Unseasonably hot weather in Harford County this week put local health and emergency workers on the lookout for possible heat-related health problems, especially among the county's older residents.
Two unattended deaths were reported to the Harford County Sheriff's Office before noon Thursday, although police said they had no indication that either death was directly connected to the weather.
With temperatures expected in the high 90s and possibly exceeding 100, Harford County opened cooling stations around the county starting Thursday morning.
The centers will also be open today (Friday) and Saturday, the county said in a news release.
Around 10:30 a.m. Thursday, an 82-year-old woman was found dead inside her home in the 3700 block of Penny Lane in Abingdon by a family member who had gone to the home to check on her, according to Monica Worrell, public information specialist with the sheriff's office.
About an hour later, a 62-year-old woman was found dead in her home in the 1600 block of Candlewood Court in Edgewood, Worrell said.
Worrell said the written police reports made no reference to the deaths being connected to the weather.
Health officials continue to urge members of the community to maintain caution in the heat.
The Harford County Department of Community Services and the Department of Parks and Recreation are making several senior activity/recreation centers available as cooling stations for Harford County residents in need of relief from the heat.
The designated cooling centers will be open 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted:
Aberdeen Senior Activity Center on Franklin Street in Aberdeen, open today only; Churchville Recreation Center at 111 Glenville Road in Churchville; Edgewood Senior Activity Center on Gateway Drive in Edgewood; Norrisville Library and Recreation Center at 5310 Norrisville Road in White Hall, open until 5 p.m.; Havre de Grace Activities Center on Lewis Lane in Havre de Grace; McFaul Activities Center on West MacPhail Road in Bel Air ; and Veronica "Roni" Chenowith Activities Center on Fallston Road in Fallston.
For more information, contact the Harford County Office on Aging, 410-638-3025.