With heat indices at more than 110 degrees Fahrenheit along most of the South Carolina coast this weekend, it’s a good thing that we don’t face global warming.
That was sarcasm, if you didn’t figure it out.
Seriously, even climate change deniers have to admit that something kooky is going on with the weather – from more than five dozen flooding days last year in Charleston alone to droughts and more intense hurricanes. Remember Hurricane Helene? People in the North Carolina mountains do. They continue to face flooding impacts from the 100-year storm two years later.
South Carolina’s high temperatures typically combine with lots of humidity to create cloying, damp air that is sometimes difficult to breathe. And as we all know, if you stay out in it too long, you’ll sweat like the devil. (If you stop sweating, you’re in a danger zone and might need medical help.)
In the southern California desert, however, there’s no real humidity to make it feel worse than it is. Why? Because it actually feels as bad as it is. On Thursday, for example, it was 100 degrees in Palm Springs at 10 a.m. One hundred degrees! A hotel manager noted it was supposed to rise to 117 degrees later in the day.
But instead of being a smothering wet blanket, this kind of desert heat presses against your cheeks. It burns. It dries your nostrils. It makes you fully appreciative of air-conditioning.
While in South Carolina we are accustomed to being outside in the high 90s with triple-digit heat indices, there’s little to prepare you for the blazing heat and too-bright sun in the desert. It is, quite frankly, miserable. And to everyone who says it’s a “different kind of heat” that’s not as bad because of the low humidity, spend a little time here. The heat is horrible. It’s inconceivable why people even live here in July.
While high temperatures are capturing headlines across the state and nation, here are some other headlines that should grab your attention:
Opioid deaths down in S.C. For the second consecutive year, opioid and drug overdose deaths in the Palmetto State dropped by a third from 2023 to 2024. Fentanyl, however, continues to be the leading cause of fatal overdoses with 914 of the 1,481 overdose deaths in 2024. Big reasons for the drop in overdose deaths are better education and broader availability of life-saving medications like Narcan and widespread distribution of fentanyl test strips.
Blood donations needed. Officials with the American Red Cross say it’s a vital time for blood donations across the state and nation. Why? Because in the hot months of summer, donations decline. Needed now in South Carolina: Group O blood donations. Check with your local chapter to help by giving a pint.
Data centers. South Carolina currently has 20 planned or operational data centers spread across the state, as shown in a new map published by The State newspaper. Nine are operational, two are operational and expanding, and nine more are planned. But advocates in a few counties are fighting them for how they suck away fresh water. Look for this issue to raise more of a political profile in the months to come.
Tax-free weekend. August will bring an annual gimmick – the state’s tax-free weekend in which consumers of school-related items (plus lots of other stuff where it’s hard to see a school connection) can save money. It’s a continuing gimmick because most people don’t use it, which creates inequities. But legislators keep approving it so they can have something to brag about. When: Aug. 7 to Aug. 9.
Bridge replacements. South Carolina has received $23.5 million in federal funding to help pay for 18 replacement bridges in nine counties, announced the state, which will chip in $93 million on the projects. That’s great. But remember, there still are about 2,800 bridges – yes, 2,800 – that need significant work. State lawmakers need to get more serious about fixing them.
Andy Brack is editor and publisher of the Charleston City Paper and Statehouse Report. Have a comment? Send to: feedback@charlestoncitypaper.com
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