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Why Talk About Extreme Heat? |
The duration of excessive heat plays an important role in how people are affected by a heat wave. Studies have shown that a significant rise in heat-related illnesses happens when excessive heat lasts more than two days. Spending at least two hours per day in air conditioning significantly cuts down on the number of heat-related illnesses.
People living in urban areas may be at greater risk from the effects of a prolonged heat wave than people living in rural regions. An increased health problem, especially for those with respiratory difficulties, can occur when stagnant atmospheric conditions trap pollutants in urban areas, thus adding unhealthy air to excessively hot temperatures. In addition, asphalt and concrete store heat longer and gradually releases heat at night, which produces significantly higher nighttime temperatures in urban areas known as the "urban heat island effect."
Learn about the risk of extreme heat in your area by contacting your local emergency management office, National Weather Service office, or American Red Cross chapter.
 | Heat wave: Prolonged period of excessive heat, often combined with
excessive humidity. The National Weather
Service steps up its procedures to alert the public during these periods
when it anticipates an increase in human heat-related illnesses.
| Heat index: A number in degrees Fahrenheit (F) that tells how h ot
it really feels when relative humidity is added to the actual air
temperature. Exposure to full sunshine can increase the heat index by 15
degrees.
| Heat cramps: Heat cramps are muscular pains and spasms due to heavy
exertion. Although heat cramps are the least severe, they are often the
first signal that the body is having trouble with the heat.
| Heat exhaustion: Heat exhaustion typically occurs when people
exercise heavily or work in a hot, humid place where body fluids are lost
through heavy sweating. Blood flow to the skin increases, causing blood flow
to decrease to the vital organs. This results in a form of mild shock. If
not treated, the victim's condition will worsen. Body temperature will keep
rising and the victim may suffer heat stroke.
| Heat stroke: Heat stroke is life-threatening. The victim's
temperature control system, which produces sweating to cool the body, stops
working. The body temperature can rise so high that brain damage and death
may result if the body is not cooled quickly.
| Sunstroke: Another term for heat stroke. | |
| Heat exhaustion: Cool, moist, pale, or flushed skin; heavy sweating;
headache; nausea or vomiting; dizziness; and exhaustion. Body
temperature may be normal, or is likely to be rising.
| Heat stroke: Hot, red skin; changes in consciousness; rapid, weak
pulse; and rapid, shallow breathing. Body temperature can be very high
-sometimes as high as 105 degrees F. If the person was sweating from heavy
work or exercise, skin may be wet; otherwise, it will feel dry. | |
| Heat stroke: Heat stroke is a life-threatening situation. Help is
needed fast. Call 9-1-1 or your local emergency number. Move the person to a
cooler place. Quickly cool the body. Immerse victim in a cool bath, or wrap
wet sheets around the body and fan it. Watch for signals of breathing
problems. Keep the person lying down and continue to cool the body any way
you can. If the victim refuses water, is vomiting, or there are changes in
the level of consciousness, do not give anything to eat or drink.
| Heat cramps: Get the person to a cooler place and have him or her
rest in a comfortable position. Lightly stretch the affected muscle and
replenish fluids. Give a half glass of cool water every 15 minutes. Do not
give liquids with alcohol or caffeine in them, as they can cause further
dehydration, making conditions worse.
| Heat exhaustion: Get the person out of the heat and into a cooler
place. Remove or loosen tight clothing and apply cool, wet cloths, such as
towels or sheets. If the person is conscious, give cool water to drink. Make
sure the person drinks slowly. Give a half glass of cool water every 15
minutes. Let the victim rest in a comfortable position, and watch carefully
for changes in his or her condition. | |
| If your home does not have air conditioning, choose other places you go
to get relief from the heat during the warmest part of the day. Schools,
libraries, theaters and other community facilities often provide
air-conditioned refuge on the hottest days. Air conditioning provides the
safest escape from extreme heat. During the 1995 Midwest heat wave, most
deaths happened to people not in air conditioned locations.
| Plan changes in your daily activities to avoid strenuous work during
the warmest part of the day. Ill effects of heat can quickly overcome
the healthiest people, if they perform strenuous work during the warmest
parts of the day. Symptoms of dehydration are not easily recognized and are
often confused with other causes. Dehydration occurs fast and makes you ill
very quickly.
| Some family members may be taking medications or have medical
conditions that may cause poor blood circulation or reduced ability to
tolerate heat. Discuss these concerns with a physician. A physician can
advise you about changes to medication or other activities you can do to
temporarily relieve the effects of heat.
| Plan to check on family, friends, and neighbors who do not have air
conditioning or who spend much of their time alone. Elderly persons who
live alone or with a working relative might need assistance on hot days. The
majority of deaths during the 1995 Midwest heat wave were persons who were
alone.
| Plan to wear lightweight, light-colored clothing. Light colors will
reflect away the sun's rays more than dark colors, which absorb the sun's
rays.
| Get training. Take an American Red Cross first aid course to learn
how to treat heat emergencies and other emergencies. Everyone should know
how to respond, because the effects of heat can happen very quickly.
| Discuss extreme heat wave with your family. Everyone should know
what to do in the places where they spend time. Some places may not be air
conditioned or safe during a heat wave, so plan alternatives. Discussing
extreme heat ahead of time will help reduce fear and anxiety, and lets
everyone know how to respond. | |
| Additional water
| Disaster Suplies Kit basics. | |
| Install window air conditioners snugly. Insulate spaces around air
conditioners for a tighter fit. An air conditioner with a tight fit around
the windows or wall openings will make less noise and allow less hot air in
from the outside.
| Make sure your home is properly insulated. This will help you to
conserve electricity and reduce your home's power demands for air
conditioning. Weather-strip doors and windowsills to keep cool air inside,
allowing the inside temperature to stay cooler longer.
| During a drought, conserve water by placing a brick, or another large
solid object, in your toilet tank to reduce the amount of water used in
flushing.
| Consider keeping storm windows installed throughout the year. Storm
windows can keep the heat out of a house in the summer the same way they
keep the cold out in the winter.
| Check air-conditioning ducts for proper insulation. Insulation
around ducts prevents cool air from leaking and keeps it directed through
the vents.
| Protect windows. Hang shades, draperies, awnings, or louvers on
windows that receive morning or afternoon sun. Outdoor awnings or louvers
can reduce the heat entering the house by as much as 80 percent.
| Use attic fans. If you have a fan installed to vent warm air out of
your attic, use the fan to help keep your home cool. | |
| Publish a special newspaper section with emergency information on
extreme heat. Localize the information by including the phone numbers of
local emergency services offices, the American Red Cross chapter, and local
hospitals.
| Interview local physicians about the dangers of sunburn, heat
exhaustion, heat stroke, and other possible conditions caused by excessive
heat.
| During a drought, run a series of programs suggesting ways that
individuals can conserve water and energy in their homes and their
workplaces.
| Interview local officials and representatives of the U.S.
Department of Agriculture about special steps farmers can take to
establish alternative water supplies for their crops and ways to protect
livestock and poultry from the effects of extreme heat.
| Sponsor a "Helping Your Neighbors" program through your local
school system to encourage children to think of those persons who
require special assistance during severe weather conditions, such as elderly
people, infants, or people with disabilities.
| Arrange for air-conditioned shelters to be opened when necessary
for community members who do not have air conditioning at home.
| Arrange for special programs to provide air conditioners to vulnerable
people in their homes. | |
| Slow down. Avoid strenuous activity. Reduce, eliminate or
reschedule strenuous activities. High-risk individuals should stay in cool
places. Get plenty of rest to allow your natural "cooling system"
to work. If you must do strenuous activity, do it during the coolest part of
the day, which is usually in the morning between 4:00 a.m. and 7:00 a.m.
Many heat emergencies are experienced by people exercising or working during
the hottest part of the day.
| Avoid too much sunshine. Sunburn slows the skin's ability to cool
itself. The sun will also heat the inner core of your body, resulting in
dehydration. Use a sunscreen lotion with a high sun protection factor (SPF)
rating.
| Postpone outdoor games and activities. Extreme heat can threaten
the health of athletes, staff, and spectators of outdoor games and
activities.
| Avoid extreme temperature changes. A cool shower immediately after
coming in from hot temperatures can result in hypothermia, particularly for
elderly and very young people.
| Stay indoors as much as possible. If air conditioning is not
available, stay on the lowest floor, out of the sunshine. Even in the
warmest weather, staying indoors, out of sunshine, is safer than long
periods of exposure to the sun.
| Keep heat outside and cool air inside. Close any registers that may
allow heat inside. Install temporary reflectors, such as aluminum foil
covered cardboard, in windows and skylights to reflect heat back outside.
| Conserve electricity not needed to keep you cool. During periods of
extreme heat, people tend to use a lot more power for air conditioning.
Conserve electricity not used to keep you cool so power can remain available
and reduce the chance of a community wide outage.
| Vacuum air conditioner filters weekly during periods of high use.
Air conditioner filters can become clogged or filled with dirt, making them
less efficient. Keeping them clean will allow your air conditioner to
provide more cool air.
| If your home does not have air conditioning, go to a public building
with air conditioning each day for several hours. Air conditioned
locations are the safest places during extreme heat because electric fans do
not cool the air. Fans do help sweat evaporate, which gives a cooling
effect.
| Dress appropriately:
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Drink plenty of fluids even if you do not feel thirsty. Injury and
death can occur from dehydration, which can happen quickly and unnoticed.
Symptoms of dehydration are often confused with other causes. Persons who
have epilepsy or heart, kidney, or liver disease; who are on
fluid-restrictive diets; or who have a problem with fluid retention should
consult a doctor before increasing liquid intake.
| Take frequent breaks if you must work outdoors. Frequent breaks,
especially in a cool area or to drink fluids, can help people tolerate heat
better.
| Use a buddy system when working in extreme heat. Partners can keep
an eye on each other and can assist each other when needed. Sometimes
exposure to heat can cloud judgment. Chances are if you work alone, you may
not notice this.
| Drink plenty of water regularly and often. Your body needs water to
keep cool. Water is the safest liquid to drink during heat emergencies.
| Avoid drinks with alcohol or caffeine in them. They can make you
feel good briefly, but make the heat's effects on your body worse. This is
especially true about beer, which actually dehydrates the body.
| Eat small meals and eat more often. Large, heavy meals are more
difficult to digest and cause your body to increase internal heat to aid
digestion, worsening overall conditions. Avoid foods that are high in
protein, such as meats and nuts, which increase metabolic heat.
| Avoid using salt tablets unless directed to do so by a physician.
Salt causes the body to retain fluids, resulting in swelling. Salt affects
areas of your body that help you sweat, which would keep you cool. Persons
on salt-restrictive diets should check with a physician before increasing
salt intake.
| NEVER leave children or pets alone in closed vehicles. Temperatures
inside a closed vehicle can reach over 140 degrees F within minutes.
Exposure to such high temperatures can kill in minutes. |
Produced by the National Disaster Education Coalition: American Red Cross, FEMA, IAEM, IBHS, NFPA, NWS, USDA/CSREES, and USGS. HTML formating By the Disaster Center From: Talking About Disaster: Guide for Standard Messages. Produced by the National Disaster Education Coalition, Washington, D.C., 1999. |
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