Protection from Extreme Heat
Heat waves are becoming increasingly common in California and we are seeing its fair share of extreme temperatures. Because heat waves are growing in frequency, Californians will need to do more to protect themselves from heat and heat related illnesses.
We would like to encourage you to take the following precautions during hot weather:
- 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 your body, so replenish these nutrients with low sugar fruit juices or sports drinks during exercise or when working outside.
- Avoid alcohol.
- Pace yourself– 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 you are outdoors.
- Stay cool indoors during peak hours – set your air conditioner between 75° to 80°. If you don't have air conditioning, take a cool shower twice a day and/or visit a County Emergency Cooling Center. Find a local emergency cooling center at lacounty.gov/heat.
- Monitor those at high risk– check on elderly neighbors, family members and friends who do not have air conditioning. Infants and children up to 4 years old, people who overexert during work (e.g. construction workers) and people 65 years and older are at the highest risk of heat-related illnesses.
- Use sunscreen - with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15 if you need to be in the sun.
- Keep pets indoors– heat also affects your pets, so please keep them indoors. If they will be outside, make sure they have plenty of water and a shaded area to help them keep cool.
If the heat is making it difficult for you to make it through the day, then go to a cooling center near you to enjoy air conditioning. Below is a list of Cooling Centers in and around the district. Please check with the location for updated availability and hours. To obtain a list of the LA County's Emergency Cooling Centers or view a map of these sites, visit ready.lacounty.gov/heat or dial 2-1-1.
- Carson Park
21411 Orrick Ave, Carson, CA
Noon – 7 p.m.
- Foisia Park
23410 Catskill Ave, Carson, CA
Noon – 7 p.m.
- Carson Community Center
801 E Carson Street, Carson, CA
Noon – 7 pm
- Stevenson Park
17400 Lysander Drive, Carson, CA
Noon – 7 p.m.
- Ken Miller Recreation Center
3341 Torrance Blvd. Torrance, CA
Noon – 6 pm
- Dollarhide Community Center
301 N Tamarind Ave. Compton, CA
Noon to 7 pm
- Houghton Community Center
6301 Myrtle Avenue, Long Beach, CA
Noon – 6 p.m.
- McBride (Cal Rec) Community Center
1550 Martin Luther King Avenue, Long Beach, CA
Noon – 6 p.m.
- Admiral Kidd Community Center
2125 Santa Fe Avenue, Long Beach, CA
Noon – 6 p.m.
- Long Beach Senior Center
1150 East 4th Street, Long Beach, CA
Noon – 6 p.m.
- El Dorado Park West
2800 Studebaker Road, Long Beach, CA
Noon – 6 p.m.
For more information on heat-related illnesses and prevention, please visit the California Department of Public Health's website.
Along with keeping yourself safe, lets remember to work together to save energy to help prevent service interruptions. To avoid electricity shortages residents should reduce energy usage in order to prevent service interruptions. It's especially important to limit energy usage from 3 pm to 10 pm. That includes your air conditioning, electric car charging and other energy intensive technology. Over cool your home overnight and in the morning in order to stay cool all day. Sign up to receive Flex Alert notifications from your utility provider to help California conserve energy during times of grid stress.
- Adjust Your Thermostat
- Set your thermostat at 78° or higher during 3-10 pm.
- Pre-cool your home by setting thermostats to 72° in the early part of the day (when it is more efficient) and 78° or higher after 3 pm
- Use smart or programmable features to help maintain energy savings when you're not home.
- Major Appliance Use
- Postpone using major appliances like the oven, dishwasher, clothes washer, until cooler times of the day.
- Run your dishwasher and clothes washer only when full.
- Wash clothes in cold water.
- Clean or replace dirty filters.
- Turn your water heater down to 120° or the "normal" setting.
- Close Windows and Doors
- In the morning before the day starts to heat up, close windows and blinds to keep warm air out.
- Keep windows and doors closed to prevent the loss of cooled air.
- Smart Energy Use
- Turn off unnecessary lights.
- Use lamps with LEDs instead of overhead lights.
- Enable "power management" on all computers and turn off when not in use.
- Unplug phone charges, power strips (those without a switch) and other equipment when not in use.
- Conservation Programs
- Consider participating in your utility's demand response program. These voluntary programs are short, temporary measures to reduce energy consumption when power supplies are critically low and a Flex Alert has been issued. Contact your local electric utility to learn about your utility's program and incentives they may offer to participate.
Sincerely,
Steven C. Bradford
CA State Senator, SD 35
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