As Los Angeles faces an extended period of record setting heat, your NCVV Board urges you to take steps to protect yourself, your family and your neighbors. The National Weather Service says temperatures will reach above 100 degrees through Saturday.

During this time be sure to never, ever leave people or pets in a vehicle, even for a short period of time. If you spend time outside wear light weight, loose fitting clothes and drink plenty of water. If you have air conditioning in your home keep the temperature at 78 degrees to help lessen power demand. If you don’t have air conditioning in your home consider visiting a mall or the library during the hottest parts of the day. There is a cooling center at North Hollywood Park on Lankershim Boulevard, open daily from 11 am until 11 pm. Check on your neighbors. And remember that pets need relief too – don’t walk pets during the day and be sure they have access to shade and plenty of fresh water.

Discover other creative places to beat the heat at https://la.curbed.com/maps/los-angeles-free-air-conditioning. And most important if you feel overcome by the heat, call 911. “During this heat wave it is important to stay safe and comfortable, and protect our those we love” said Suzanne Lewis, Board member and Outreach Chair of NCVV. For more information on the latest heat advisories and tips to stay cool visit http://emergency.lacity.org/heat.

LADWP Issues Flex Alert

flex alert

As Los Angeles weathers through high temperatures this week, a Flex Alert has been issued between 2:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. by Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP. Customers are urged to reduce energy use where possible while staying safe and comfortable. Power demand rises during heat waves as more customers operate air conditioners all at once, causing other appliances to work harder in order to perform and increasing the strain on neighborhood power distribution equipment. Conservation measures include:

  • Adjust thermostat to 78 degrees to reduce energy usage during the hottest hours of the day
  • Limit the use of appliances during peak hours of the day
  • Close drapes, shades or blinds during the heat of the day
  • Turn off lights and equipment when they are not in use
  • Unplug “energy vampires” like cell phone chargers, DVD players, microwave ovens and other appliances that use energy even when turned off or in sleep mode

LADWP forecasts a peak demand of 5,811 megawatts (MW), which would be a record high for 2017. The all-time peak demand is 6,396 MW reached in September 2014. To report any loss of power, call 1-800-DIAL-DWP. To check status of outages, see www.ladwp.com, or follow LADWP on Twitter @LADWP.