During an extreme heat event, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that you
DO:
✔ Use air conditioners or spend time in air-conditioned places, such as cooling centers, malls, or libraries.
✔ Use electric fans to provide comfort when the temperature is below 95°F.18 Fans can make sweat evaporate more quickly from your body. More evaporation means more heat can leave your body.
✔ Take a cool shower or bath to help cool off.
✔ Minimize direct exposure to the sun.
✔ Stay hydrated—drink water or beverages without caffeine, sugar, or alcohol throughout the day.
✔ Eat light, cool, and easy-to-digest foods such as fruit or salads.
✔ Wear loose-fitting, light-colored clothes.
✔ Know the symptoms of heat-related illnesses and the appropriate responses.
✔ Check the local news for health and safety updates
DON'T:
✖ Leave children, pets, or persons with mobility problems alone in cars for any amount of time.
✖ Drink alcohol to try to stay cool.
✖ Use the stove or oven to cook—it will make you and your house hotter.
✖ Eat heavy, hot, or hard-to-digest foods.
✖ Wear heavy, dark clothing, which absorbs heat from the sun.
✖ Exercise outdoors during the hottest hours of the day (usually 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.).
✖ Use an electric fan when the temperature is over 95°F. When the temperature is in the mid-90s or higher, electric fans will not prevent heat-related illness