe someone will drop a watermelon and I'll get to eat it," Hance Henrie, Ram Produce, said.

Besides a potential watermelon drop, there's a fan and some shade at the produce tent, others aren't so lucky.

"When I'm finished, I can pretty much take off my shirt and ring it out," said Royal Roth.

Being behind a mower is tough enough. Being on a roof, in this heat, that's brutal.

"Ninety right now you know, something like 90. It feels like 120 up there, the heat is coming from the roof you know, from the shingles," said Ricardo Lopez, a roofer. "It's really hot man."

From a numbers standpoint, we've seen worse. It's only hit triple digits once so far this summer. But meteorologists say add tropical moisture and that's what makes it oppressive.

"Just hot, hot, hot," Roth said.

No matter the reason, the reality is an excessive heat warning is no fun for anyone and has everyone trying to find relief wherever they can.

"That's why I'm going to Utah to college because it's cold up there," Hance Henrie said.

It's so hot, the owner of that pool gave the go-ahead for those fence installers to take a dip when they needed to so they can cool off while on the job.