With a heat wave coming on Monday, everyone’s reminded to take some precautions to ensure they don’t wind up with a heat-related illness.
Berrien County Emergency Management Coordinator Rockey Adams tells us his office will keep an eye on things.
“We’re going to be working with Indiana Michigan Power to kind of watch during that time as we’re also expecting to have some thunderstorms that potentially break Monday,” Adams said. “We could have some power outages during that time.”
Adams says people are advised to avoid too much time out in the heat.
“We recommend that people get inside when temperatures rise to a comfortable and cool climate, that they stay hydrated, never leave people or pets in closed vehicles, that they’re applying sunscreen to protect their skin from sunburn, and if they have to be outside, find some shade to cool down.”
The worst time to be outdoors in high heat is during the afternoon.
Adams says some communities are encouraged to open cooling centers when it gets excessively hot, although it may not reach that point next week. He also urges everyone to know the signs of heat exhaustion. The most severe symptoms of heat-related illness are nausea, vomiting, and fainting. If you see those signs in someone, make sure they get medical attention.
