Delaware Valley residents, businesses find loopholes to survive scorching heat

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — The Delaware Valley is dealing with scorching temperatures during yet another heat wave this summer. 

One of the only spots to get some relief from the excessive heat was down the shore.

The beach at 12th Street in Ocean City looked more like a Saturday or Sunday. 

Joseph Ferrante and Cindy Galasso were sitting right by the water.

“The breeze makes all the difference in the world and hearing the ocean makes it feel cooler too,” said Ferrante.

“This weather is absolutely gorgeous here, today. It’s breathtaking,” said Galasso.

Ferrante and Galasso were just two of the many people who drove down the shore for the day on Tuesday to escape the brutal heat back home.

“It’s oppressive at home, I mean compared to here, there’s a nice breeze. And it’s fun to see little kids on the beach and just the sound of the ocean …. there’s nothing better,” said Donna Leeson.

The Ocean City Beach Patrol said lifeguards have seen more people recently on the beach midweek than normal, and with the ocean temperature hovering in the low 60s, it’s an easy way to cool down.

“You know you go in and then you actually get pretty chilly, so you have to come out to the beach and warm up,” said Lt. Kelly Catania of the Ocean City Beach Patrol.

“I’ve just been dipping in the ocean every couple minutes, juggling my soccer ball and every time I get hot I just like to go for a nice little dip,” said Brody Kaplan, who was on vacation with his family.

There was a big difference between how it felt on the boardwalk and the beach, and that’s why Galasso said she was staying put on the sand.

“The ocean breeze, the salt air, the sun, sand in between my toes, sun on my face …. this is my happy place,” Galasso said.

Lifeguards with the Ocean City Beach Patrol are in the stands from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. They say they want you to be safe, and remind everyone not to swim when the guards are off duty.

While many people escaped the heat by flocking to the shore, some Philadelphia business owners took a different approach.

Amid the high temperatures, outdoor-only restaurants are struggling. The oppressive heat is keeping many customers away.

For the last few days, Morgan’s Pier on Christopher Columbus Boulevard at Penn’s Landing has been emptier than usual, despite the restaurant being right on the Delaware River with beautiful views of the Ben Franklin Bridge. The restaurant has no indoor seating.

“We are on the water, so it is 10 degrees cooler,” Dana Canalichio, director of operations for FCM Hospitality, said. “Being an all-outdoor restaurant, obviously, you know, people are very hesitant to come down, to come out to outdoor restaurants because it is so hot.”

Business has been sluggish because of the heat wave. But for customers willing to brave the scorching temperatures, the restaurant is taking precautions to keep them safe.

“We have fans, we have misters. And then we set up water stations for all the guests so they can hydrate at their own leisure,” Canalichio said.

Employees are working shorter shifts to minimize exposure to the heat.

“Trying to keep staff motivated, that’s a little bit of a struggle,” Canalichio said. “You know, ’cause they’re also extremely hot and they have to be in the weather.”

At Walnut Garden in Rittenhouse Square — owned by the same company as Morgan’s Pier — the restaurant had to push back its opening from noon to 4 p.m. on Tuesday to avoid the hottest part of the day. The heat wave is also affecting other restaurants within the hospitality group.

“Liberty Garden, which is our newest location, located next to Liberty Bell, we did close for the day because there’s not a lot of shade down there and it’s extremely hot,” Canalichio said.

The restaurants are doing the best they can, Canalichio said, while hoping for relief.