SWFL heat advisory: Fort Myers Shores community ditches most outdoor activities

FORT MYERS SHORES, Fla. (WINK)—The WINK Weather Authority says the heat is dangerous, and it's being felt all over Southwest Florida.

WINK News visited Orange Harbor Co-op and RV Park in Fort Myers Shores to see how residents are coping with the extreme temperatures. The pickleball courts are empty, and the shuffleboard lanes are silent.

“I thought, oh no, here we go, another day before 9 o'clock it was already 85 degrees, feeling like 95 degrees,” Pattie Porter said.

Porter and her neighbors say there's only one place to be on a day like this—the pool.

"I actually come to water aerobics in the morning, and then I come and I do a little float with all my friends,” Porter said.

Bob Cochran, another Orange Harbor resident, says he's been going to the pool every day. He's avoiding outdoor activities he would normally do, like weed eating.

"I have been going to the pool every day, and that helps, but it, no, it's hot out," Cochran said. "I don't do any outside activities. I would normally be weed eating or something. No, staying in, too hot."

Some neighbors say the heat is overworking their air conditioning units. Porter says her household has three different air conditioners, and they had problems with one.

"We have three different air conditioners, and we had problems with one, so we basically just shut that part of the house off until we could get a gentleman in here," Porter said. “Unfortunately, because other people are having some issues, it took a couple of days before I had anyone, but it's all taken care of now.”

Residents emphasize the importance of staying hydrated during the extreme heat.

"I start with a lot of water before I allow myself to have the more enjoyable stuff," Karen Toft, another Orange Harbor resident

The heat advisory is in effect until this evening.