Carson City residents warned to stay inside during northern Nevada weekend heat wave
Submitted by Jaedyn Young on Sat, 07/15/2023 - 1:00pm
The National Weather Service issued an alert this morning with a warning about extreme heat in the area.
The alert warns residents of extreme heat in the Mineral and Southern Lyon Counties, Greater Reno-Carson City-Minden Area and Western Nevada Basin and Range, including Pyramid Lake. Temperatures of 102-109 degrees are hitting the region from noon on July 15 through 8 p.m. July 17.
Douglas County issued a press release warning county residents to stay inside as dangerously hot temperatures sweep the area.
Residents are encouraged to drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun during the hottest period of the day and check up on those relatives and neighbors who are heat vulnerable.
Residents are reminded that it’s very important for young children and pets to not be left unattended in vehicles, since car interiors in hot weather can reach lethal temperatures in a matter of minutes. If you leave your pets in a hot car it could lead to a fatal heat stroke for them.
Call Carson City animal control at (775) 887-2171 or Carson City dispatch at (775) 887-2677 to report a dog trapped in a hot car.
It is also important to avoid walking your dog on hot days, as it could damage their paws. A good trick would be seeing if your palm can touch the pavement for more than 10 seconds without stinging — if not, that means the pavement is too hot to walk your dogs.
It is important to remember that periods of high heat can cause power outages and extended outages could impact the community; for example, closing stores, transportation, banks, and gas stations.
“Please be prepared,” the Douglas County press release said.
To better prepare for power outages, residents can stock up on extra batteries, prepare a no-cook meal, fill up their gas tanks or charge their electric car batteries in case of emergency travel, keep their refrigerator and freezer closed and keep an eye out for alerts from the electricity company.
For more information on what to do before, during and after a power outage, read this article.
Other advice for heat waves, can include:
— Learning the symptoms of heat-related illnesses and how to treat them.
— Wearing loose-fitted clothing.
— Keep windows and blinds closed during hotter parts of the day to keep the hot air out.
— Soak up a few bandanas or towels with water and leave them in the freezer to cool down later.
—During the day, hang out at the lowest level of the house.
— Don’t drink caffeinated drinks or alcohol and do not eat greasy, heavy or spicy foods.
— Don’t turn on the oven for cooking.
— Don’t do exercise or outdoor work in the middle of the day.
— Go to public places that have air conditioning.
Douglas County has recommended locations that have air conditioning that can be utilized as places to go to cool down during normal business hours.
Due to current renovations at the Douglas County Community and Senior Center, the gym will be open and the senior center closed,” the county said. “People are welcome to come inside the gym area and cool off during normal business hours.”
Douglas County Community and Senior Center is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. It is located at 1329 Waterloo Lane in Gardnerville. The Kahle Park and Community Center is also open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday. It is located at 236 NV-207, Stateline.
If you’re looking for emergency heat shelters, click this link.
For more information on preparing for high temperatures, visit ready.gov/heat.
