Dog Days of Summer already here

By Mollie LaSalle
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Summer officially began June 21, per the handy old calendar on the wall. The sweltering heat and high humidity have succeeded in making many folks miserable. For many, June through September are not eagerly anticipated months. 

The forecast for the next foreseeable future is hot with a 100% chance of it being hot tomorrow. The temperatures for the rest of this week are predicted to be near 100 degrees. With that in mind, we need to do everything humanly possible to survive the next few months. 

Tyler County Emergency Management Coordinator Ken Jobe offered up a few words of advice: “Heat-related injuries can sneak up on you and you will never know. You won’t know you’re getting bad until you’re bad. If you must be outside, schedule breaks and drink plenty of water. Take a 10-minute break every hour to stay hydrated. These are the best ways to prevent injuries.” 

Jobe said “the next few days are going to be incredibly hot. Be cautious while outside, take frequent breaks and drink plenty of fluids. Avoid strenuous activity and prolonged time outside. The combined heat and humidity make it almost unbearable to be outside. Just standing or walking can cause problems. If working outside, take frequent breaks, drink lots of water and get help if you start feeling light-headed or sick. Late afternoon is the worst part of the day.”

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Jobe also stressed that you recognize the three levels of heat related illness. Heat cramps are the first stage, heat exhaustion is the second, and heat stroke is the final stage, and is a medical emergency, requiring immediate treatment at a hospital emergency room.

Never leave kids, pets, or elderly people in cars. The inside temperature can accelerate to deadly highs in minutes. Seek out air-conditioned buildings if you are out and about. Schedule activities either early in the morning, or later in the day. 

Wear sunscreen and a hat. It is easy to become dehydrated or for your body to overheat. You can develop cramps and heat exhaustion in a matter of minutes if you are not equipped to deal with the excessive heat. Stay out of the sun during the hottest part of the day, and if you do go out, seek out shade and make sure you have plenty of water.

Babies and young children are much more susceptible to the hot weather, as are people with compromised immune systems, as their body temperature rises faster than healthy adults. Also, when walking your dogs, the hot pavement can burn their paws in minutes, just as a person walking barefoot on the sidewalk. 

You can help others by doing a few simple acts of kindness during the excessive heat of summer. You can offer to run errands or shopping for elderly neighbors. Call them at least once a day to check on them. If their homes do not have adequate working a/c or window units, invite them to stay with you during the night/and or day, or get them to a facility with a working a/c. 

When the weather app on your phone says it’s going to be 80 degrees at 3 a.m., that’s hot, but just like the weather, all things change, like the seasons. I am looking forward to the fall, and better weather, it’s my favorite time of the year.