“What makes this statistic especially distressing is that heat illnesses are quite preventable,” said Lucinda Parker, public information officer with HSEMD. “When the temperature rises, it’s important to stay hydrated, stay cool, and as much as possible, stay indoors.”

Parker said if you must be outdoors when it’s very hot to try and seek shade or wear a wide-brimmed hat. Staying hydrated means drinking plenty of water, and limiting your alcohol intake. “Alcoholic beverages may seem to quench your thirst, but they actually cause your body to be more dehydrated,” she advised.

In addition, it’s important to protect pets and children from the heat. Fur coats can be hot! Keeping your dog or cat’s hair trimmed to around an inch will go a long way to keeping them cooler in hot weather. And, leaving children or pets in a car, even when the temperature doesn’t seem very warm, can be lethal.

“Studies have shown the temperature in an enclosed vehicle can rise 20 degrees in as few as 10 minutes, and ‘cracking’ a window will have little effect in keeping the interior of a car cool,” Parker stated. “Leave pets at home, and make sure all children in your car have exited when you do.”

“Beat the heat – check the backseat!” she added.

The Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management leads, coordinates and supports homeland security and emergency management functions in order to establish sustainable communities and ensure economic opportunities for Iowa and its citizens.

    
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Brochures, fact sheets, posters, graphics, and audio actualities about heat safety are available for download on the Ready Iowa and National Weather Service websites. Additional information can be found on social media, including Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube throughout the summer using hashtag ‪#‎BeatTheHeat‬ and ‪#‎IAwx‬ and ‪#‎summersafety‬.