From waist-deep water due to Chantal flooding to scorching sun in Chapel Hill

Tropical Depression Chantal turned Eastgate Crossing in Chapel Hill into a lake over the weekend.

As pumps drain the last of the murky water, recovery crews sweated through a second crisis: A heat index of 110 degrees Fahrenheit.

Inside the flooded Trader Joe’s, Zandra Sanchez sorted through shelves of spoiled food and debris-coated bottles.

“It was a shock when I saw how bad it was and how much damage was caused by the flooding,” Sanchez said.

Flood debris, stagnant indoor air and relentless heat have turned cleanup into a grueling, two-front fight—one experts warn will become more common as summers keep warming.

July is already the nation’s riskiest month for heat illness. Last summer, 4,700 North Carolinians landed in emergency rooms for heat-related problems, a 20% percent jump in a single year, according to state health data.

“It’s definitely hot, and the humidity … everything’s sweating right now,” Sanchez said as she sipped bottled water mixed with electrolytes.

North Carolina Labor Commissioner Luke Farley is promoting a new “Beat the Heat” campaign for outdoor workers.

“Rest, water and shade,” Farley said. “Those are the key things every worker can do to keep themselves safe and healthy from heat illness.”

Farley said his office has mailed more than 1,000 letters to outdoor employers and rolled out an app that sends real-time heat alerts.

“Heat illness is absolutely preventable,” Farley said. “Nobody needs to get sick from heat illness in North Carolina.”

Sanchez credits her supervisors for enforcing breaks and stocking coolers with ice water.

“They’ve been really good about giving us 15-minute breaks,” she said. “I pace myself and stay hydrated. If I’m sweating a lot, I take a minute to cool down.”

Managers at the center’s Trader Joe’s say they hope to reopen within two weeks. Many neighboring stores face a longer rebuild with more sweltering days ahead.