If you don’t have air conditioning, or know someone that doesn’t, please follow the guidelines below to protect against heat when temperatures rise. The heat can be very dangerous.
1. Anyone that does not have air conditioning should get out of the house and into a cooled area for at least a couple of hours each day. Ask a friend to take you to the mall or go to a courthouse or another public building. If you don’t have anyone to call or anywhere nearby to go, call a local church. Many have hospitality areas that they will open to the public, and they may even provide transportation. If you know someone that doesn’t have home cooling and can’t or doesn’t drive, please check on that person during hot weather and offer to get him or her out of the house and to someplace cool for a while.
2. When you can’t get out, take a cool bath or at least a cool shower to lower your body temperature. Do not use really cold water, as it could cause your temperature to drop too quickly or lead to shock. Set the water to a comfortably cool temperature and take a nice soak. Splash cool water on your face and neck throughout the day. Wetting your hair down or keep your clothing dampened with cool water can also help.
3. Drink plenty of cool liquids, especially water, to stay well hydrated. You can lose over half a gallon of water per day during hot weather, and dehydration can be serious.
4. If you don’t have even a fan, call local agencies to see if you can get one at a discounted rate or free of charge. If you have a fan, or when you get one, set up a simple “swamp cooler.” Make some ice in plastic bottles or cups, by filling them about 2/3 of the way with water and freezing them. Place ice in a pan or shallow dish, to catch condensation and melted ice. Set the pan of ice in front of the fan. The air will be blown through the ice, cooling the air somewhat. This will only work to cool a small area, so sit near the fan. Also, close other doors or hang blankets over doorways. A swamp cooler will not cool your entire home, so choose a small room, and try to remain in that area as much as possible. If you have more than one fan, set up additional coolers. Fill whatever you can with water to make ice so you’ll have more ice available when the first batch melts. If you run out of ice, continue blowing the fan over the cool water.
*People that don’t have access to air conditioning may not have internet access either, so please share these tips with people who can use them.