Heat Wave 2016 - beware of hidden dangers

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Summer 2016 will be hotter than usual, due to the pattern of the upper jet stream and the greater influence, El Nino in the Pacific South West. Even though the continental US was hit by above average rainfall in many areas, the summer swelter is here and there are some precautions one can take to remain alive and cool from hidden dangers. Below is a short list of some concerns I have put to this discussion in regard to this: 1. High Humidity: This makes temperatures feel to our bodies like it is actually about 10 degrees F higher than the mean temperature. So if the high is 97, the heat index coupled with the high relative humidity should be listed somewhere around 104 degrees or higher. 2. Power Failure: The fact that there are frequent brown outs from large numbers of individuals using their A/C units to keep cook at home and in the workplace can lead to rolling blackouts where the power is actually turned off in some areas to allow for other areas to receive power. But, in fact this is due to there being insufficient power from the power grid itself. If there is so much as a single one block radius where power is temporarily shut down due to regular maintenance, like a shopping center, it can prove harmful to people and in some cases damage food in grocery stores and inflict harm on those who require medical treatment from dialysis centers, as in the case of the Wynnewood Power outage several weeks ago that resulted in patients going without dialysis because as reported by the security guard on duty at that time, informed me, "They had no form of power backup in that location." Had this occurred in the middle of a summer heat wave, there might well have been incidents of people suffering from heat stroke. 3. Automobile related heat stroke: In the dead heat of a Texas summer, a parked vehicle can be a death trap. When a person is inside a regulated and air cooled environment it is likely they will not be aware of the extreme difference that the inside of a parked vehicle will sustain and without knowing it, the body itself will not be able to even break a sweat when that person or persons opens up the door and is instantly blasted by a wave of extreme hot air that can be very dangerous. The body can not tell the difference between 85 degrees and 139 degrees. And as for being inside a vehicle that is parked in hot weather without A/C it is a death trap for the elderly and pets and certainly for infants and toddlers left inside for any amount of time. 4. The Need to Hydrate: Water is your best defense to the extreme heat. But, it is advised not to drink very cold water or any other very ice cold beverage fast when first coming in from the heat after being out in the heat for any length of time. It can actually cause a stroke, not just a brain freeze. Carry water with you at all times in Spring and Summer when on the road. It is preferable to have an ice chest and plenty of cold beverages on hand at all times. 5. Pets left outside on hot days: If you have to let your dog or cat out on a day when the outside temperature is in the triple digits, make sure they are allowed to come back inside. 6. Poor and Disabled and Elderly: There are frequent occurrences of heat related ER hospitalizations of individuals who are so poor that they have no form of air conditioning in their homes. The risk of heat exhaustion or heat stroke in the home or the apartment at night, after sundown is due to the illusion that with the sunset and the darkness of night, the heat is somehow less often realized. The night time is when many suffer from the hidden danger of latent heat that stays around long after sunset. The temperature only has to be 85 degrees without proper ventilation to harm the health of the very young, the very old, or the sick and disabled. You might go to sleep and never wake up due to the fact your body could not cool itself. The home is a dangerous place if there is no air conditioning. Many apartment owners complain every summer about not having proper cooling in their apartments and volunteers and the city pay to provide temporary relief from the heat by providing box fans and in some cases window air conditioners. 7. Future Climate Change: We have been told about global climate change. Even if this were mere rumor, the facts are that Texas, Arizona and other Southern and Southwestern states have several weeks of extreme temperatures and it is always best to be prepared for the HIDDEN DANGERS. Try out this link below: http://tpwd.texas.gov/landwater/land/habitats/trans_pecos/vegetation/