Page 123 - Winterling's Chasing the Wind

The one-hundred-degree mark is usually not reached during many summers because
the rising inland heat is often replaced with a cooling sea breeze from the Atlantic
Ocean, or because of the cooling effect of convective clouds and scattered afternoon
showers.

Heat waves usually affect our area when the atmosphere is extremely dry and a
westerly breeze blocks the coastal seabreeze. One of the hottest days occurred in 1954
on June 28 when the mercury hit 103 degrees.

The most extreme heat waves on record occurred during the summers of 1980 and
1981. On July 11, 12 and 13, 1980 the temperatures were 100, 102 and 102
respectively. The following summer was even hotter.

The heat wave started on July 11, 1981, with 100 degrees, followed by 101 on the 12th
and 13th, 102 on the 14th, 15th and 16th. The 103 degrees reached on July 17, 1981,
was our hottest since 1879.

This heat wave broke all records for the most 100’s in one year. Two other years topped
one hundred. The temperature reached 102 degrees on July 20, 1985, and 102 again on
July 31, 1999.

In the late 1960’s, we bought a Ford Station Wagon with plans to travel to Six Flags in
Atlanta with the Willis (Bill and Arie) family trailing behind. Before we reached Lake
City, our radiator hose burst and we had to pull off to the side of Interstate 10 three
miles short of the U.S. Highway 441 exit. The Willises stopped at the Gulf station and
informed the mechanic of our problem. Surprisingly, he temporarily fixed the leak by
stuffing a piece of cloth in the hole and wrapping it with a rag so enough water could
remain in the radiator ‘til we pulled into the station. Arriving in Atlanta, all of our kids
enjoyed the rides at Six Flags.

A month or two later we drove to Lion Country Safari in south Florida, a few miles
west of West Palm Beach. We were confined to the safety of our car while the animals
roamed freely outside. Our air conditioner did not adequately keep us cool. When we
returned home we discovered that the hot water hose from the radiator had not been
turned off. It was warming the heater coils inside the car. Our travel was not as hot as
we extended our travel on the Gulf coast and Sapelo Island.
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