With the extreme heat forecast for this week, it is more important than ever to take steps to stay cool and stay healthy. As temperatures rise, residents are advised to avoid strenuous activity, especially in the heat of the day, reschedule work-outs for early morning or evening hours, drink plenty of water, and avoid drinking too many alcoholic and caffeinated beverages.
Sherlita Amler, MD, Westchester County Commissioner of Health, said “Heat stroke and dehydration can take you by surprise.” “High humidity, chronic health conditions and some medications can also increase a person’s risk for heat stroke.”
Heat stroke is a serious and life-threatening condition that claims many lives nationwide each year. Symptoms include hot, red, dry skin, shallow breathing, a rapid, weak pulse and confusion. Anyone suffering from heat stroke needs to receive emergency medical treatment immediately. Call 911 if you suspect heat stroke and immediately cool the overheated person while waiting for emergency help to arrive.
Westchester County Department of Health has issued this heat advisory
Stay Cool
- Stay cool indoors: Stay in an air-conditioned place as much as possible.
- Wear appropriate clothing: Choose lightweight, light-colored, and loose-fitting clothing.
- Don't use an electric fan when the indoor air temperature is over 95°F. Using a fan can be more harmful than helpful when indoor air temperatures are hotter than your body temperature. Fan use may cause your body to gain heat instead of losing it. Focus on staying hydrated, taking a cool shower or bath to cool your body, shutting out the sun and heat with curtains, and moving to an air-conditioned place to cool off.
- Use your stove and oven less.
- Schedule outdoor work and other activities carefully: Try to limit your outdoor activity to when it's coolest, such as morning and evening hours. Rest often in shady areas so that your body has a chance to recover.
- Cut down on exercise during the heat.
- When outdoors, protect yourself from the sun by wearing a wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen that says "broad spectrum" or "UVA/UVB protection."
- White Plains offers the following amenities to help keep you cool:
- The White Plains Public Library, located at 100 Martine Avenue, (914) 422. 1400 is open: Monday - Thursday, 10 :00 A.M. to 9:00 P.M,
- Friday 10:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M.,
- Saturday, 1:00 P.M. to 5:00 P.M. and
- Sunday 1:00 P.M. to 5:00 P.M.
- Gardella and Kittrell Pools are open. City residents with season pool passes only, no guest passes. Purchase your Season Pool pass at 85 Gedney Way or call 422-1336 during normal business hours to renew over the phone.Youth/Seniors $25 and Adults $35 for Season Passes.
- Pool Hours:
Monday - Friday: 2:30 pm - 7:30 pm
Weekends: 1:00 pm - 7:30 pm - Gardella Pool is located on Ferris Avenue and may be accessed from the Church Street Elementary School parking lot. Kittrell Pool is located at the corner of Fisher Avenue and Irving Place. The Pool entrance is on Fisher Avenue.
Residents who are looking for a place to cool off are encouraged to take advantage of Westchester County’s pools and beaches which are free on certain days during the 2022 season. Effective Tuesday, July 5 through Thursday, September 1, admission fees are waived at Saxon Woods Pool, Sprain Ridge Pool, The Brook at Tibbetts Brook Park and Glen Island Beach (Mondays through Thursdays). Parking fees and residency rules still apply. Indoor malls, senior centers, libraries and community centers can also serve as cooling centers, but call before you go.
For a list of cooling centers NYS Cooling Centers.
- To Prevent Heat-Related Illnesses the Westchester County Health Department Advises: • Drink two to four glasses of water per hour during extreme heat, even if you aren’t thirsty.
- • Limit any strenuous activity and exercise, especially during the sun's peak hours from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- • Take frequent breaks and drink lots of water if you work outside. • Exercise when it is cooler, during early morning hours or in the evening.
- • Avoid caffeine, alcohol and sugary drinks. These cause you to lose more body fluid.
- • Stay indoors, ideally, in an air-conditioned place. If your house or apartment isn't airconditioned, try spending a few hours at a shopping mall, public library, movie theater or supermarket.
- A few hours spent in air conditioning can help your body stay cooler when you go back into the heat.
- • Take a cool shower or bath and reduce or eliminate strenuous activities during the hottest time of day.
- • Wear lightweight, light-colored, loose-fitting clothing to reflect heat and sunlight.
- • Protect yourself from the sun by wearing a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses and by using a broad spectrum sunscreen of SPF 15 or higher.
- • NEVER leave anyone - a person or animal - in a closed, parked vehicle. Temperatures inside a closed vehicle can quickly exceed 140º F, which is life-threatening.
- • Neighbors should check on elderly neighbors to make sure they are safe.
- • Bring pets inside and be sure to provide them with plenty of water.