RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — With temperatures feeling like the mid-90s in North Carolina, many people spent Friday trying to stay cool and safe as the weather gets hotter.
The splash pad at John Chavis Memorial Park, always a popular spot in hot weather, filled up Friday, especially with pool season a week away. Families there in the morning said it will get busier in the summer months.
Parent Megan Lohner said she has to find ways for her and her daughter to cool off, since staying in is not their favorite option. The splash pad is a go-to for her.
"This is the busiest I've seen it so far," she said. "Which makes sense because it's very hot.
"We have to get creative at home or we come to the splash pad," Lohner continued. "And it's great to be out in the sun and be outside, but not be drenched in sweat.
"[My daughter] is an outside baby, so we like to be outside all day long. It's just too hot to do anything out in the water."
Nanny Cecelia White-Lee said the splash pad is also good for adults, even if they're not in the water. She and the kids will often spend a couple of hours at the splash pad, bringing snacks and lunch.
"My kids love the water and to play with lots of friends," White-Lee said. "We come out here, mingle and meet new friends as well.
"I mingle inside, feel the mist," she said. "I have my water bottle here."
Lohner acknowledged Chavis Park can be tough when it is extremely hot and sunny.
"There's not a lot of shade," she said. "Even though you're in the water, you're in straight sun."
According to Wake County EMS, the shade is an important part of staying safe in the heat. Shift commander Greg Guillaume said more calls always come in when it gets hot. Heat-related conditions can escalate quickly, so his advice is to hydrate early and often.
"Either a construction worker or schools, athletic events, special events, people just getting overheated," he said.
"You can go quickly from exhaustion into heat cramps into full on heat stroke, which is a deadly health emergency," Guillaume said. "The sooner you can get us calling and get them out of the heat, the better."
Wake County EMS is gearing up for a hot weekend. With Got to be NC at the fairgrounds and events at the Red Hat Amphitheater, he is expecting a few busy days.