How to stay safe as extreme summer heat intensifies in the US
Extreme heat is no longer a nuisance, it is a high-risk public health event. Know who is most exposed, when to cancel plans, and when 911 is the only call.
Heat advisories and warnings force hard decisions: who should stay inside, when outdoor work should slow down, and which symptoms mean the situation has already become an emergency. Extreme summer heat is becoming more frequent and more intense in the United States, and it remains a preventable cause of death nationwide.
Who faces the greatest risk outdoors
Older adults, people with chronic medical conditions, pregnant women, people living alone, and people with limited mobility face the highest risk when temperatures surge. People taking certain medications are also more vulnerable, especially when heat is paired with humidity, which makes it harder for the body to cool itself.
Outdoor workers sit in a separate danger zone because the hazard is built into the job. Occupational heat stress rises when body heat storage increases from heavy physical activity, hot environmental conditions, lack of acclimatization, and clothing or protective gear that traps heat. OSHA says thousands of workers become sick from occupational heat exposure every year, and some of those cases are fatal.
The same logic applies to anyone planning a long practice, tournament, or training session outside. If the forecast is showing impactful heat, the smart move is to shorten the session, move it indoors, or cancel it before the day becomes a medical risk.
Use the forecast as a go or no-go tool
Heat advisories and warnings mean an extreme heat event is occurring, imminent, or highly likely.
HeatRisk, from NOAA and the National Weather Service, highlights potentially impactful heat in the seven-day forecast. It is designed for decision-makers and people sensitive to heat, which makes it useful for families weighing outdoor plans, coaches setting practice times, and employers deciding whether a worksite can safely stay on schedule.
A practical rule is simple: if HeatRisk shows serious heat in your location, do not treat outdoor plans as fixed. Shift work and exercise to the coolest hours, trim the duration, or move indoors. For people without reliable cooling at home, a warning on the forecast should trigger an earlier plan for a cooler place to go, not a wait-and-see approach.
What employers need to change now
Water, rest, and shade are not optional extras in OSHA's heat guidance. Employers should provide cool drinking water, and for shifts of two hours or more, they should also make fluids with electrolytes available.
Acclimatization matters just as much as supply. A worker who is new to the job, new to the climate, or returning after time away needs a gradual ramp-up, not a full day at peak exposure. Workers and supervisors also need training so early symptoms are recognized before a worker reaches collapse.
The OSHA-NIOSH Heat Safety Tool provides real-time heat index information and hourly forecasts for a user’s location, which makes it a practical check before a shift starts and again before the hottest part of the day.
Do not wait for collapse: know the warning signs
Heat cramps can be an early warning sign. Painful cramps and heavy sweating can come before heat exhaustion or heat stroke, and sips of water can help unless nausea is present. If cramps last longer than one hour, seek immediate medical attention.
Heat stroke is a medical emergency because delayed treatment can cause permanent disability or death. The warning signs include confusion, altered mental status, slurred speech, loss of consciousness, seizures, a very high body temperature, and skin that is hot and dry or covered in profuse sweating.
If you suspect heat stroke, call 911 immediately. While help is on the way, cool the person with ice or cold water and keep acting until emergency responders arrive. Do not wait to see whether the person improves on their own.
How the toll is tracked
The Environmental Protection Agency's heat-wave indicator, built with NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information data, tracks heat-wave characteristics in the United States from 1961 through 2021.
CDC tracking resources give local officials and reporters a way to measure the damage more precisely. Heat-related emergency department visits, hospitalizations, deaths, and vulnerability data can show where the burden is rising and which neighborhoods are least protected.
This article was produced by Prism’s automated news system from verified source data, official records, and press releases, then run through automated quality and moderation checks before publishing. The system is built and supervised by the people who set the standards it runs under. Read our full AI policy.
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