TEMPERATURES RISING - The National Weather Service has issued a Heat advisory in effect until Friday evening. That means a prolonged period of dangerously hot temperatures for the Red River Radio Listening area and when combined with high humidity, it will feel like temperatures are anywhere from 105 to 110 degrees, that’s the heat index. Lisa May is a hydro-meteorological technician with the National Weather Service office in Shreveport. She explains what’s causing this heat wave.
"We've got what they call a ridge setting in on us and it's just that summertime heat that's coming in and it's actually a little late for us," May explained. "We're going to see temperatures nearing that 100 degree mark over the next few days and that's going to bring those heat indices up anywhere from a 105 to 110 degrees today, tomorrow and probably the next few days after that as well."
Hot temperatures combined with high humidity will create a potential for heat illnesses …things like heat exhaustion or deadly heat stroke. These conditions can be confusing so it helps to have some idea of what to look for. During our last bout of super-hot weather…I spoke with Dr. Todd Thoma, coroner for Caddo Parish who is also Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in Shreveport. Dr. Thoma explained the symptoms and differences of heat-related illnesses.
"People will develop symptoms that are very similar to the flu," Thoma explained. "They'll have headache and body ache, a lot of times you can mistake it for the flu but it's not, it's a heat related illness."
Simple things people can do to prevent a heat related illness is to stay hydrated, wear loose clothing and limit outdoor physical activity to cooler times of the day such as early morning or late afternoon/early evening.
Public Safety Officials ask to be mindful of elderly relatives, friends and neighbors and check in on them to make sure they’re staying cool and hydrated also. And don’t forget our four-legged friends either; make sure pets have plenty of shade and water. And you should never leave a pet or child in a parked car. Lisa Lange, Senior Vice President of Persons for the Ethical Treatment for Animals explains.
"A lot of people don't know that children and dogs can succumb to heat stroke and die in the in the short amount of time it takes to run that quick errand even if the car is parked in the shade," Lange said. "Even on a 78 degree day the temperature in a parked car can soar to 100 degrees in just minutes, and on a 90 degree day the temperature can reach as high as 109 degrees."
Lange recommends that if you encounter a car with a child or animal inside and the air conditioner is not running to contact animal welfare or emergency services by calling 911 and stay with the car until help arrives. The safety organization Kids and Cars,says an average of 38 children die each year in hot cars. And PETA says many animals die too but the numbers often go unreported. And even if you don’t have kids or pets, always check the backseat of your car… as young children are known to climb into parked cars unbeknownst to the owner… so check the backseat before you lock up.
