Beating the Heat in Central Texas

As temperatures reach 100 degrees and higher this summer, the City of Austin encourages residents to take precautions to stay safe during extreme heat. 

"Extreme heat is one of the most dangerous weather hazards we face in Central Texas," said Janet Pichette, Assistant Director of Austin Emergency Management. "As temperatures rise, we encourage everyone to stay hydrated, stay cool by avoiding outdoor activities during peak temperatures and check on neighbors, friends and family members who may be more vulnerable to heat-related illness. Taking simple precautions to keep cool can help prevent emergencies later." 

Staying hydrated and taking measures to keep yourself cool can help prevent heat-related illnesses such as heat exhaustion and heat stroke. If you are spending time outdoors, drink plenty of water to stay hydrated. Take shade breaks, wear lightweight, loose-fitting, light-colored clothing, and protect yourself with a brimmed hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen. Remember to check on neighbors, family members, and friends who may be at increased risk during periods of extreme heat.  

High-Risk Populations 

Anyone can experience a heat-related illness, but certain groups face greater risks during periods of extreme heat. 

• Infants and Children: Young children and infants are less able to regulate their body temperature and can become overheated quickly.

• Older Adults: Older adults may be more vulnerable to heat, especially if they have underlying health conditions, take certain medications, live alone, or have limited mobility.

• People with Chronic Medical Conditions: Individuals with chronic health conditions may be more likely to experience serious complications during extreme heat.

• People who Work, Exercise, or Play Outside: Outdoor workers, athletes, and others who spend extended periods outside account for a significant number of heat-related illnesses each year.

• People who are Pregnant: Exposure to extreme heat may increase health risks during pregnancy.

Symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke

It is important to know the signs and symptoms of heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke before spending time outdoors in hot weather.

Heat cramps are a heat-related illness that can progress to heat exhaustion or heat stroke if left untreated. If you experience muscle or abdominal cramps while in the heat, stop physical activity, move to a cooler location, and drink water. Wait until the cramps have completely gone away before resuming activity.

If cramps last longer than an hour, or if the person develops symptoms of heat exhaustion or heat stroke, call 911.

Symptoms of heat exhaustion include:

• Cool, pale, clammy skin

• Weakness

• Dizziness

• Heavy sweating

• Nausea or vomiting

• Fast, weak pulse

What to do if someone is experiencing heat exhaustion:

• Move the person to a cooler area immediately.

• Loosen or remove excess clothing.

• Encourage them to sip cool water slowly.

If symptoms do not improve, last longer than an hour, or the person begins vomiting, seek medical attention. Heat exhaustion can quickly progress to heat stroke.

Symptoms of heat stroke include:

• Hot, red, dry or damp skin

• Rapid, strong pulse

• Throbbing headache

• Confusion

• Nausea or dizziness

• Body temperature above 103 degrees

• Lethargy or loss of consciousness

Heat stroke is a medical emergency that can cause death or permanent disability if not treated immediately. If you or someone you are with experiences symptoms of heat stroke, remember: 

Move them. Cool them. Call 911.

• Move the person to a cooler area, preferably an air-conditioned space.

• Lower their body temperature using cool cloths or a cool bath.

• Do not give fluids or anything by mouth.

Stay hydrated — you and your pet

You can help prevent heat-related illness by drinking water throughout the day. Avoid sugary or alcoholic beverages during periods of extreme heat. People who work, exercise, or spend extended periods outdoors should consider adding an electrolyte beverage to their regular water intake.

Drink water regularly, even if you do not feel thirsty. Take frequent breaks in the shade or an air-conditioned space to help your body stay cool.

If your pet joins you outdoors, bring plenty of fresh drinking water and a bowl so they can stay hydrated. Pets can experience heat-related illness, too.

Remember that asphalt and dark pavement can become hot enough to burn or blister your pet's paws. Walk pets on grass whenever possible and avoid outdoor activities during the hottest part of the day.

Cooling Centers

The City of Austin and Travis County offer Cooling Centers throughout the summer for people seeking temporary relief from extreme heat. City facilities, including Austin Public Library branches and Austin Parks recreation centers, may serve as Cooling Centers during normal operating hours.

These facilities are intended to provide a temporary reprieve from the heat. Service animals are permitted in City facilities.

To view the current list of Cooling Center locations and hours of operation, visit AustinTexas.gov/alerts.

Several locations may offer extended hours during periods of extreme heat.

Because Cooling Center locations and operating hours may change, residents should always check AustinTexas.gov/alerts for the latest information or contact the facility directly before arriving.

CapMetro offers complimentary rides to Cooling Centers for people who need transportation and may be unable to pay the fare when Cooling Centers offer extended hours. Riders should notify the operator when boarding that they are traveling to a Cooling Center.

Travis County Community Centers will serve as Cooling Centers during normal operating hours from 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Monday-Friday. Venues are closed on County holidays. For more information on extreme heat preparedness from Travis County visit its website.

Car Safety

Look before you lock. Never leave children, adults, or pets unattended in a vehicle, even for a short period of time.

Temperatures inside vehicles can rise rapidly and become deadly within minutes. On an 80-degree day, the temperature inside a vehicle can reach 94 degrees in just two minutes and exceed 120 degrees in less than an hour. Cracking the windows does not significantly reduce the temperature inside a vehicle.

To help prevent accidentally leaving a child, pet, or other passenger in the back seat, place an item you will need at your destination such as a purse, bag or phone, in the back seat. Retrieving it before leaving your vehicle can serve as an important reminder to look before you lock.

Water Safety

Drowning is the leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 4. Knowing the signs of drowning can help save a life.

Signs of drowning may include:

• Head low in the water with the mouth at water level

• Head tilted back with mouth open

• Hyperventilating or gasping

• Glassy eyes or an inability to focus

• No response when asked if they are OK

• Hair covering the forehead or eyes

• An upright or vertical position in the water

• Attempting to swim without making progress

• Trying to roll onto their back

• Appearing to climb an invisible ladder

Keep a phone nearby in case of an emergency, but do not talk, text or use your phone while supervising children in or near the water. Designate a water watcher whose sole responsibility is to actively supervise swimmers without distractions from phones, books or other activities.

If a child goes missing, check the water first.

Learning CPR can save lives. Drowning victims who receive CPR or rescue breathing before EMS arrives have a greater chance of survival.

When swimming in lakes, rivers, creeks, or other open water, everyone should wear a properly fitted life jacket.

Conserve Energy

Austin Energy prepares year-round for extreme weather and is ready to keep the power flowing during high-demand days.

Ways to keep cool and save energy:

• Raise your thermostat by a few degrees when possible.

• Use ceiling fans to help circulate air and turn them off when rooms are unoccupied.

• Avoid using ovens and other heat-producing appliances during the hottest part of the day.

• Unplug appliances, chargers, and electronic devices when not in use. Many devices continue to draw power even when turned off.

For additional energy-saving tips, visit AustinEnergy.com/summer.

If conditions change with Austin Energy’s system, you can get up-to-date information at the current conditions page. Even with normal conditions, there can still be outages. Austin Energy has crews on standby 24/7 to respond immediately and repairs most routine outages within a short period of time.

Conserve Water

While the City remains under Conservation Stage watering restrictions, Austin Water reminds residents to be mindful of water consumption. Austin is unique, being one of only a few cities in Texas that has one day per week watering restrictions year-round for automatic irrigation, regardless of the current drought stage. 

Watering Restrictions

• Know your watering day like you know your trash day. Find your designated watering day at austintexas.gov/department/find-your-watering-day  

• Watering Times: Water only during the cooler parts of the day, early morning or late evening, to reduce evaporation. Before 10 a.m. or after 7 p.m.

• If you are unsure of your system settings, qualifying customers may schedule a Free Irrigation System Evaluation by a licensed irrigator from Austin Water. Call: 512-974-2199.

Austin Water Customer Portal

• Residents can sign up in the My ATX Water portal, complete the customer profile and set up alerts for unusually high use and potential leaks. 

• Customers will need their Austin Water account number to sign up.  For questions, email myatxwater@austintexas.gov.

Conserving water helps protect public water supplies, local ecosystems and the long-term health of the Lower Colorado River Basin. Lakes Travis and Buchanan serve as key sources of the region's drinking water and continue to experience the impacts of prolonged drought conditions. More information is at austinwater.org.  To report a water emergency, concern or for more information, customers may call the customer service center at 512-972-1000, open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Mosquito Prevention

Mosquitoes are present in Central Texas year-round but are most active from May through November. Mosquitoes can carry diseases such as West Nile virus, Zika, dengue, and more.

Residents are encouraged to use the 4 Ds to protect themselves from mosquito bites.

Dusk to Dawn. 

Avoid the outdoors at dusk and dawn. Mosquitos are active at different times of day, the species that spread West Nile Virus are most active between dusk and dawn.

Drain standing water. 

Mosquitoes breed in standing water and can lay hundreds of eggs in just a few days. At least once a week, empty and scrub, turn over, cover or throw away items that hold water, including tires, pet water bowls, buckets, planters, toys, birdbaths, flowerpot saucers, trash containers and rain barrels.

Dress.  

When spending time outdoors, especially in areas with high mosquito activity, wear long sleeves and long pants whenever possible. 

Defend.  

Use an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered insect repellent and follow all label instructions. EPA-registered repellents are safe and effective when used as directed, including for people who are pregnant or breastfeeding. Common active ingredients include DEET, picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus, para-menthane-diol and 2-undecanone.

To report a mosquito problem, use the Austin 3-1-1 mobile app, submit a request online, or call 3-1-1 or 512-974-2000

Reducing mosquito populations helps lower the risk of mosquito-borne illnesses and makes outdoor activities safer and more enjoyable for everyone.

For more heat safety information and other seasonal preparedness tips, visit ReadyCentralTexas.org.

MEDIA INQUIRIES 

 
In lieu of a seasonal weather hazard press conference for heat, each department that responds in some way to heat-related issues has a subject matter expert that can speak with media on their respective areas. Points of contact to request media interviews are listed below. Travis County also has identified subject matter experts available for interviews on what the County is doing to prepare for heat and services available. 

Departmental Points of Contact for Interview Requests:

• Austin Emergency Management - David Wiechmann, Public Information & Marketing Manager

• Topics: Cooling Centers, Preparedness Tips, City Preparedness & Planning

• Austin-Travis County EMS – Capt. Christa Stedman

• Topics: Heat-Related Illness Symptoms, Treatment, Data & Trends

• Homeless Strategies & Operations – Chrisola Webb

• Topics: PEH Communications & Outreach, Cooling Centers

• Austin Fire Department - Tara Long

• Topics: Wildfire 

• Austin Police Department – Anna Sabana, Lisa Cortinas

• Topics: Water/Lake safety, Car safety

• Austin Public Health – Jen Samp

• Topics: Heat-Related Illness Symptoms, Data & Trends, Mosquitoes

• Austin Energy – Matthew Mitchell

• Topics: Energy conservation, grid operations/conditions

• Austin Water – Martin Barbosa

• Topics: Water conservation, MyATX Water Customer Portal

• Austin Parks – John Nixon

• Topics: Cooling Centers, City Pools, Parks, Recreation Centers

• Austin Public Library – Baylor Johnson

• Topics: Cooling Centers

• Austin Climate Action & Resilience – Shannon Stewart

• Topics: Climate Change, urban heat, tree canopy and forest health

• CapMetro - Blythe Nebeker

• Topics: Services during extreme heat

• Travis County – Hector Nieto

• Topics: Cooling Centers, County preparedness & planning 

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