Heat Wave Safety

By Rose Ellen O'Connor, Volunteer

As a 20-something newspaper reporter in Norfolk, I covered a lot of catastrophes but never thought the warnings applied to me. I was always the removed observer. And so I ignored a heat advisory on a steamy August morning in the late 1980s.

By 8 a.m., temperatures were already in the 90s and so was the percent of humidity. The forecast called for temperatures to climb above 100 degrees later that day. I didn’t let it stop me from my routine hour-long jog. Afterwards, I showered and dressed. I was in a hurry to get to the courthouse, where I was covering a hearing. I drank my coffee quickly, then poured myself a glass of water, took a couple of sips and poured out the rest. I didn’t want to be late.

The courthouse was only three-quarters of a mile from my townhouse and I jogged there so I wouldn’t have to worry about parking. By the time I walked through the doors to the courthouse, my skin was flushed and I felt dizzy, weak and nauseated. In the cool air conditioning, I practically collapsed on the bench outside the courtroom, where the hearing I was covering was going to be held. Luckily, one of the lawyers waiting for the hearing knew the signs of heat exhaustion and how to deal with it. He got me a water bottle and told me to sip it slowly and fanned me with a newspaper. Gradually, I felt better. It could have been far worse.

According to the Red Cross, heat exhaustion can quickly lead to heat stroke, a life-threatening condition in which a person’s temperature-control system stops working and the body is unable to cool itself. Signs of heat exhaustion include hot red skin that may be moist or dry, changes in consciousness, vomiting and high body temperature. The Red Cross recommends calling 9-1-1 or the local emergency number if someone shows signs of heat stroke. We also advise moving the person to a cooler place; quickly cooling the person’s body by immersing him up to his neck in cold water if possible; and if not, dousing or spraying the person with cold water or covering the person with cold, wet towels or bags of ice.

On that sweltering morning in August, I was lucky not to have suffered heat stroke. I had ignored advice from the Red Cross on how to avoid it, but the lawyer who helped me had, knowingly or not, followed the steps recommended by Red Cross in the event of heat exhaustion. The Red Cross advises avoiding caffeine; I drank coffee. It advises staying hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids even if you don’t feel thirsty; I failed to drink even one glass of water. It advises slowing down and avoiding strenuous activity; I jogged for an hour and then rushed to the courthouse. It recommends avoiding extreme temperature changes; I went from jogging in the heat to standing the air-onditioned courthouse.

The Red Cross offers these other tips for dealing with extreme heat and humidity:

• Never leave children or pets alone in enclosed vehicles.
• Eat small meals and eat more often.
• Wear loose-fitting, lightweight, light-colored clothing. Avoid dark colors because they absorb the sun’s rays.
• Use a buddy system when working in excessive heat.
• Take frequent breaks if you must work outdoors.
• Check on family, friends and neighbors who do not have air conditioning, who spend much of their time alone or who are more likely to be affected by the heat.
• Check on your animals frequently to ensure that they are not suffering from the heat.

The Red Cross offers these tips in the event of heat exhaustion:

• Move the person to a cooler place.
• Remove or loosen tight clothing and spray the person with water or apply cool, wet cloths or towels to the skin.
•  Fan the person.
• If they are conscious, give small amounts of cool water to drink. Make sure the person drinks slowly.
• Watch for changes in condition.
• If the person refuses water, vomits or begins to lose consciousness, call 9-1-1 or the local emergency number.

For more on how to stay safe during a heat wave and how to treat heat-related illness like heat exhaustion, visit our website here.