Summer sizzle: Outdoor workers across New Jersey brave scorching temperatures

Temperatures across New Jersey are expected to remain in the 90s for the rest of the week.

News 12 Staff

Jul 19, 2022, 10:11 PM

Updated 813 days ago

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Temperatures across New Jersey are expected to remain in the 90s for the rest of the week.
Health experts urge people to stay indoors as much as possible during these periods of intense heat. But a lot of people still need to make a living and are required to be outdoors.
News 12 New Jersey caught up with a 10-man crew in Jackson Township who were out spreading asphalt. Angelo Ciaglia and his three brothers run Angelo's Paving, a family-owned business in operation since 1953.
“The blacktop is about 360 degrees. So we’re getting it from the bottom, we’re getting it from the top. And the machine is all metal and that heats up. It just bakes you,” Ciaglia says.
He says that June through October is the prime time for making money, so there is no escaping the heat.
“We tell the guys, do what you can. But if you start feeling a little faint and dizzy, get out of here. Get in the shade,” Ciaglia says. “Usually when it gets around 95, we shut the door. It’s just too hot. The body can’t sustain the heat.”
At 10 a.m., with the temperatures still at 84 degrees in Tinton Falls, News 12 found crews clearing the ground of trees and brush, as well as landscape companies getting in some work before a lunch break.
Temperatures were hot enough on Tuesday that New Jersey’s utility companies were on alert for power outages. PSE&G says there are ways to save money on air conditioning bills. Homeowners should try raising their thermostat as high as they can tolerate.
“If you raise your temperature by one degree, you can save at least 3%-5% off that use for that air conditioning unit,” says PSE&G spokesperson Rebecca Mazzarella.
PSE&G reminds customers to not assume that the utility company knows about a power outage. Outages should be reported via the company’s website or app.