Adapting to Heat: A Texan’s Guide for Oregonians
In Texas, our summers were always hot. But not this hot. It was 81° the day I left Austin for Portland in late February of this year – what would have been a normal summer day, but in the midst of winter.
Just a few months later, record breaking heat waves have already scorched parts of Oregon, Texas, and the nation. McCaffrey and Eagle Point, OR, are battling wildfires. Last weekend, more than 39 million Americans were under an Excessive Heat Warning. Many homes in western Oregon weren’t built with centralized cooling and efficient heat pumps, and weatherization retrofits are urgently needed. The fossil-fueled climate crisis has placed individuals and infrastructure across the globe at risk.
Coming from Texas, I know how serious the heat can be. Working in public health for 15 years taught me all about the seriousness of heat exhaustion and heatstroke. As local weather extremes are being redefined all around us, it’s critical that we share community knowledge about what to do in the face of these extremes. Doing so will save lives.
Heat Exhaustion and Heat Stroke
When temperatures climb above 90° for 2-3 days (especially with high humidity), you’re experiencing extreme heat. Extreme heat warms up your internal organs and makes it harder for your body to cool down. Long-term exposure can lead to brain damage, loss of consciousness, and even death. It’s important to watch for signs of overheating, especially in older adults, children, and those with medical conditions. Symptoms include:
- Headaches
- Dizziness
- Cramps
- Nausea
- Weak Pulse
Take action at the first signs of overheating. Find shade, drink water slowly, and ensure good ventilation. If symptoms don’t improve, seek medical attention.
Never leave people or pets in a parked car – even briefly. Vehicles can reach deadly temperatures quickly. It only takes about 10 minutes for a car to heat up by 20°. And cracking the windows doesn’t help. Look before you lock! If your child is in the backseat, put a necessary item (like your phone) behind you as a reminder, and call 9-1-1 if you see a child alone in a vehicle.
Zero cost options and cooling resources
Making key adjustments to your lifestyle during hotter months can help keep you cool. Oregon and local municipalities also offer resources to help you deal with extreme heat, some are listed below.
- Stay hydrated. Start drinking water 30 minutes before going outside – and continue drinking water even if you don’t feel thirsty.
- Cool off. Take a cold shower, go for a swim in safe places, or apply a cold compress to your pulse points (like your neck, your wrists and the back of your knees).
- Limit sun exposure. Spend time outdoors when it’s cooler, like the early morning and late evening. When you’re outside – stay in the shade. Wear loose-fitting, light colored clothing, sunscreen and a hat. If you work outside, take frequent breaks in the shade (or air conditioning if possible).
- Visit a library or cooling center. If you need immediate relief from the heat, visit your local library, recreation center or shopping center. To locate a cooling center, call 2-1-1 or check the list of cooling centers in Oregon searchable by county.
- Check on neighbors. Visit elderly family and neighbors at least twice a day, and watch for signs of heat illness. Help them get to places with air conditioning and make sure they know what to do if they feel overheated.
- Avoid large, hot meals. Consider cooking less with your oven and avoid large, hot meals, which can add heat to your body.
- Capture cool air. If you don’t have a cooling system in your home, open the doors and windows in the late evening and close them in the early morning to capture cool air. In the daytime, cover your windows with curtains or shades to keep the sun and heat out.
- Weatherize your home. Weatherization (or weatherproofing) helps protect your home’s interior from outside elements like heat, cold and smoke. From small actions like sealing leaks around windows to bigger projects like upgrading to an efficient heat pump, weatherization can keep you safe and cut your utility bills. Plus, Oregon Health Authority and Oregon utility providers offer grants and rebates that can help you cover the cost of equipment and installation.
Responding to the climate crisis in Oregon
Right now, we are in a decisive decade for climate action. We must take meaningful action to quickly transition Oregon away from fossil fuels – or things will only get worse.
At OEC, we’re moving fast. Already this year, we formed a coalition to restore the state’s Climate Protection Program in the face of strong opposition from the fossil fuel industry. This pivotal policy will cut 90% of oil and gas pollution in Oregon. We also expanded the state’s Clean Technology Manufacturing Taskforce with Governor Kotek, Senator Wyden and Representative Bonamici to amp-up Oregon’s transition to a clean energy economy. To further strengthen the state’s response to the climate crisis, in February we helped secure $15 million in funds to help low-income Oregonians make home weatherization and energy efficiency upgrades.
At the federal level, the White House just released a set of actions to protect communities and workers from extreme heat. These new policies build on the historic climate investments granted by the administration’s Inflation Reduction Act.
These types of policies and support are essential – and yet we must go further and move faster. Talk to your elected officials. Frequently. Tell your friends and family to do the same. No matter the issue you care about, it’s being impacted by fossil-fueled climate change.
Education suffers because kids can’t learn as well when wildfire smoke fills classrooms. Public health suffers when heat waves worsen air quality and cause illness and death. Infrastructure suffers when ice-storms and rising sea levels damage our roads, bridges and utility lines. Emergency responses are tapped when flash-floods and wildfires become more frequent. Trade suffers when farmer’s crops wither from unprecedented droughts and shipping routes dry up.
There are equitable solutions to the problems that we face – but they only work if we enact them. And only if we work together.
Join us. Sign up for OEC action alerts. We’ll let you know who to contact and what to say to help generate quick, decisive climate action here in Oregon. Become an OEC member if you aren’t one already. As a 501(c)(3) non-profit, all of our important work is funded through generous donations from people like you.
We’re in this together. Thanks for helping us fight the good fight!
Robin Rumancik
OEC Communications Director
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