High temps pair with humidity making it feel like 115 degrees

ST. LOUIS -- Johnny Stimage wasn't going to let the heat keep him away from his first look at the St. Louis Rams this season.

Stimage, 72, and his son took the day off Monday from the barbershop they own and sat at Rams Park, perched beneath a large green umbrella that offered just enough shade for two. A slight breeze helped offset the stifling humidity. And Stimage figured it could be worse -- he wasn't out there on the sun-drenched practice field, where the players were working out in helmets and full pads.

"I'm not worried about the heat," said Stimage, four years removed from a heart attack. "This weekend I mowed the grass and I played golf Saturday and Sunday. I'm enjoying this."

Cooler weather coming

It was hard to believe anyone was enjoying the smothering heat that has settled over much of the Midwest. Highs were expected to climb above 100 degrees in parts of Missouri through Wednesday before cooler weather finally pushes through.

Until then, the heat index -- what the temperature feels like with humidity factored in -- could reach as high as 115 degrees in a stretch of the central section of the state from Kansas City through Columbia and St. Louis, National Weather Service meteorologist Mark Britt said.

Fourteen deaths statewide are now blamed on the heat wave that began July 12, and a 15th is suspected to be heat-related, said Brian Quinn, a spokesman for the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.

The latest known victim was a 71-year-old south St. Louis woman found dead in her home Saturday, the St. Louis Medical Examiner's office said Monday. The woman lived alone and had no air conditioning.

Five of the deaths have occurred in St. Louis city, two in St. Louis County and one in neighboring Jefferson County. Across the state in the Kansas City area, three deaths in Jackson County have been blamed on heat, and one is suspected of resulting from heat. Three others occurred in outstate Missouri, although Quinn did not know precise locations.

Quinn said 917 illnesses statewide have been blamed on the heat, nearly 500 of them in St. Louis city or county. He did not have geographic breakdowns for the other heat-related illnesses.

Health officials urged residents to stay in air-conditioned buildings, avoid outdoor exercise, drink a lot of water or other nonalcoholic, non-caffeinated beverages. Quinn said parents should avoid leaving children unattended in vehicles, even for a few moments. And people should regularly check on elderly relatives, friends and neighbors.

The heat wave has been especially brutal in St. Louis, where much of the region lost power for several days after two massive storms on July 19 and July 21. Power has been restored, but the region has kept open several cooling centers to offer refuge for the needy.

In Kansas City, the Salvation Army opened its doors to people needing a break from the heat. Officials said all eight of the Salvation Army's community centers would be open at from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at least through Tuesday, with cold drinks and light snacks available at most of the centers.

Britt said the heat wave will begin to give way Wednesday when cooler weather -- slightly cooler weather -- pushes into northern Missouri. The cool front won't hit central and southern Missouri until Thursday.

Rain and storms are possible by Thursday, with temperatures cooling into the upper 80s or low 90s -- about where they are supposed to be for this time of year.

Most of the several hundred people at the Rams' practice huddled in whatever shade they could find -- beneath a few trees, against a light standard, or like Stimage, under umbrellas.

Stimage grew up in St. Louis and he's well-acquainted with the region's notorious heat and humidity. That doesn't mean he's used to it.

"I don't think you ever get used to it when it's like this," he said.