In the wake of Hurricane Irene, many East Coast cities like Baltimore were left without power for a number of days. To make matter worse, the heat in some areas excelled to record temperatures, leaving many suffering from heat exhaustion and trying to find ways to stay cool. In response, the city opened 10 emergency cooling centers, monitored by local air conditioning contractors in Baltimore to make sure the units were efficient and doing their job. The centers were made available with the elderly and infirmed in mind, while other residents were advised to drink extra fluids, avoid alcohol and caffeine and stay indoors. Baltimore a/c and heating contractors said they were available for questions or services should anything go wrong with anyone’s home units.