There is hot, and then there is hot. Extreme heat is a period of high heat and humidity with temperatures above 90 degrees for at least two to three days. In extreme heat your body works extra hard to maintain a normal temperature, which can lead to death. Extreme heat is responsible for the highest number of annual deaths among all weather-related hazards.
Older adults, children and people with certain illnesses and chronic conditions are at greater risk from extreme heat.
Humidity increases the feeling of heat.
Prepare for extreme heat
- Learn to recognize the signs of heat illness.
- Do not rely on a fan as your primary cooling device. Fans create air flow and a false sense of comfort, but do not reduce body temperature or prevent heat-related illnesses.
- Identify places in your community where you can go to get cool such as libraries and shopping malls or contact your local health department to find cooling options in your area.
- Cover windows with drapes or shades.
- Weather-strip doors and windows.
- Use window reflectors specifically designed to reflect heat back outside.
- Add insulation to keep the heat out.
- Use a powered attic ventilator, or attic fan, to regulate the heat level of a building’s attic by clearing out hot air.
- Install window air conditioners and insulate around them.
- If you are unable to afford your cooling costs, weatherization or energy-related home repairs, contact the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program for help.
Be safe in the heat
Heat-related illnesses
Know the signs of heat-related illnesses and ways to respond. If you are sick and need medical attention, contact your healthcare provider for advice and shelter in place if you can. If you are experiencing a medical emergency, call 9-1-1.
Heat stroke signs
- Throbbing headache
- Extremely high body temperature (above 103 degrees F) taken orally
- Red, hot, and dry skin with no sweat
- Rapid, strong pulse
- Dizziness, confusion, slurred speech, nausea, fainting, or unconsciousness
If you suspect heat stroke, call 9-1-1 or get the person to a hospital immediately. If possible, move the person suffering from heat stroke into a cool, shaded area; remove any outer clothing; place a cold wet cloth or ice pack on the head, neck, armpits and groin, or soak the person’s clothing with cool water; elevating their feet.
Heat exhaustion signs
- Heavy sweating, paleness, muscle cramps, tiredness, weakness, fast or weak pulse, dizziness, headache, fainting, nausea, vomiting.
Heat cramp signs
- Muscle pains or spasms in the stomach, arms or legs.
- If you have signs of heat cramps or heat exhaustion, go to a cooler location and cool down by removing excess clothing and taking sips of sports drinks or water. Call your healthcare provider if symptoms get worse or last more than an hour.
Summer break
While the kids are home for the summer, get the whole family prepared.
- Make a family communication plan and include the whole family.
- Practice evacuation plans and other emergency procedures with children on a regular basis.
- Teach kids when and how to call important phone numbers like 9-1-1.
- Make sure the kids have an emergency contact person and know how to reach them.
- Create a family password or phrase to prevent your child from going with a stranger.
- Keep the kids occupied with online emergency preparedness games.
- Decide on a family meeting place you can go if separated.
More than 1,000 children have died in hot cars since 1998.
That is a sobering statistic.
About 37 children a year die from heat stroke, either because they were left or became trapped in a car. During the summer, that’s about two children every week killed in a hot car.
The majority of hot car deaths — 52% — happen because someone forgets a child in a car. You may be asking yourself: How does this happen? Families who lost a loved one thought the same thing at one point, but then the tragedy happened to them. Hot car deaths don’t just occur in the summer heat. On average, the first vehicular heatstroke of the year happens in March, according to Jan Null, who has been tracking such deaths since 1998. Among the trends he discovered over the years:
- About 47% of the time, when a child was forgotten, the caregiver meant to drop the child off at a daycare or preschool.
- Thursdays and Fridays — the end of the workweek — have had the highest deaths.
- More than half of the deaths (55%) are children under 2 years old.
Check the back seat.
Parents and caregivers, — get in the habit of always checking the back seat of your car before locking the doors. Once you park, stop. Look. Lock.
As always, keep an eye on the sky and be safe when outdoors.
Bob the EM.