Staff photo by Fritz Busch Getting a splash at the North Park splash-pad from left are Mallory Unke of Hartford, Wisconsin; Audry Morgan of Houston, Texas; Jamison Unke of Houston, Texas; and Tyler Morgan of Houston, Texas.

NEW ULM — With forecasted daytime temperatures up in the 80s with high humidity, there are a number of ways to deal with the situation safely.

“The main thing is to stay hydrated,” said Brown County Public Health Director Karen Moritz. “If people work outside, it’s a critical issue. They should take precautions like getting inside a cool environment at least part of the day.”

Moritz said its also important to cover skin or use sun block.

“If people don’t have air conditioning, they should go somewhere cooler,” Moritz said. “Visit some stores. Read a book at the library. We worry about older adults. Please check on people age 65 and older. Make sure they keep their residence cool enough and drink enough fluids. The elderly get dehydrated rather quickly.”

Moritz urged people to never leave children or pets in a vehicle, whether or not they are sleeping.

She urged people to take a cool shower or bath, wear light colors and lightweight clothing.

“Avoid alcohol and caffeine when it’s hot. They dehydrate you,” Moritz added.

She listed heat stroke signs as confusion, seizures, loss of consciousness and hot skin.

“It’s nothing to mess around with. Don’t take it lightly. It can be deadly. Seek medical care,” Moritz said.

Here’s a few heat wave safety tips:

• Slow down: Avoid strenuous activity, and if you must perform strenuous activities, do it during the coolest part of the day which is usually in the morning between 4-7.

• Stay indoors as much as possible. If air conditioning isn’t available, stay on the lowest floor, out of direct sunlight. Remember fans don’t cool the air, but they do help sweat evaporate which can help cool your body.

• Drink plenty of water regularly and often. Avoid drinks with alcohol or caffeine as they can dehydrate you and put your body at risk for a heat-related illness.

Motorist suggestions on how to cope with the heat this summer besides air conditioning include freezing water bottles to use as ice packs and shielding vehicles from the sun with dashboard covers.

Other tips include:

• Bringing a cold beverage with you to avoid dehydration and store it under the seat to maintain its cool temperature. 

• Hanging a wet rag over a vent. The air blown out will be much cooler, but make sure you have a few wet rags ready to replace it with as it will dry out quite quickly. Also remember to take them out of your car and wash them afterwards to prevent mildew.

• Wrapping a frozen bottle in a towel and rest it against your seat behind your neck. Once it defrosts, you’ll have ice cold water to drink and cool off ,too.

• Parking in the shade. There’s nothing worse than getting into a boiling hot car at the end of the day, so be mindful of where you leave your vehicle. Under trees is the obvious choice — also park next to large vehicles and close to buildings for shade.

• A portable fan can make all the difference, even on the hottest summer days. These fans are small but mighty when it comes to cooling yourself down while you’re stuck in a hot car.

• Although cold packs don’t provide a long-term solution, they can be used as a quick relief from the heat.

• Position a dashboard cover on your car’s windshield to keep sunlight away from the car’s interior. You won’t feel as overwhelmed by the heat if you don’t have to touch hot vinyl surfaces.

• Keeping windows slightly opened. It’s not a good idea to open your windows all the way, but leaving just a small crack will promote ventilation and help to keep your car cool.

(Fritz Busch can be emailed at fbusch@nujournal.com.)