Summer isn’t over yet with its high temperatures that can cause numerous problems for those in Santa Clarita who must deal with them.
With temperatures hitting triple digits, being protected from the heat becomes important. Los Angeles County sets up cooling centers across the county to keep people out of the sun and safe from the potential dangers of the heat.
Santa Clarita has four cooling centers that are operational through the entire week. Santa Clarita’s three public libraries and the SCV Senior center act as cooling centers across the valley during the summer months.
LA County recommends calling ahead to any cooling center to make sure seating is available and that the center is still in operation.
The county also offers tips on how best to battle the heat.
- Avoid the sun, stay indoors from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. when the burning rays are strongest.
- Drink plenty of fluids, 2 to 4 glasses of water every hour during times of extreme heat.
- Replace salt and minerals, sweating removes salt and minerals from the body, so replenish these nutrients with low sugar fruit juices or sports drinks during exercise or when working outside.
- Avoid alcohol.
- Reduce physical activity and avoid exercising outdoors during peak heat hours.
- Wear appropriate clothing, wear a wide-brimmed hat and light colored lightweight, loose-fitting clothes when outdoors.
- Stay cool indoors during peak hours, set the air conditioner between 75° to 80° or take a cool shower twice a day and visit a public air conditioned facility.
- Monitor those at high risk, check on elderly neighbors and family and friends who do not have air conditioning. Infants and children up to 4 years old, people who overexert during work or exercise like construction workers and people 65 years and older are all at the highest risk of heat-related illnesses.
- Use sunscreen with a sun protection factor of at least 30 if you need to be in the sun.
- Keep pets indoors, heat also affects your pets, keep them indoors or if they will be outside, make sure they have plenty of water and a shaded area to help them keep cool.
To see more tips or see the full list of cooling stations across LA County visit lacounty.gov/emergency.
The recent heat wave caused several power outages this past weekend as temperatures reached record highs. Southern California Edison is aware that outages can occur during heat waves and offers tips on how to deal with an outage.
- Check for blown fuses or tripped circuits that may be the cause of the loss of power. Also, see if neighbors have power. This will help determine whether there’s an electric outage.
- Switch off the lights, except for one. Damage can be prevented to electronics and appliances by unplugging them; computers, stereos, televisions and air conditioners. After electricity is restored, you can plug them in again.
- Get updates from a battery-powered radio during a storm or emergency situation. If it’s a hot day, find relief from the heat at a nearby cool center.
- Keep a fully charged cell phone on hand. During power outages, cordless phones may also lose power and phone service may goes down.
- Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed. It helps keep the food cool. Before eating food items, check them for spoilage.
- Never light fires or charcoal indoors. If it is cold during a power outage, wear multiple layers of warm clothing.
- If there is a downed power line, do not touch it. Call 911 immediately.
For more information about things to do during an outage, check out Edison’s website.
