MOULTRIE — As temperatures continue to rise across the nation and heat waves become more frequent, the CDC and NOAA have partnered to launch the Heat and Health Initiative to provide resources and educate the public on the dangers of extreme heat.
The HeatRisk Forecast Tool is an online resource, on the CDC’s website, that provides a seven-day heat forecast for the zip code that is searched. It lets the user see when temperatures may reach dangerous levels, classifying them as little to none, minor, moderate, major and extreme.
According to the CDC, May through September of 2023 were the hottest months ever recorded in the US and the rates of emergency department visits for heat-related illnesses increased significantly compared to previous years.
In 2023, Colquitt Regional Medical Center treated 25 patients in the emergency department who were diagnosed with a heat-related condition, Director of Marketing Jordan Hammack said. In comparison, in 2022, there were 18 patients and, in 2021, there were 12 patients, she said.
“To date, in 2024, we have had five patients diagnosed with a heat-related condition in our emergency department,” she said last week.
The Scientific American website states that heat waves are the deadliest extreme weather events in the US, killing more people than hurricanes, tornadoes and floods combined. It also states that the deadly nature of heat is not well recognized by the public.
Ryan Kebler, Colquitt County High School head athletic trainer, is one of the people whose job includes keeping an eye out for heat danger. When asked what people should do during an extreme heat event, he said: “The biggest thing, besides hydration, is common sense.”
He said, don’t go out and work four hours straight, in the middle of the day, without drinking or taking a break.
“The generic metric that I like is half your body weight, in ounces of water. So if you’re 200 pounds, you should drink 100 ounces of water,” he said and added that athletes or people who work outside everyday would need more.
He said that was a basic, simple place to start, as far as how much water to drink per day for the average person.
Kebler said that there were three stages of heat-related illnesses: heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
“You become dehydrated so the muscles start to cramp. That should be your first warning sign,” he said.
The remedy for heat cramps is to stop and hydrate and also replenish salt and minerals. Gatorade and Powerade are good but there are other methods of rehydrating and replenishing salt and minerals, as well, he said. Whatever method, the thing is to get the nutrients in the body. He also said that a person needs to get in the shade, out of the sun, to cool the body down.
A sign to look for that an individual is suffering heat exhaustion is profuse sweating and sometimes, the heat cramps stage is skipped altogether, he said. A sign that someone is suffering a heat stroke is that they’re not sweating at all.
“If you come up on somebody and they’re dry, then their system has shut down,” he said.
He said that a heat stroke victim needs to be immediately put in a cold tub or, if that’s not available, put ice packs in their groin area and underneath their arms to cool the body’s core temperature down. 911 should be called to get them to the hospital as quickly as possible.
Kebler said that treatment for heat exhaustion is similar but a trip to the hospital usually isn’t necessary. The person needs to be monitored, though, to make sure that his condition hasn’t progressed to a heat stroke, he said.
Colquitt County Emergency Management Director Justin Cox also stressed the importance of staying hydrated when there is extreme heat. He said that residents should hydrate, use sunscreen, rest frequently, hydrate, pay special attention to the elderly and pets, utilize shade, and hydrate, adding, “Did I mention hydrate?”
The National Weather Service issues heat advisories for high heat, based on the heat index, which is a measure of how hot it actually feels when relative humidity is factored in with the actual air temperature. Relative humidity is a measure of the water vapor content of the air.
Just like with storm watches and storm warnings, heat advisories are issued either as an excessive heat watch or an excessive heat warning. The National Weather Service website differentiates them as:
Excessive Heat Watch — Be prepared! Heat watches are issued when conditions are favorable for an excessive heat event in the next 24 to 72 hours. A Watch is used when the risk of a heat wave has increased but its occurrence and timing are still uncertain.
Excessive Heat Warning — Take action! An Excessive Heat Warning is issued within 12 hours of the onset of extremely dangerous heat conditions. The general rule of thumb for this Warning is when the maximum heat index temperature is expected to be 105° or higher for at least 2 days and night time air temperatures will not drop below 75°; however, these criteria vary across the country, especially for areas not used to extreme heat conditions.