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'No one's tougher than the sun': How a construction worker is staying safe during Texas' heat wave

NPR
Published June 28, 2023 at 7:45 AM MDT
People gather at Barton Springs Pool on June 21, 2023 in Austin, Texas. Extreme temperatures across the state have prompted the National Weather Service to issue excessive heat warnings and heat advisories that affect more than 40 million people. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
People gather at Barton Springs Pool on June 21, 2023 in Austin, Texas. Extreme temperatures across the state have prompted the National Weather Service to issue excessive heat warnings and heat advisories that affect more than 40 million people. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

Millions of people continue to feel the impact of uncomfortably hot and humid conditions across much of the South Wednesday.

In parts of southeast Texas, for example, forecasters are expecting a heat index of 112. The area has been facing triple-digit temperatures for three weeks now.

Here & Now‘s Scott Tong speaks with a construction worker there about how they’re handling the extreme heat on the job.

Keith Katz is a second-year electrical apprentice and a member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 716.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

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