SAN ANGELO, Texas — With the National Weather Service beginning to roll out the heat advisories on what already seems like a daily and permanent basis, we talked the NWS’s Seth Nagle and Shannon Urgent Care nurse practitioner Frankie Sewell about the rising temperatures and some general advice on how to stay safe.
“Part of the reason we’re so hot is how humid we are. We’ve had some pretty good rain across the area in the last couple weeks, so we have temperatures that are a little bit above normal, but with the humidity it makes it feel like it’s a lot hotter." Nagle said. "We’ve got heat index values today anywhere from around 102, 103 up to 108 degrees in Throckmorton. We start issuing our advisories when it gets to 105 on the heat index chart.”
First and foremost, under a heat advisory, the NWS would recommend staying indoors as much as possible.
“But if you have to be outside because of work or if you’re doing exercise, remember to wear loose-fitting clothes that are light and light-colored. Drink plenty of fluids. Preferably non-alcoholic fluids and take as many breaks as you can.”
Nagle also said it’s good to remember to keep an eye out for others who may be at risk: “Not only do we want people who have to be in this heat to be careful, but also check on your neighbors, check on your relatives if you think they might be susceptible to this heat or if they might not have air conditioning."
"Anybody who is a senior or a small child is at higher risk for dehydration," Sewell said.
Finally, Nagle said it’s always smart to plan ahead. “You need to be preemptive. Drink plenty of water throughout the day. Don’t wait until you get thirsty. By then you may already be developing heat exhaustion or heatstroke.”
"The best rehydration fluid will be water," Sewell said. but "If you're not sweating anymore, that might be the point where you need to need to increase your hydration with something with a sports drink in it because that will add electrolytes to your fluid to replace the sweat that's been pouring out of your body."
