Beat the Heat

From our friends at CRESA (Clark Regional Emergency Services Agency)

The last couple days, My mailbox has been in overdrive with alerts first of a heat and fire advisories, watches and now warnings. I wanted to take a moment to break this down and share what this really means to you.


Unless you have been living in a Cave the past few days it would be hard to miss the news of a few warm days starting today in the Greater Metro area. Today in the mid 90's and around 100 for Thursday and Friday followed up by another warm day on Saturday. The biggest concerns are for Thursday and Friday when temps are supposed to top 100 degrees. The high temps along with very low humidity, along with a few other factors tied into models have caused the National Weather Service (NWS) to issue not only and Excessive Heat Warning, but a Red Flag Warning for Thursday and Friday.

So what does an Excessive Heat Warning Mean?

This means, well, it's gonna be a little warmer here in the Pacific Northwest over the next few days than we are used to. In fact I heard them talking on the news last night, that is has been a few years since the Metro area has seen more than one consecutive day over the century mark.

Stay Hydrated: The number one thing you can do during these hotter days is drink plenty of water. As a person becomes more dehydrated, they become more susceptible to Heat Exhaustion and Heat Stroke.

Look Out for your Neighbors: People over 65, young children, pets, and those working outside are the most susceptible to being overcome by a heat related illness. Keep an eye out for someone who may be showing signs of becoming overheated. Don't forget to check in on neighbors, especially it they fit in to one of the categories listed above.

Hang Out Where its Cool! If you do not have A/C, there are numerous places you can go to cool down. What a better way to beat the heat than a little shopping in an area shopping mall, or taking in that newest released hit movie, relaxing with a classic at your nearest library, and more. Be creative Even Jump on C-Tran! Take a bus ride to explore a new area of the city and cool down as needed.

Don't let the heat overshadow the Red Flag Warning we also have in the region. This means conditions are ideal for fire danger. High temps accompanied by low humidity and winds create conditions where even the smallest of sparks can easily ignite a wild fire that can quickly erupt. Please be safe if working with equipment or anything that can easily create a spark.