North Carolina’s heat season runs from May 1 to Sept. 30 each year, and the state has launched an effort to raise awareness about the dangers that high temperatures pose to people’s health.
North Carolina Heat Safety Week, which began Monday and ends Friday, highlights resources to keep residents and visitors safe from extreme heat, Gov. Josh Stein’s office announced Monday.
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“Being resilient to extreme heat means understanding how it can affect you and your community,” Stein in the release. “All North Carolinians can take actions to protect themselves and their families, employers can protect their workers, and local governments can protect their residents. Our state agencies and local governments are working hard to help keep people cool and safe.”
Officials said in the release that heat-related illness and death are largely preventable.
“Recognizing the symptoms of heat illness is key to preventing serious complications, including death. Some signs and symptoms include heavy sweating, paleness, muscle cramps, racing or weak pulse, dizziness, headache, fainting, and nausea or vomiting. Awareness of extreme heat events can help people take the necessary steps to keep themselves safe,” they added.
While heat-related illnesses can affect anyone regardless of age or physical condition, those who live or work outside, are pregnant, children, older, athletes, low income or with underlying health conditions are at a disproportionate risk of experiencing adverse health effects.
“As our summer days and nights stay warmer for longer, it’s critical that all North Carolinians learn about the symptoms of heat illness and the steps to take to cool down,” North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality Secretary Reid Wilson said. “DEQ’s State Resilience Office is working closely with local governments to help them identify strategies to help manage extreme heat.”
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The state highlighted State Resilience Office programs to help communities plan for extreme heat, including the Heat Action Plan Toolkit, the Planning for Extreme Heat Cohort and NC Resilience Exchange website, which provides a complete collection of resources to help local and state leaders easily find information and data to support resilience planning.
The health department offers the NC Heat Health Alert System, a free email service to alert when dangerous heat is in the forecast. The emails alert recipients of when the daily maximum heat index is expected to reach dangerous levels.
“As we see the number of heat-related emergency department visits continue to increase, it is important that you and your loved ones stay weather-aware as the temperatures rise,” said N.C. Health and Human Services Secretary Dev Sangvai. “We encourage everyone to sign up for the heat health alerts, know the symptoms of heat-related illness and protect your health this summer.”
Additionally, Operation Fan Heat Relief is underway now through Oct. 31. Contact the local aging agency to see if they qualify for a free fan for the hot summer months.
