GREENE COUNTY — It is going to be hot the rest of the week and if you are going to be outside, it’s important to stay safe.
>>Heat Advisory for entire region today; Hot, humid temperatures, poor air quality
People will be looking to cool off in the heat, especially in the water.
NewsCenter 7′s Xavier Hershovitz says the heat indices will reach into the 100s today and there’s nothing like jumping into some sort of body of water to cool off.
But just as there are dangers with this heat, there are dangers in the water too.
Drowning is the leading cause of death for children ages one to four in the United States, according to the C.D.C.
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Hershovitz reports it is a danger and experts say a life jacket makes all the difference in the world.
“Even the stronger swimmer, the very physically fit are not match for the current and the flow of the river,” said Rodney Cates, Director of Rockingham County Emergency Services. “The raft itself is not a personal floatation device. People need to wear that personal floatation device.”
Hershovitz says if you are going to be out in the pool or at the beach, you will also want to remember the heat can still get to you.
You want to drink plenty of water and take breaks in the shade when possible.
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One of the hottest places to be during the heat and humidity is a car.
- On a 90-degree day, the inside of a car is 109 degrees after just 10 minutes.
- After 20 minutes, it goes up to 120 degrees.
- Following 30 minutes, it’s at 124 degrees.
- After an hour, the inside of a car is at 133 degrees.
“I don’t see how that can happen because even when you look in your rearview mirror,” Kimberly Fisher told NewsCenter 7. “You can see your kids back there. You can hear your kids.”
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Hershovitz says the data shows when these tragedies happen, it’s often when a mother, father, or caregiver is out of their routine, like taking a child to daycare when they normally don’t take care of that drop-off.
14 kids have died in hot cars in the U.S. in 2023, according to the website, noheatstroke.org.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said 33 children died of heatstroke in cars last year and kids are especially at risk because their body temperatures rise five times faster than adults.
Experts say placing a personal item in the back seat as an extra physical reminder to check the backseat.