--- title: Preparing for a Heat Wave (First One of the Year) description: What to do before, during, and after the first serious hot stretch of the year. category: safety tags: [heat-wave, extreme-weather, summer-safety] version: "1.0" updated: 2026-10-23 moment: heat-wave sources: - name: NCHH, Prepare and Act (compiling CDC, Ready.gov, and Red Cross guidance) url: https://nchh.org/information-and-evidence/learn-about-healthy-housing/emergencies/extreme-heat/prepare-and-act/ - name: Weather Underground, Extreme Heat Preparedness Checklist url: https://www.wunderground.com/prepare/extreme-heat - name: CDC, Preventing Heat-Related Illness url: https://www.cdc.gov/extreme-heat/prevention/ - name: National Weather Service, During a Heat Wave url: https://www.weather.gov/safety/heat-during - name: FEMA/Ready.gov, Be Prepared for Extreme Heat url: https://www.ready.gov/sites/default/files/2024-03/ready.gov_extreme-heat_hazard-info-sheet.pdf --- That first real hot stretch always seems to arrive faster than expected — the one where the AC hasn't been tested since last summer, the dog's water bowl is empty by noon, and nobody's checked on the elderly neighbor yet. Here's what that moment actually calls for, before the heat lands and while it's on. ## Before the heat arrives - [ ] Test your AC now, not during the heat wave `{essential}` Turn it on and feel for cold air; CDC advises checking your fans, thermostat, air conditioning, and cooling equipment to ensure they work. - [ ] Pick your backup cool place If home cooling isn't reliable, decide now where you'd go — identify a friend or neighbor with AC, check if local malls or libraries are open, and identify local cooling centers. - [ ] Write down who to check on `{essential}` Make a list of family, friends, and neighbors who might need assistance and have their phone numbers ready — this is the step people skip and regret most. - [ ] Ask your doctor or pharmacist about your medications and heat `{when: on-regular-prescriptions}` Drugs for chronic conditions — heart, blood pressure, psychiatric meds among them — can blunt the body's ability to cool itself. - [ ] Reflect the sun out of your windows Prepare window reflectors, such as aluminum foil-covered cardboard, to reflect heat back outside. - [ ] Seal up gaps around doors, windows, and units Weather-strip doors and windows, and if you have window AC units, make sure the air around them is sealed or insulated. - [ ] Put together a few days of water, food, and medicine `{essential}` Gather food, water, and medicine in advance, so a power cut or AC failure doesn't catch you empty-handed. - [ ] Sort out a backup power plan `{when: grid-strains-during-heat-waves}` Fans and AC both die the moment power does. - [ ] Sign up for heat alerts for your area So you get warned before it's already brutal outside. ## When the heat hits - [ ] Stay in air conditioning as much as you can `{essential}` This is the single biggest thing you can do; if you don't have it at home, a few hours spent in air conditioning can help your body stay cooler when you go back into the heat. - [ ] Drink water steadily, even without thirst `{essential}` Drink plenty of water, even if you do not feel thirsty, and avoid drinks with caffeine, and go light on alcohol. - [ ] Wear light, loose clothing Wear loose-fitting, lightweight, light-colored clothing. - [ ] Never leave anyone in a parked car `{essential}` Never leave children or pets alone in enclosed vehicles — interior temperatures climb to dangerous levels within minutes, even with windows cracked. - [ ] Push strenuous activity to early morning or evening Skip yard work, workouts, and errands during the hottest hours of the day. - [ ] Don't count on a fan alone once it's genuinely hot Past a certain point fans just circulate hot air — pair one with AC, or with a cool damp cloth, rather than relying on it by itself. - [ ] Check in on the people on your list `{essential}` Check on older, sick, or frail people who may need help responding to the heat — a quick call or text catches trouble before it's serious. - [ ] Keep pets cool and hydrated Make sure animals have shade and fresh water, and keep walks short and off hot pavement. - [ ] Eat smaller meals, more often Heavy meals make your body generate extra heat digesting them. - [ ] Know the signs of heat exhaustion `{essential}` Heavy sweating, cool clammy skin, dizziness, nausea, or weakness mean move somewhere cool, loosen clothing, and sip water right away. - [ ] Treat confusion or stopped sweating as a 911 call `{essential}` That combination points to heat stroke, which can be fatal within minutes without treatment — don't wait it out. - [ ] Ease into temperature changes Going straight from a cold AC room into blazing heat (or back) adds extra strain on your body. ## If the power or AC fails mid-heat - [ ] Move to your backup cool location right away `{when: power-or-ac-fails}` Rather than riding it out at home, especially once night falls and indoor heat keeps building. - [ ] Use battery or hand-crank fans only alongside damp cloths or a cool shower `{when: power-or-ac-fails}` On their own, once it's truly hot, they won't do much. - [ ] Keep a close eye on infants, older adults, and anyone with a chronic illness They lose the ability to cope with heat fastest once cooling stops working.