Hot Weather Precautions
Important Heat Information
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...for information on cooling sites, telephone reassurance services for those who are at risk, air conditioning units for those with medical conditions and financial assistance for energy bills. Please call the United Way of Greater St. Louis Information and Referral Services at the number above for a referral to the Operation Weather Survival affiliate offering the services you need. A list of cooling sites is also available here
Operation Weather Survival (OWS) is a network of public and private organizations that work together to prevent illness and death caused by extreme hot or cold weather and ground level ozone (smog).
People at risk from heat can be enrolled in TelAssure, a telephone reassurance program to check on them. The TelAssure line is available 24 hours a day at
1 800 821-3366 .
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Surviving Summer in Saint Louis County
- Stay in the coolest environment available. Use an air conditioner if it is available. When using a fan, keep windows open on the shady side and use the fan to ventilate living quarters. Spend time in air-conditioned public places if no air conditioning is available and temperatures are above 95 degrees.
- Drink plenty of cool water and other iced non-alcoholic and non-caffeine liquids.
- Eat regularly, but eat light, easily digested food, avoiding hot, heavy meals. Limit cooking to keep indoor temperatures down.
- Dress in loose-fitting, lightweight and light-colored natural fiber clothing. Wear a hat to protect your head from the sun.
- Limit activity in the middle of the day when temperatures are highest. Adjust working hours for those working outdoors or in non-air conditioned buildings whenever possible, and provide frequent breaks with plenty of fluids.
- Bathe or shower frequently in cool water.
- If you have cardiovascular disease, do not increase salt or potassium intake without consulting your doctor. Check all medications with your doctor or pharmacist for increased risk of heat related illness.
- If you feel unusually weak, dizzy or confused, call your doctor or
911.
- Check regularly on elderly, chronically ill or incapacitated relatives, neighbors and friends who do not have air conditioning.
- If you are age 60 or older, have been sick lately, or live alone without air conditioning, it is strongly recommended that you go to an air conditioned place for at least several hours each day when a heat warning is in effect. For a cooling site near you, call Operation Weather Survival at 1-800-427-4626.
- Check our Tips for keeping summer food safe.
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