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Social Media: Heat Safety

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Social Media: Heat Safety
#WeatherReady #KeepYourCool

 

Please help the National Weather Service spread these important safety messages on social media! Everyone is welcome to use the text and images provided below to help the NWS build a Weather-Ready Nation. 

Prepare now for the heat season. Learn where you can go to stay cool if needed. If you think you may need to go to a public cooling shelter, check with local authorities to see which ones are open this year. When cooling off from extreme heat at a public cooling shelter, the CDC recommends that you protect yourself and others by staying at least 6 feet from other people when possible and wearing a cloth face covering.

Keep in mind you may need to adjust your plans based on the latest health and safety guidelines from the CDC and your local officials. Cooling shelters may need to take your temperature or ask questions about how you are feeling.

What Weather-Ready Looks Like: Hot Cars

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What does being Weather-Ready look like? When it comes to vehicle heat safety, it means caregivers and parents setting reminders and always looking before they lock. Learn more heat safety and preparedness tips at weather.gov/safety/heat

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What does being #WeatherReady look like? When it comes to vehicle heat safety, it means caregivers and parents setting reminders and always looking before they lock. Learn more heat safety and preparedness tips at weather.gov/safety/heat

What does Weather-Ready look like? During heat: Responsible caregivers and parents never leaving the vulnerable alone in vehicles, and always looking before they lock.

 

Survivor Story: Dehydration

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"I chose to hike alone, without water, and I did not check the weather. When I returned, I was clammy, shaking, ash gray, had a splitting headache and felt nauseous. It took over a day to recover." weather.gov/heat

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"I chose to hike alone, without water, and I did not check the weather. When I returned, I was clammy, shaking, ash gray, had a splitting headache and felt nauseous. It took over a day to recover." weather.gov/heat #WeatherReady

I decided to hike Mt. Talac, 10 miles, often running. I chose to hike alone, without water, and I did not check the weather. When I returned, I was clammy, shaking, ash gray, had a splitting headache and felt nauseous. It took over a day to recover. Don't be lazy. Always have plenty of water. Quote from Sabrina, Lake Tahoe, California, 1991

 

During Extreme Heat

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Heat is the leading cause of weather-related deaths in most years. Protect yourself during extreme heat and stay Weather-Ready. weather.gov/heat

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Heat is the leading cause of weather-related deaths in most years. Protect yourself during extreme heat and stay #WeatherReady. weather.gov/heat

During Extreme Heat: Find air conditioning. Avoid strenuous activities. Wear light clothing. Check on family members and neighbors. Drink plenty of water. Watch for heat cramps, exhaustion, and stroke. Never leave people or pets in a closed car.

 

Look Before You Lock

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51 kids died in 2019 by being left in a vehicle. Most are under 3 years old. Many were forgotten by a caregiver. weather.gov/safety/heat-children-pets

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On average, 38 kids die each year by being left in a vehicle. Most are under 3 years old. Many were forgotten by a caregiver. weather.gov/safety/heat-children-pets #LookBeforeYouLock #WeatherReady

Look Before You Lock! Hot Cars and Children Safety. 38 kids die each year by being left in an unattended vehicle. 88% are ages of 3 & under. 54% were forgotten by a caregiver. 100% of these deaths can be avoided! Statistics courtesy of www.noheatstroke.org

 

Pet Heat Safety

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Animals can die of heatstroke within 15 minutes, and cracking the car windows doesn’t help. NEVER leave your pets in parked vehicles. weather.gov/safety/heat-children-pets

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Animals can die of heatstroke within 15 minutes, and cracking the car windows doesn’t help. NEVER leave your pets in parked vehicles. weather.gov/safety/heat-children-pets#WeatherReady

Pet Heat Safety: Save a pet's life in a hot car. Animals can die of heatstroke within 15 minutes. Cracking the windows does not help, the inside still gets dangerously hot. During hot weather, keep your pets at home. If you see a pet in an uattended vehicle, do not leave until the problem has been resolved.

 

After the Sun Goes Down

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Even after the sun goes down, heat can be a real danger - especially in large cities. Dark pavement and buildings are very effective at absorbing heat. Stay Weather-Ready by always practicing heat safety, no matter the time of day. weather.gov/heat

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Even after the sun goes down, heat can be a real danger - especially in large cities. Dark pavement and buildings are very effective at absorbing heat. Stay #WeatherReady by always practicing heat safety, no matter the time of day. weather.gov/heat

Excessive Heat: dangerous even after the sun goes down. Large cities often experience higher temperatures than surrounding areas because of all the heat-absorptive surfaces, such as dark pavement and buildings. This is known as an urban heat island. The upper floors of brick buildings are particularly susceptible to the dangers of excessive heat without air conditioning, because they retain heat after the sun goes down. The strong influence of the urban heat island on nighttime temperatures limits the ability of people to cool down and recover the heat of the next day.

 

Excessive Heat

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Stay Weather-Ready from the dangers of excessive heat. Learn how to protect yourself and your loved ones at weather.gov/heat #HeatSafety

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Stay #WeatherReady from the dangers of excessive heat. Learn how to protect yourself and your loved ones at weather.gov/heat #HeatSafety

Excessive Heat: Why is excessive heat so dangerous? Heat becomes especially dangerous if it lingers for more than one day. Hot days and warm nights don’t give our bodies time to cool down. Heat islands can intensify extreme hot weather, which can cause breathing problems, heat cramps, heat stroke, and may lead to illness or even death. What can you do? Check on your friends, family and neighbors during heat waves. Wear light, loose-fitting clothing and drink water often. Don't wait until you are thirsty. Avoid unnecessary hard work or activities if you are outside or in a building without air-conditioning. Stay in an air-conditioned area. Air conditioning is the strongest protective factor against heat-related illness.

 

Heat Symptoms

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During hot and humid weather, your body's ability to cool itself is challenged. When your body heats too rapidly to cool itself properly, or when too much fluid or salt is lost through dehydration or sweating, you may experience a heat-related illness. Learn the symptoms of excessive heat exposure and the appropriate responses. weather.gov/safety/heat-illness

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Learn the symptoms of excessive heat exposure and the appropriate responses.
weather.gov/safety/heat-illness #WeatherReady

Heat Symptoms: Heat Exhaustion: faint or dizzy; excessive sweating; cool, pale, clammy skin; nausea or vomiting; rapid, weak pulse; muscle cramps. Get to a cooler, air conditioned place. Drink water if fully conscious. Take a cool shower or use cold compress. Heat Stroke: throbbing headache; no sweating; body temperature above 103 degrees; red, hot, dry skin; nausea or vomiting; rapid, strong pulse; you may lose consciousness. Call 911 - take immediate action to cool the person until help arrives.

 

Record Highs by State

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Do you know your state’s hottest recorded temperature? In California, that was 134°F on July 10, 1913 in Death Valley. In fact, that is the hottest air temperature ever recorded on Earth. The next two highest U.S. recorded temperatures both came on June 9, 1994 in Arizona (128°F) and Nevada (125°F). To view your state’s highest temperature (along with other extreme weather records), visit ncdc.noaa.gov/extremes/scec/records

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Do you know your state’s hottest recorded temperature? In California, that was 134°F on July 10, 1913 in Death Valley. To view your state’s highest temperature (along with other extreme weather records), visit ncdc.noaa.gov/extremes/scec/records

What are the record highs by state? California: 134 degrees F (July 10, 1913). Arizona: 128 degrees F (June 29, 1994). Nevada: 125 degrees F (June 29, 1994)

 

Heat Wave

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Heat is the leading cause of weather-related fatalities each year. A heat wave is a period of abnormally hot and sometimes humid weather, generally lasting more than a couple of days. Heat waves have the potential to cover a large area, exposing a high number of people to a hazardous combination of heat and humidity, which can be very taxing on the body. Learn how to stay safe during a heat wave at www.weather.gov/heatsafety

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Heat wave: a period of abnormally hot & humid weather, lasting 2+ days. www.weather.gov/heat #WeatherReady

What is a heat wave? Abnormally hot and humid weather lasting at least 2 days. Heat waves can occur anywhere in the country and cause heat illness or even death.

 

Heat Safety Infographic

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Heat is typically the leading cause of weather-related fatalities each year. Heat waves have the potential to cover a large area, exposing a high number of people to a hazardous combination of heat and humidity, which can be very taxing on the body. Learn how to stay safe during a heat wave at weather.gov/heat

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During a heat wave, practice heat safety wherever you are. Heat related deaths and illnesses are preventable! #WeatherReady www.weather.gov/heat

Practice Heat Safety wherever you are. Job Sites: stay hydrated and take breaks in the shade as often as possible. Indoors: Check up on the elderly, sick and those without AC. Vehicles: Never leave kids or pets unattended - LOOK before you LOCK. Outdoors: Limit strenuous outdoor activities, find shade, and stay hydrated. Heat-related deaths are preventable. Protect yourself and others from the impacts of heat waves.

 

Auto Safety Infographic

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Never, never, never leave children, disabled or elderly adults, or pets in parked, unattended vehicles! Studies have shown that the temperature inside a parked vehicle can rapidly rise to dangerous levels for people and pets. Leaving the windows slightly open does not significantly decrease the heating rate. The effects can be more severe on children because their bodies have not developed the ability to efficiently regulate internal temperature. weather.gov/safety/heat-children-pets

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Never, Never, NEVER leave children, disabled adults, or pets in parked, unattended vehicles! weather.gov/safety/heat-children-pets #WeatherReady

Heat-Related Deaths ARE Preventable. LOOK BEFORE YOU LOCK. The temperature in your car can quickly become deadly!

 

Sunburn Safety

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Spending time in the sun on vacation this spring? Apply plenty of sunscreen! Also keep in mind that heat-related illness is a possibility if you don’t take certain precautions. Find out more about heat-related illnesses and how to prevent them at weather.gov/heat

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Spending time in the sun? Apply sunscreen and avoid heat-related illness: weather.gov/heat #WeatherReady

Don't Forget the Sunscreen

 

4 Questions before working outdoors

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Four questions you need to ask yourself before working or playing outdoors: Do you have enough water? Do you have temporary shade available? Do you know the symptoms of heat illness? Do you know who to call in an emergency? www.osha.gov/heat

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Four questions you need to ask yourself prior to working or playing outdoors. www.osha.gov/heat #WeatherReady

4 Questions before working outdoors: 1. Do you have enough water? 2. Do you have temporary shade available? 3. Do you know the symptoms of heat illness? 3. Do you know who to call in an emergency?

 

Protect Yourself

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When it is hot, wear lightweight, loose-fitting and light-colored clothing to reflect heat and sunlight. Hats are also a good idea to protect your face and scalp from harmful UV rays if you will be spending time directly in the sunshine. Also, don’t forget to apply sunscreen liberally. www.weather.gov/heatsafety

Twitter
Find out how to dress for the weather www.weather.gov/heatsafety #WeatherReady

Protect yourself from the heat when outside: Drink plenty of water. Apply sunscreen regularly. Dress in lightweight and light-colored clothing. Take breaks in the shade.

 

Heat Index

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Did you know the air temperature can actually feel hotter than what the thermometer reads? The Heat Index is a measure of how hot it really feels when relative humidity is factored in. To find out how hot it feels, you can use the pictured chart or the Heat Index calculator found at: weather.gov/safety/heat-index

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The Heat Index tells you how hot it feels with humidity. weather.gov/safety/heat-index #WeatherReady

Pictured: Heat Index