The American Red Cross of Tennessee Region warns that excessive heat has caused more deaths than all other weather events, including floods in recent years. A heat wave is a prolonged period of excessive heat, generally 10 degrees or more above average, often combined with excessive humidity.
Tennesseans should be aware of weather terms when a heat wave is predicted in your community:
Excessive Heat Watch - Conditions are favorable for an excessive heat event to meet or exceed
local Excessive Heat Warning criteria in the next 24 to 72 hours.
Heat Advisory - Heat Index values are forecasted to meet locally defined advisory criteria for 1
to 2 days (daytime highs= 100-105° Fahrenheit).
Excessive Heat Warning - Heat Index values are forecasted to meet or exceed locally defined
warning criteria for at least 2 days (daytime highs= 105-110° Fahrenheit).
What to do during a heatwave warning:
• Listen to local weather forecasts and stay aware of upcoming temperature changes.
• Be aware of both the temperature and the heat index. The heat index is the temperature the
body feels when the effects of heat and humidity are combined.
• Discuss heat safety precautions with members of your household. Have a plan for wherever
you spend time— home, work, and school—and prepare for power outages.
• Check the contents of your emergency disaster kit in case a power outage occurs.
• Know those in your neighborhood who are elderly, young, sick, or overweight. They are more
likely to become victims of excessive heat and may need help.
• If you do not have air conditioning, choose places you could go to for relief from the heat
during the warmest part of the day (schools, libraries, theaters, malls).
• Be aware that people living in urban areas may be at greater risk from the effects of a
prolonged heat wave than are people living in rural areas.
• Get trained in First Aid at your local Red Cross chapter to learn how to treat heat-related emergencies.
• Ensure that your animals' needs for water and shade are met.
• Listen to a NOAA Weather Radio for critical updates from the National Weather Service
(NWS).
• Never leave children or pets alone in enclosed vehicles.
• Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids even if you do not feel thirsty. Avoid drinking caffeine or alcohol.
• Eat small meals and eat more often.
• Avoid extreme temperature changes.
• Wear loose-fitting, lightweight, light-colored clothing. Avoid dark colors because they absorb
the sun’s rays.
• Slow down, stay indoors and avoid strenuous exercise during the hottest part of the day.
• Postpone outdoor games and activities.
• Use a buddy system when working in excessive heat.
• Take frequent breaks if you must work outdoors.
• Check on family, friends and neighbors who do not have air conditioning, who spend much of their time alone or who are more likely to be affected by the heat.
• Check on your animals frequently to ensure that they are not suffering from the heat.
Download the free Red Cross Emergency App, which features expert advice on how to prepare, respond and recover from hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, and other disasters and features real-time local alerts for severe weather and hazards, including a map with local Red Cross shelters. Search “Red Cross Emergency” in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.
If you would like more health and safety tips this summer go to the American Red Cross of the Tennessee Region website at RedCross.org/Tennessee. You can find a handy checklist for beating the summertime heat online.
About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members, and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org/Tennessee or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCrossTN. The American Red Cross Tennessee Region serves all 95 counties in Tennessee, Crittenden County in Arkansas and Desoto and Tunica counties in Mississippi. The Tennessee Region – part of a nationwide network of locally supported chapters - is comprised of the following eight Red Cross chapters: East Tennessee, Heart of Tennessee, Mid-South, Mid-West Tennessee, Nashville Area, Southeast Tennessee, Northeast Tennessee and Tennessee River.
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