 Back |
 In case you haven’t noticed, it’s starting to get hot.
A heat wave flowed into the area over the weekend, giving St. Charles its first taste of the summer sizzle. The hot and humid weather led the National Weather Service to issue a heat advisory, which was in effect until Tuesday evening.
A heat advisory is issued when high humidity is expected to combine with hot temperatures to make it feel like it is 105 degrees or greater. The heat index reached 105 degrees on Monday, and the National Weather Service issued expected readings of between 105 and 110 degrees for Tuesday.
As temperatures and the humidity rise, the dangers of heat stroke and other heat-related illnesses become apparent. Nicole Holtgrefe, emergency services specialist for the American Red Cross, said a number of steps can be taken to avoid over-heating.
“When it’s hot, just slow down,” Holtgrefe said. “Avoid strenuous activity and if you have to, do it during the cooler hours of the day, between 4 a.m. and 7 a.m.” She also recommended wearing lightweight, light-colored clothing while outdoors.
If a person is without air conditioning, she suggested staying in the lowest floor of the house, which is most often the coolest. If the heat becomes unbearable, Holtgrefe said spending a few hours in a well-cooled area, like a shopping mall, is a good idea.
Alan Umbright, medical director of SSM St. Joseph Health Center’s Emergency Department, said the department had not, as of Monday, received any patients with an illness related to the weekend’s heat wave. As temperatures will most likely continue to rise as the summer progresses, Umbright said it’s important that people understand the warning signs for heat stroke and other heat-related illnesses.
“Most heat-related illnesses are the result of people being dehydrated,” he said. “The very young and the very old are the most susceptible, because they don’t have good defense mechanisms.”
Umbright said heat stroke usually occurs when the body reaches a temperature of 101 degrees or higher. He said signs of a heat stroke could include red, hot and dry skin, a fast heart rate, headache and nausea.
He suggested drinking at least 16 ounces of water each hour if spending an extended period of time in the heat, and to avoid drinking alcohol because it can cause further dehydration.
He said it’s imperative to check on elderly individuals that live alone, to make sure they are running their air conditioner or at least that they have the windows open during high temperatures.
The Mid-East Area Agency on Aging (MEAAA) offers a variety of services for seniors in St. Charles County and assists in operating senior centers in St. Charles, St. Peters, O’Fallon and Wentzville.
Sandy Bohler, director of senior services in St. Charles County, said MEAAA operates four “cooling centers” at each of the senior centers during heat warnings for people over 60 years of age. Bohler said seniors who are feeling over-heated can call 636.207.1323 to be picked up and transported to the nearest senior center to cool off and be re-hydrated.
She said MEAAA would also loan out air conditioners to people over 60 during a heat warning. Call 636.207.1323 for information on borrowing an air conditioner.
The Salvation Army also operates a cooling center at its facility at 1 William Booth Drive in O’Fallon. Mary DeKeuster, a spokeswoman for the center, said the cooling center would be open from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. during heat warnings. For more information about services provided by The Salvation Army, call 636.240.4969.
This story may be available for an Adobe Acrobat PDF download. Click on the link below to visit the site download center. If a PDF is available, the file will automatically open in your browser.
|
|
|