With emergency heat advisories in place this week for our entire region, communities are bracing for high temperatures and heat indices over 100 degrees. We’ve published several articles over the past few months about Heat Action Day, sun safety and hydration, but safety tips bear repeating when faced with extreme heat.    

The American Red Cross urges everyone to take three critical actions to stay safe:

1. Stay hydrated by drinking a cup of water every hour, even if you don’t feel thirsty.Avoid sugary, caffeinated and alcoholic drinks.
2. Stay cool by spending time in air-conditioned places. If your home is too hot, go to a mall, library or cooling center.
3. Stay connected by checking on others and asking for help if you need it. Make sure pets have access to fresh water and shade.

“Knowing what to do to protect yourself and loved ones from extreme heat can save lives,” said Jennifer Graham, CEO, Red Cross Southeastern Pennsylvania Region. “We’re asking everyone to check on friends and neighbors, especially older adults, people with chronic conditions, outdoor workers and athletes. You could make all the difference by sending a text, making a call or knocking on their door.”

What you should do

Remind everyone to drink water, even if they don’t feel thirsty. Aim for a cup of water every hour and encourage people to avoid sugary, caffeinated or alcoholic drinks. Babies should be breast-fed or bottle-fed often. Fewer wet diapers or darker urine can be signs of dehydration.

Encourage athletes and outdoor workers to take breaks in the shade. They should drink a cup of water every 20 minutes and take frequent water breaks.  

Help those without air conditioning find a safe place to go like a mall, library or cooling center. They can also take cool showers or baths to help cool off. Remind people to wear lightweight, loose-fitting clothes in light colors.

Never leave a child or pet alone inside a parked car, and make sure pets have access to fresh water and shade.

Signs of heat illness

Anyone can become ill during extreme heat if their body can’t cool down properly. It’s critical to act fast as some types of heat illness can be deadly.

• Heat cramps are signaled by heavy sweating and muscle pain. Take action by stopping what you’re doing, resting in a cool place and slowly sipping water. Don’t drink if you feel sick, and get medical help if cramps last over an hour or you have heart problems.
• Heat exhaustion is signaled by heavy sweating, weakness, cool and clammy skin, muscle cramps, dizziness, fainting, nausea or vomiting. Take action by stopping what you’re doing, resting in a cool place and slowly sipping water. Don’t drink if you feel sick. Loosen your clothes and place a cool wet cloth on your body. Get medical help if you don’t feel better, vomit or have heart problems.
• Heat stroke is a deadly condition signaled by high body temperature, rapid heartbeat, confusion, headache, dizziness, fainting, nausea or vomiting. Call 911. Move to a cooler place, remove extra clothing and use a wet cloth or a cool bath to cool down. Don’t drink anything.

If the power goes out

When a heat wave and a power outage happen at the same time, it can be even more dangerous. Stay in air conditioning either at home or at a mall, library or cooling center. Keep an ice-filled cooler stocked with food, water and medicine, so that they don’t spoil. More information is available here.

Info at your fingertips

Download the free Red Cross First Aid app so you’ll know what to do if emergency help is delayed and the free Emergency app for real-time weather alerts and heat safety information. Content is available in English and Spanish with an easy-to-find language selector. Find both apps in smartphone app stores by searching for the American Red Cross or going to redcross.org/apps.