Tips and resources for staying safe in Hagerstown area during heat wave

Julie E. Greene, The Herald-Mail
·4 min read

When the heat index reaches the point of the National Weather Service issuing a heat advisory or more severe notices about excessive heat, there are various tips and Hagerstown-area resources to help people.

The threshold for the National Weather Service to issue a heat advisory in the local Tri-State area is a heat index reaching at least 100 degrees for two hours, while an excessive heat warning kicks in when the heat index sustains at least 105 degrees for two hours.

How to stay cool and safe in the heat during Maryland heat wave

The National Weather Service shares advice for dealing with the heat.

  • Stay hydrated.

  • Reschedule strenuous outdoor activities to the early morning or evening when possible.

  • Wear lightweight, loose-fitting clothes when possible.

  • Schedule frequent breaks in the shade or air conditioning when working outdoors.

  • If someone is overcome by the heat, move them to a cool, shaded spot and call 911, according to weather service heat advisories.

  • Never leave young children or pets unattended in vehicles under any circumstances.

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Refreshing stations in Hagerstown

The Hope Center, at 215 W. Church St. in Hagerstown, has a water station where community members can fill their water bottles and take shelter from the heat, according to Mae Colon with the nonprofit.

The center has a cooler full of ice and water, as well as cups, so community members can get a cup of cold water or refill their water bottles from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.

Community members are welcome to come into the center during those hours to cool off in the air conditioning, Colon said.

Reach of Washington County at 140 W. Franklin St. is open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Thursday for anyone who wants to sit inside and cool off, get water and hygiene supplies and use the bathroom, Executive Director Jeannie Asbury said. Showers are available on Mondays and Wednesday.

After 1 p.m., there is a cooler outside with bottled water, Asbury said.

Reach also has a list of cooling and refreshing stations online at https://reachofwc.org/resources-2.

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Meritus also on the lookout for heat-related patients around Hagerstown

Staff at Meritus Medical Center's Emergency Department, east of Hagerstown, urge people to follow precautions based on their health conditions.

In addition to the importance of staying hydrated and avoiding the outdoors during peak heat/sun hours, Meritus medical experts encourage sun safety and the use of sunscreen that is SPF 30 or higher.

Community members who can't access air conditioning are welcome to come to the Robinwood Professional Center's atrium, off Robinwood Drive, during peak sun hours, according to the statement from Meritus Health.

Tips for taking care of your pets in the heat

The Humane Society of Washington County posted on Facebook, during an excessive heat warning, to keep pets hydrated and indoors as much as possible.

"This is not a time to take your dog out on a walk during the midday," Executive Director Colin Berry said in a phone interview.

Pet owners should still let their dogs out for quick relief trips during the day. But walk or play with dogs in a cool area indoors or take them out in the "early, early morning before the sun really comes up or after the sun sets," Berry said.

Berry referred The Herald-Mail to a Maryland law that prohibits people "from leaving a dog outside and unattended for longer than 30 minutes without access to continuous suitable shelter during extreme weather conditions or suitable shelter or suitable shade when temperatures are above 90 degrees."

The heat can be a real threat to animals as well as humans.

Berry said a dog in the community, not one of the humane society's, died in recent weeks due to heat stroke.

Dogs should always have access to fresh water. It's also a good idea to provide shade and water sources for other animals that might be out in the heat, whether that is cats or wildlife, Berry said.

"At the end of the day, we just encourage people to use common sense," Berry said. "If it’s too hot to be outside for you and you feel faint or feel as though it's difficult to breathe in the air because of the heat, then it likely is difficult for your animal too."

The humane society shared via its Facebook page information from the Texas Veterinary Medical Association about checking hot surfaces to prevent paw burns for dogs. If the surface is too hot for the back of your hand at 7 seconds, then it is too hot for dogs.

Tips for dog safety during high heat from the Texas group include:

  • Avoiding hot surfaces such asphalt, metal, boat decks, beach sand, leather seats, and car and truck surfaces like a truck bed.

  • Walking dogs on grass or in the shade.

  • "Dogs cool themselves through their paws and mouth" so don't put booties on their paws.

  • Signs of burned paws include limping, a refusal to walk, darkened skin and licking or chewing their paws.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Tips and resources for staying safe in Hagerstown during heat wave