BEATING THE HEAT

Here are some cool tips for upcoming summer heatwaves

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Summer only officially started this week, but last week’s sweltering temperatures and scorching sun was a reminder of what North Carolina summers bring: heat, and lots of it.

And, of course, heat’s dangerous accompaniment: heat-realted illnesses.

With the scorching temperatures berating Chathamites, the News + Record is sharing tips on how to stay cool and what to keep in mind if you do venture into the blazing outdoors.

North Carolina hospitals saw more than 3,200 emergency room visits due to heat-related illnesses last summer, according to the N.C. Dept. of Health and Human Services. More than half those visits were in the Piedmont region.

The high volume of visits is especially alarming because heat waves are the deadliest type of weather emergency in the U.S., according to the National Weather Service. The amount of U.S. fatalities caused by heat last year — 190 — represented a 29% increase from the previous 10-year average. The NWS also said climate change is making excessive heat a more frequent and more intense phenomenon.

Some of the worst of the heat hit Chatham County last week. While there’s been some reprieve this week, the heat is a warning sign of what is to come throughout the summer.

Before going outside, Chatham County Public Health Director Mike Zelek said it’s important to factor in both the temperature and humidity into preparations.

“Plan ahead,” Zelek said. “If you are thinking of spending the day outside, check the weather forecast and be sure you don’t overdo it. Bring plenty of cold water and keep yourself hydrated.”

Leaving pets and children inside unattended vehicles is also a frequent heat-related problem. Over the past decade, an average of 38 children die from heat stroke each year due to unattended vehicles in heatwaves, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Zelek said this is unfortunately also a problem in Chatham County.

“Never leave a child or pets unattended in a vehicle, not even for a short period of time,” Zelek said. “Temperatures inside cars can rise to unsafe levels in just a few minutes, and sadly children across the country die each year from heat.”

Zelek also encouraged people to take breaks in air-conditioned spaces such as Chatham County Public Libraries. If people do begin to experience heat-related illness, Zelek said it is best to move them to a cool space immediately, drink plenty of water, place cold clothes on their body to cool them down and seek medical attention. According to the CDC, signs of heat-related illness include dizziness, skin redness, nausea, headaches and increase pulse rate.

The Chatham County Department of Social Services also has an Energy Assistance-Crisis Intervention Program that provides financial support to low-income households in a heating or cooling related emergency.

Qualifying households with income levels at or below 150% of the poverty level are eligible for up to $600 per fiscal year from the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services. For more information about the The Energy Assistance CIP, call 919-542-2759 or email ask.dss@chathamcountync.gov.

For those who can’t escape the heat, such as farmworkers and others who work outside, the strategy to avoid heat exhaustion can be different. Debbie Roos is an agriculture agent at the Chatham County Center Cooperative Extension. She said the main strategy employed for farmworkers during the hottest seasons is shifting field hours to earlier in the day to avoid working during peak temperature hours.

“I work with farmers who grow vegetables, flowers, herbs and fruit,” Roos said. “They try to get field work done before noon in extreme heat and then use the afternoon for processing — washing and prepping produce for market, bunching flowers, etc.”

Roos said changing working hours is not always possible, but she emphasized the need for farmworkers to take frequent breaks, pace themselves and hydrate during the summer. The N.C. Cooperative Extension recommends water consumption of at least eight ounces of water for every 20 minutes of outdoor work, which is approximately 1.5 gallons of water for an eight-hour workday.

The extension also recommends outdoor workers develop an acclimatization plan. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, acclimatization is the result of beneficial physiological adaptations (e.g., increased sweating efficiency and stabilization of the circulation) that occur after gradual increased exposure to a hot environment. This means workers should gradually increase exposure time in hot environmental conditions over a seven- to 14-day period.

Roos and Zelek both said staying cool is going to be a problem in Chatham with the weather heating up. Other tips from the CDC for cooling down include taking cold showers or baths, wearing sunscreen with at least 15 SPF and using a buddy system.

The News + Record wants to know how you beat the heat this summer. If you have tips on staying cool like the best ice cream spots, homemade water parks or family traditions we want to hear about it! Tell us about it with an email, and we may share them in an upcoming Chatham Brew newsletter.

Reporter Ben Rappaport can be reached at brappaport@chathamnr.com or on Twitter @b_rappaport.