How did SLO County deal with record-breaking heat wave in the ’70s? The classic water hose

David Middlecamp
·3 min read

Sometimes the reaction photo is better than the literal subject.

Take heat and hot weather.

Sometimes shimmering mirage like heat can make a good image, but often we find a photo of someone cooling off with a spray of water or a plunge into a pool.

In any era, water is the classic way to cool off, from the hose, a giant swamp cooler at the Mid-State Fair or a spray bottle.

It’s especially fun to find a photo from decades ago because we get the added information of that era’s style in cars, clothes and hairstyles. Today, most construction sites require workers to wear a helmet and reflective vest. The 1970s were more free-form.

David Ruble would give his co-workers a quick spritz if they asked for it in the heat of the day in September 2016. Workers at the new San Luis Obispo High School tennis courts were spraying water down to compact sand in advance of pouring concrete and setting out reinforcing bar.
David Ruble would give his co-workers a quick spritz if they asked for it in the heat of the day in September 2016. Workers at the new San Luis Obispo High School tennis courts were spraying water down to compact sand in advance of pouring concrete and setting out reinforcing bar.

The June 28, 1976, Telegram-Tribune had three stories on the front page about heat.

Tragedy had struck three times within the previous week at local lakes when children drowned in unrelated incidents at Lopez Lake and Atascadero Lake.

Meanwhile, Nipomo and Los Osos experienced critical water shortages.

Unrelated front page stories included a French airbus being hijacked by Palestinian and German hijackers. A dramatic rescue operation would later be staged at Entebbe, Uganda.

Scientists examined the potential magnitude of an earthquake from the Hosgri Fault off of Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant, then under construction.

The Viking 1 lander scientists were looking for a safe landing site on Mars but the hoped for July 4 Bicentennial landing was postponed as the search continued.

San Luis Obispo residents Allen Settle, wife Kathleen and their son were treated for minor injuries after their Cessna aircraft suffered engine trouble and crash landed in Springfield, Virginia. Both would continue to have visible careers in the community, Allen, a Cal Poly professor, later was elected four time mayor of San Luis Obispo and Kathleen was a public school teacher.

Meanwhile back at the subject of heat. Here’s one of those front page stories from June 28, 1976:

Record June heat wave melts San Luis Obispo

Weather buffs take note. San Luis Obispo has set a record. And it was going for another one today.

This is the first time since the early 1900s that temperatures have gone over 90 degrees for five consecutive days in June.

Last Wednesday, the mercury hit 100 degrees. On Thursday it registered 103 degrees and on Friday it climbed to 106 degrees. On Saturday the high was 100 and on Sunday it dropped to 98.

Today’s temperature was expected to hit at least 90 degrees.

Back in 1973, temperatures topped 90 degrees for four consecutive days in June and through the years there have been sporadic days when temperatures got that warm.

Glenn Clark gives himself a cool shower during work on a construction site in Paso Robles as the temperatures continued in the 100s as seen here on June 25, 1976.
Glenn Clark gives himself a cool shower during work on a construction site in Paso Robles as the temperatures continued in the 100s as seen here on June 25, 1976.

But Paso Robles was the county’s real hot spot again Sunday when the thermometer climbed to 109 degrees. Atascadero was close behind with 106 degrees.

Nipomo and South Bay residents still were being asked to conserve water during the heat spell. The National Weather Service said it was expected to continue for at least a few more days.

Voluntary water restrictions have been lifted in Nipomo but homeowners there are still being asked to curb water use.

Nipomo Community Services District manager Douglas L. Jones said response to a request for water conservation was tremendous.

Jones said residents with odd numbered houses are being asked to water lawns on odd number dates and those with even numbered houses are asked to water on even numbered dates.

Adam Grenier cools off in the sprinklers as he and a group of co-workers from Applied Technologies Associates played a game of ultimate frisbee at Barney Schwartz Park in Paso Robles. The group meets a couple times a week during lunch to play. Photo by Joe Johnston 8-21-07
Adam Grenier cools off in the sprinklers as he and a group of co-workers from Applied Technologies Associates played a game of ultimate frisbee at Barney Schwartz Park in Paso Robles. The group meets a couple times a week during lunch to play. Photo by Joe Johnston 8-21-07

A spokesman for the weather service in Santa Maria said temperatures at the beaches should drop to the 60s and 70s but remain in the 90s inland.

California division of Forestry fire fighters began getting days off again at 7 p.m. Saturday and were back on the normal work schedule.

“We’re still on alert,” a spokesman said this morning. He urged everyone to be extra careful during the hot weather because of extreme fire danger.

In other parts of the state Sunday, Palm Springs recorded a high of 116 degrees and it was 94 in downtown San Francisco. It was 109 in Bakersfield and 102 at Los Angeles Civid Center.