Soaring Temperatures Require Awareness, Caution, Preparation
Beginning Saturday the first heat wave of the season hits, with Sunday-Wednesday projected to be especially dangerous. Here's what to watch for, how to prepare, and where to seek shelter.
By Martin Davis
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
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The Fredericksburg region is going to confront its first significant heatwave of the year beginning on Saturday. The heat index is projected to reach 100 degrees on Sunday, 106 degrees on Monday, and 108 degrees on Tuesday.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, this places citizens at extreme risk for complications related to prolonged heat exposure.
Three groups of people are most at risk when the heat index soars — Older adults, young children, and people with chronic medical conditions.
Older Adults
Older adults do adjust as well as younger people to surges in temperatures. They’re also more likely to be on medications that hinders their ability to adjust to heat.
The best thing for older adults is to stay in an air-conditioned building as much as possible. For those without air conditioning, realize that a fan is insufficient when the heat index reaches dangerous levels. For this reason, people should check in on older adults to ensure they are ok during the hottest parts of the day.
It’s also important to drink more water than normal, and to not wait until you feel thirsty before drinking.
Visit the CDC website for more information.
Young Children
If young children are in your care, keeping them hydrated and in loose fitting clothing is important. In addition, it’s critical that children not be left in a car, as internal temperatures can rise sharply and lead to death in minutes.
“Children should never be left in an unattended vehicle,” Dr. Candice Dye a pediatrician at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She said “it takes only a few minutes for a child to overheat, suffocate and die in a car. Compared to adults, a child’s body heats up three to five times faster. When left in a hot car, a child’s major organs begin to shut down when their temperature reaches 104 degrees Fahrenheit, according to healthychildren.org.”
Visit the CDC site for more details.
Chronic Medical Conditions
According to the Centers for Disease Control, people with chronic medical conditions can have a more difficult time to “sense and respond to changes in temperature.” This can be due to several factors:
Certain medications can make the effect of heat worse.
People with heart disease, mental illness, poor blood circulation, and obesity are more at-risk for heat-related illness.
Finally, overweight or obese people tend to retain more body heat
Visit the CDC site for more details.
Cooling Shelters
Micah is coordinating with several organizations to provide cooling shelters in the coming days. Before going, call the Day Center at 540-479-4116 to confirm the shelter is open.
Monday
12 pm - 6 pm: St. Georges Episcopal Church, 905 Princess Anne Street in Fredericksburg, with dinner starting at 5 pm
Tuesday
12 pm - 6 pm: Common Ground at 1501 Washington Avenue in Fredericksburg, with dinner starting at 5 pm
Wednesday
12 pm - 4 pm: Fredericksburg United Methodist Church at 308 Hanover Street, followed by dinner at Christ Lutheran
Thursday
12 pm - 6 pm: Fredericksburg Baptist Church at 1012 Caroline Street, with dinner at 5 pm
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