Post by SKYSUMMIT on May 23, 2014 6:59:56 GMT -6
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
747 AM CDT FRI MAY 23 2014
...TODAY IS NATIONAL HEAT AWARENESS DAY...
HEAT IS A MAJOR WEATHER KILLER. ACCORDING TO THE TEN YEAR NATIONAL
AVERAGE HEAT CAUSES MORE WEATHER FATALITIES THAN
LIGHTNING...TORNADOES AND FLOODING. SOME OF THE BIGGER HEATWAVES IN
HISTORY HAVE CLAIMED HUNDREDS OF LIVES. IN 2013 THERE WERE 92 DEATHS
NATIONWIDE FROM HEAT. IN THE LAST 10 YEARS THERE HAVE BEEN 123
DEATHS ON AVERAGE. THE MOST VULNERABLE GROUPS TO HEAT ARE THE
ELDERLY...THE YOUNG AND OUR PETS. FOLLOWING A FEW SIMPLE PRECAUTIONS
CAN GREATLY REDUCE YOUR RISK OF GETTING A HEAT RELATED ILLNESS OR
DISORDER. THE FIRST STEP IS TO KNOW AND UNDERSTAND SOME HEAT TERMS.
A COMMON HEAT TERM HEARD IN THE SOUTH DURING THE SUMMER IS HEAT
INDEX. THE HEAT INDEX IS A MEASURE OF HOW HOT IT FEELS WHEN THE
HUMIDITY IS ADDED TO THE AIR TEMPERATURE. A HOTTER TEMPERATURE
COMBINED WITH HIGHER HUMIDITY WILL RESULT IN A HIGHER HEAT INDEX.
WHEN THE HEAT INDEX REACHES GREATER THAN 105 DEGREES AND OVERNIGHT
LOWS DO NOT DROP BELOW THE MID 70S THEN A HEAT ADVISORY WILL BE
ISSUED. LIKEWISE...WHEN THE HEAT INDEX REACHES GREATER THAN 110
DEGREES FOR TWO CONSECUTIVE DAYS OR MORE AND THE OVERNIGHT
TEMPERATURES DO NOT DROP BELOW THE MID 70S...THEN AN EXCESSIVE HEAT
WARNING IS ISSUED.
AS THE TEMPERATURE AND HEAT INDEX RISE SO DOES THE LIKELIHOOD FOR
HEAT DISORDERS. HEAT DISORDERS OCCUR WHEN YOUR BODY IS UNABLE TO
SHED HEAT EITHER BY CIRCULATORY CHANGES OR SWEATING. HEAT DISORDERS
CAN INCLUDE SUNBURNS...HEAT CRAMPS...HEAT EXHAUSTION AND THE VERY
SERIOUS HEAT STROKE.
WHEN IT IS HOT OUTSIDE...HERE ARE SOME HEAT SAFETY TIPS.
-SLOW DOWN! AVOID PERFORMING STRENUOUS ACTIVITIES DURING THE HOTTEST
PART OF THE DAY. WAIT TO PERFORM THIS DURING THE COOLEST
PART...WHICH IS USUALLY THE EARLY MORNINGS OR IN THE LATE EVENING
HOURS.
-SPEND AS MUCH TIME AS POSSIBLE IN AIR CONDITIONED PLACES. IF YOU DO
NOT HAVE AIR CONDITIONING...GO TO A LIBRARY...STORE OR ANY AIR
CONDITIONED BUILDING FOR THE HOTTEST PART OF THE DAY.
-DRESS FOR SUMMER. WEAR LIGHT WEIGHT...LIGHT COLOR CLOTHES THAT
REFLECT HEAT AND SUNLIGHT. THIS WILL HELP TO MAINTAIN YOUR BODY
TEMPERATURE.
-DRINK PLENTY OF WATER OR NON CAFFEINATED FLUIDS. DRINK THESE EVEN
IF YOU DO NOT FEEL THIRSTY. AVOID CAFFEINE AND ALCOHOL AS THESE ONLY
WORK TO DEHYDRATE YOUR BODY.
ONE OF THE BIGGEST CONCERNS REGARDING HEAT SAFETY IS THE GROWING
NUMBER OF CHILD DEATHS FROM HYPERTHERMIA. HYPERTHERMIA IS A
CONDITION THAT OCCURS WHEN THE BODY ABSORBS MORE HEAT THAN IT CAN
DISSIPATE. WHILE THIS CAN OCCUR IN ANYONE OF ANY AGE...THIS
PRIMARILY OCCURS IN CHILDREN THAT HAVE BEEN LEFT IN CARS ON HOT
DAYS. THE TEMPERATURE INSIDE A PARKED CAR CAN RISE VERY RAPIDLY---AS
MUCH AS 43 DEGREES IN ONLY AN HOUR. IF THE TEMPERATURE BEGINS AT 80
DEGREES...THIS CAN BRING THE CAR TEMPERATURE TO WELL OVER 120
DEGREES! IT HAS BEEN FOUND THAT EVEN LEAVING WINDOWS CRACKED DOES
NOT SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE THE HEATING RATE. THIS IS MOST SEVERE ON
CHILDREN BECAUSE THEIR BODIES WARM AT A RATE ABOUT 3 TO 5 TIMES
FASTER THAN ADULTS.
SINCE 1998...THERE HAVE BEEN OVER 600 CHILD DEATHS FROM
HYPERTHERMIA...WITH AN AVERAGE OF 38 PER YEAR. IN 2013...THERE WERE
44 CHILD VEHICULAR HYPERTHERMIA DEATHS NATIONWIDE AND 5 HAVE ALREADY
OCCURRED THIS YEAR. MORE THAN HALF OF THE DEATHS HAVE OCCURRED WITH
CHILDREN THAT ARE LESS THAN 2 YEARS OLD. FATALITIES HAVE OCCURRED IN
ALL BUT 4 STATES ACROSS THE NATION. THE MOST COMMON CAUSE OF THESE
FATALITIES IS FROM BEING FORGOTTEN BY THE CAREGIVER...AND THE CHILD
PLAYING IN AN UNATTENDED CAR BEING THE SECOND HIGHEST CAUSE. PER 1
MILLION PEOPLE 14 YEARS AND YOUNGER IN THE UNITED
STATES...MISSISSIPPI...ARKANSAS AND LOUISIANA ARE RANKED IN THE TOP
FIVE FOR CHILD HYPERTHERMIA DEATHS. IN 2013...TWO FATALITIES
OCCURRED IN MISSISSIPPI AND ONE OCCURRED IN LOUISIANA.
HERE ARE WAYS TO PROTECT CHILDREN FROM BEING ANOTHER STATISTIC:
-NEVER LEAVE A CHILD UNATTENDED IN A CAR...EVEN WITH THE WINDOWS
DOWN OR EVEN FOR JUST A FEW MINUTES.
-TEACH CHILDREN NOT TO PLAY IN...ON OR AROUND CARS.
-ALWAYS LOCK CAR DOORS AND TRUNKS AND KEEP THE KEYS OUT OF YOUR
CHILDS REACH.
-ALWAYS MAKE SURE ALL CHILD PASSENGERS HAVE LEFT THE CAR WHEN YOU
REACH YOUR DESTINATION. DONT FORGET ABOUT SLEEPING INFANTS.
-TRY PLACING YOUR PURSE OR BRIEFCASE IN THE BACKSEAT WITH THE CHILD.
THIS WAY...YOU WONT FORGET ABOUT THE CHILD IN THE CAR.
-AS WITH CHILDREN...NEVER LEAVE YOUR PET IN THE CAR AS PETS ARE JUST
AS VULNERABLE TO THE HEAT.
-IF YOU SEE A CHILD IN AN UNATTENDED CAR...CALL 9-1-1. JUST
REMEMBER, BEAT THE HEAT, CHECK THE BACKSEAT!
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
747 AM CDT FRI MAY 23 2014
...TODAY IS NATIONAL HEAT AWARENESS DAY...
HEAT IS A MAJOR WEATHER KILLER. ACCORDING TO THE TEN YEAR NATIONAL
AVERAGE HEAT CAUSES MORE WEATHER FATALITIES THAN
LIGHTNING...TORNADOES AND FLOODING. SOME OF THE BIGGER HEATWAVES IN
HISTORY HAVE CLAIMED HUNDREDS OF LIVES. IN 2013 THERE WERE 92 DEATHS
NATIONWIDE FROM HEAT. IN THE LAST 10 YEARS THERE HAVE BEEN 123
DEATHS ON AVERAGE. THE MOST VULNERABLE GROUPS TO HEAT ARE THE
ELDERLY...THE YOUNG AND OUR PETS. FOLLOWING A FEW SIMPLE PRECAUTIONS
CAN GREATLY REDUCE YOUR RISK OF GETTING A HEAT RELATED ILLNESS OR
DISORDER. THE FIRST STEP IS TO KNOW AND UNDERSTAND SOME HEAT TERMS.
A COMMON HEAT TERM HEARD IN THE SOUTH DURING THE SUMMER IS HEAT
INDEX. THE HEAT INDEX IS A MEASURE OF HOW HOT IT FEELS WHEN THE
HUMIDITY IS ADDED TO THE AIR TEMPERATURE. A HOTTER TEMPERATURE
COMBINED WITH HIGHER HUMIDITY WILL RESULT IN A HIGHER HEAT INDEX.
WHEN THE HEAT INDEX REACHES GREATER THAN 105 DEGREES AND OVERNIGHT
LOWS DO NOT DROP BELOW THE MID 70S THEN A HEAT ADVISORY WILL BE
ISSUED. LIKEWISE...WHEN THE HEAT INDEX REACHES GREATER THAN 110
DEGREES FOR TWO CONSECUTIVE DAYS OR MORE AND THE OVERNIGHT
TEMPERATURES DO NOT DROP BELOW THE MID 70S...THEN AN EXCESSIVE HEAT
WARNING IS ISSUED.
AS THE TEMPERATURE AND HEAT INDEX RISE SO DOES THE LIKELIHOOD FOR
HEAT DISORDERS. HEAT DISORDERS OCCUR WHEN YOUR BODY IS UNABLE TO
SHED HEAT EITHER BY CIRCULATORY CHANGES OR SWEATING. HEAT DISORDERS
CAN INCLUDE SUNBURNS...HEAT CRAMPS...HEAT EXHAUSTION AND THE VERY
SERIOUS HEAT STROKE.
WHEN IT IS HOT OUTSIDE...HERE ARE SOME HEAT SAFETY TIPS.
-SLOW DOWN! AVOID PERFORMING STRENUOUS ACTIVITIES DURING THE HOTTEST
PART OF THE DAY. WAIT TO PERFORM THIS DURING THE COOLEST
PART...WHICH IS USUALLY THE EARLY MORNINGS OR IN THE LATE EVENING
HOURS.
-SPEND AS MUCH TIME AS POSSIBLE IN AIR CONDITIONED PLACES. IF YOU DO
NOT HAVE AIR CONDITIONING...GO TO A LIBRARY...STORE OR ANY AIR
CONDITIONED BUILDING FOR THE HOTTEST PART OF THE DAY.
-DRESS FOR SUMMER. WEAR LIGHT WEIGHT...LIGHT COLOR CLOTHES THAT
REFLECT HEAT AND SUNLIGHT. THIS WILL HELP TO MAINTAIN YOUR BODY
TEMPERATURE.
-DRINK PLENTY OF WATER OR NON CAFFEINATED FLUIDS. DRINK THESE EVEN
IF YOU DO NOT FEEL THIRSTY. AVOID CAFFEINE AND ALCOHOL AS THESE ONLY
WORK TO DEHYDRATE YOUR BODY.
ONE OF THE BIGGEST CONCERNS REGARDING HEAT SAFETY IS THE GROWING
NUMBER OF CHILD DEATHS FROM HYPERTHERMIA. HYPERTHERMIA IS A
CONDITION THAT OCCURS WHEN THE BODY ABSORBS MORE HEAT THAN IT CAN
DISSIPATE. WHILE THIS CAN OCCUR IN ANYONE OF ANY AGE...THIS
PRIMARILY OCCURS IN CHILDREN THAT HAVE BEEN LEFT IN CARS ON HOT
DAYS. THE TEMPERATURE INSIDE A PARKED CAR CAN RISE VERY RAPIDLY---AS
MUCH AS 43 DEGREES IN ONLY AN HOUR. IF THE TEMPERATURE BEGINS AT 80
DEGREES...THIS CAN BRING THE CAR TEMPERATURE TO WELL OVER 120
DEGREES! IT HAS BEEN FOUND THAT EVEN LEAVING WINDOWS CRACKED DOES
NOT SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE THE HEATING RATE. THIS IS MOST SEVERE ON
CHILDREN BECAUSE THEIR BODIES WARM AT A RATE ABOUT 3 TO 5 TIMES
FASTER THAN ADULTS.
SINCE 1998...THERE HAVE BEEN OVER 600 CHILD DEATHS FROM
HYPERTHERMIA...WITH AN AVERAGE OF 38 PER YEAR. IN 2013...THERE WERE
44 CHILD VEHICULAR HYPERTHERMIA DEATHS NATIONWIDE AND 5 HAVE ALREADY
OCCURRED THIS YEAR. MORE THAN HALF OF THE DEATHS HAVE OCCURRED WITH
CHILDREN THAT ARE LESS THAN 2 YEARS OLD. FATALITIES HAVE OCCURRED IN
ALL BUT 4 STATES ACROSS THE NATION. THE MOST COMMON CAUSE OF THESE
FATALITIES IS FROM BEING FORGOTTEN BY THE CAREGIVER...AND THE CHILD
PLAYING IN AN UNATTENDED CAR BEING THE SECOND HIGHEST CAUSE. PER 1
MILLION PEOPLE 14 YEARS AND YOUNGER IN THE UNITED
STATES...MISSISSIPPI...ARKANSAS AND LOUISIANA ARE RANKED IN THE TOP
FIVE FOR CHILD HYPERTHERMIA DEATHS. IN 2013...TWO FATALITIES
OCCURRED IN MISSISSIPPI AND ONE OCCURRED IN LOUISIANA.
HERE ARE WAYS TO PROTECT CHILDREN FROM BEING ANOTHER STATISTIC:
-NEVER LEAVE A CHILD UNATTENDED IN A CAR...EVEN WITH THE WINDOWS
DOWN OR EVEN FOR JUST A FEW MINUTES.
-TEACH CHILDREN NOT TO PLAY IN...ON OR AROUND CARS.
-ALWAYS LOCK CAR DOORS AND TRUNKS AND KEEP THE KEYS OUT OF YOUR
CHILDS REACH.
-ALWAYS MAKE SURE ALL CHILD PASSENGERS HAVE LEFT THE CAR WHEN YOU
REACH YOUR DESTINATION. DONT FORGET ABOUT SLEEPING INFANTS.
-TRY PLACING YOUR PURSE OR BRIEFCASE IN THE BACKSEAT WITH THE CHILD.
THIS WAY...YOU WONT FORGET ABOUT THE CHILD IN THE CAR.
-AS WITH CHILDREN...NEVER LEAVE YOUR PET IN THE CAR AS PETS ARE JUST
AS VULNERABLE TO THE HEAT.
-IF YOU SEE A CHILD IN AN UNATTENDED CAR...CALL 9-1-1. JUST
REMEMBER, BEAT THE HEAT, CHECK THE BACKSEAT!
