Extreme Heat Advice
Take Steps to Prevent Heat-related Illness
Spend a few hours in air conditioning when it's really hot outside. Don't have A/C? Find a Cooling Center near you.
Heat is on average the greatest weather-related killer in the United States. Heat-related deaths and illness are preventable, yet annually many people suffer from the effects of extreme heat. Some individuals are at a higher risk for heat-related illness than others. Knowing the risk factors and symptoms of heat-related illness could save your life or the life of someone you love.
Explore this information about signs/symptoms of heat-related illness, vulnerable populations, and preventative steps you can take. Use this Extreme Weather Order Form to obtain some of these and other NYS Department of Health materials.
Beat the Heat
- Find Where to Get Cool during extreme heat.
- Keep Kids Out of Hot Cars! (PDF). Kids and hot cars are a deadly combination.
- Keep Your Cool During Summer Heat. Here's what you can do to keep cool.
- When it's Too Hot for a Fan. Using a fan can be more harmful than helpful when indoor air temperatures are hotter than your body temperature.
- NYS Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP): Cooling Assistance Benefit. If you are eligible, you may receive one Cooling Assistance benefit per applicant household for the purchase and installation of an air conditioner or a fan to help your home stay cool.
- See this English and Spanish flyer with basic HEAP information and tips to help you keep cool.
Athletes / Coaches
- Heat Index Procedures. The New York State Public High School Athletics Association has adopted extreme heat procedures for NY State public high school athletics departments.
- Heat and Athletics. This CDC website describes how people who exercise in extreme heat are more likely to become dehydrated and get heat-related illness. It also provides tips for exercising when it's hot outside.
Workers / Employers
- Protecting Workers from Heat Illness. Workers may be required to work in hot environments for long periods. This infosheet describes heat-related risk factors for workers, symptoms of heat-related illnesses, and recommendations to prevent future heat-related illnesses.
- Water. Rest. Shade. The Work Can't Get Done Without Them. Employers are responsible for providing workplaces free of known safety hazards; this includes protecting workers from extreme heat.
- Acclimatizing Workers. Susceptibility to heat-related illness can vary widely between workers. When the heat index is high, special precautions are needed to protect un-acclimatized workers while they adjust, particularly on the first few days of the job.
Heat & Health Data
- Heat Stress: Explore data on the percent of heat stress hospitalizations and emergency department visits in New York State due to heat.
- County Heat and Health Profiles help identify populations and neighborhoods at highest risk. The reports describe regional temperature exposure, impacts of heat on health, vulnerability to heat and availability of adaptation resources in the community. The County Heat and Health Profiles can help in communities prepare for and prevent heat-related illnesses.
- Heat Vulnerability Index Maps identify areas in the state where people are vulnerable to heat. Heat vulnerability is how likely a person is to be injured or harmed during periods of hot weather.
- Extreme Heat and Health in New York State is an interactive StoryMap that presents the latest research on extreme heat and impact on health in New York State.
Other Links
- Extreme Heat and Your Health. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
- Heat Safety Tips and Resources. The National Weather Service.
- Planning for Excessive Heat, Information for Older Adults and Family Caregivers (PDF). US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA).
