Fairfax County offers resources for surviving extreme heat
With extreme heat blanketing the area this week, Fairfax County is offering resources to help the public stay cool.
Temperatures in the 90s combined with high humidity could result in heat indices above 100 degrees. By the end of the week, we could face a heat advisory, which the National Weather Service says happens when there is a heat index of 100 degrees or higher for at least two days and nighttime air temperatures staying over 75 degrees.
Those conditions could lead to heat-related illness, especially for seniors and people working outdoors.
To avoid heat exhaustion or heat stroke, the county advises drinking lots of water, limiting outdoor activities, and wearing light-colored, loose-fitting clothing. If you don’t have air conditioning, visit a shopping mall, movie theater, or a cooling center.
Be sure to check on elderly or other vulnerable people and never leave a child, older adult, or pet alone in a vehicle.
Symptoms of heat exhaustion include dizziness, thirst, heavy sweating, nausea, and weakness. If you are experiencing heat exhaustion, move to a cooler area, loosen your clothing, sip cool water, and seek medical help if the symptoms don’t improve.
Heat exhaustion can lead to heat stroke. A person experiencing heat stroke becomes confused, dizzy, and unconscious. Heat stroke can lead to death or permanent disability, so call 911 immediately.
If a heat advisory is announced, Fairfax County will activate its heat plan, which calls for opening cooling centers in public facilities.
Cooling centers in the Annandale/Mason District area include these locations:
- George Mason Regional Library, Annandale
- Thomas Jefferson Library, Falls Church
- Woodrow Wilson Library, Culmore
- Willston Multicultural Center, Seven Corners
- Bailey’s Community Center, Bailey’s Crossroads
- James Lee Community Center, Falls Church
- Audrey Moore Rec Center, Annandale
- Providence Rec Center, Falls Church
When a heat plan is activated, the county will distribute water bottles, sunscreen, insect repellant, hats, and cooling towels to unsheltered individuals, shelters, drop-in centers, and meal sites.
The Senior Cool Care Program provides air conditioning units and fans to low-income residents age 60 or older.
The program is sponsored by Dominion Energy and is administered by the Virginia Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services through the Fairfax Area Agency on Aging. For more information, contact the Aging, Disability and Caregiver Resources Line at 703-324-7948.
Cooling Assistance, another program to help vulnerable residents stay cool in the summer, provides funds for electric bills, air conditioning repairs, payment of a security deposit to begin electric service, and the purchase of a fan or air conditioning unit.