Planning For The Heat

CBS 19 talks to Barbara Allen, MD, Trinity Clinic Chief of Primary Care, about staying cool during the hot summer months.

TYLER (KYTX) -- City leaders and local aid organizations met Thursday to bring the city's "heat plan" up to date. The plan is designed to make sure people have options to deal with the summer heat.

Temperatures got back up near the hundred mark Thursday afternoon. It was hot enough to cut Nathaniel Collier's day at Bergfeld Park a little short.

"While we were swinging we started to feel very hot so now we're just here in the shade," he said.

Medical experts would say Collier made the right choice. He was in no danger of heat-related illness, but as we move into July and August many Tylerites will need help.

"Heat can kill," Brenda Elrod with the Northeast Texas Public Health District said. "We came up with the idea of getting all these players in line that would offer shelters or aid."

"Our E.R. is seeing lots of cases of heat exhaustion," Doctor Barbara Allen said.

Allen is the Chief of Primary Care at Trinity Clinic and says you've got to listen to your body.

"Heat cramps is one of the first early warning signs where we just get behind on fluid replacement and electrolytes," she said.

You've probably always heard that drinking water will keep you safe in the sun, but too much can dilute the sodium and electrolytes in your blood, which is dangerous.

If you're out in the heat for a long time, it's better to drink water and something like Gatorade or Powerade in equal amounts. More importantly, never reach for a soda.

"So even though you may feel cooler and hydrated in the short term, caffeinated beverages are not the way to go," Allen said.

Organizations like the Red Cross, PATH and the Salvation Army always need donations like bottled water, fans and air conditioning units.

You can even donate your time by driving people to designated cool spots during a heat wave.

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