With extreme heat raging, those with the resources fled to pools, beaches and higher elevations like Promised Land State Park, at 1,800 feet (550 metres) in Pennsylvania's Pocono Mountains and a drive of about 2 1/2 hours from New York City and Philadelphia.
It's not exactly flowing with milk and honey -- just ask the area's struggling black bears -- but for city folks in the Northeast trying to escape a nearly weeklong hot spell that only threatened to intensify Sunday, Promised Land offered respite.
Even in Promised Land, temperatures were forecast to soar above 32 degrees celsius, but with shade from the forests, cool lake water and mountain breezes, it was more than tolerable, visitors said. Philadelphia officials extended a heat emergency through Sunday, sending workers to check on homeless people and knock on the doors of other vulnerable residents. The city also opened cooling centers and stationed air-conditioned buses at four intersections for people to cool off.
Organizers of the New York City Triathlon shortened the distances that athletes had to run and bike. This weekend's Boston Triathlon was put off until Aug. 20-21. Chavez, in Promised Land, said she has asthma and needs to keep her inhaler around, especially "when the heat is so thick I can't breathe." The breezes and clearer air in the mountains help, she said.
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