LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Las Vegas can be a very hot place. We live in a desert climate in Southern Nevada.
But coming our way is a heat wave that is likely to break records, including the earliest 112-degree day on record. Temperatures this hot, this early can be dangerous and even deadly.
"It's probably a little bit like the frog in the boiling water. If we sit in an apartment and the air conditioning fails and the heat goes up slowly, people generally don't notice it as easily or as quickly as they would if all of a sudden, they jumped into a furnace," Dr. Cole Sondrup, Southern Hills Hospital Emergency Physician, told Channel 13.
Heat can be a silent killer. It's the deadliest kind of weather event in the U.S. and it doesn't impact everyone equally.
"Anybody who's over the age of 65 and has a lot of medical problems is at risk. It's not uncommon for us to see somebody who's a little bit older, who has a trip and fall outside when they're alone, who gets stuck outside on the ground for hours on end," Sondrup said.
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The elderly, children, and people with underlying health conditions can be especially vulnerable to hot weather even in a place that's used to it. According to an analysis from the Associated Press, over 2,300 people died last year from heat-related causes in America — a record high that includes 227 deaths in Nevada.
These figures don't capture the full scope of those impacted by heat-related illness.
"Being homeless is huge, because quite frankly, they have no place to go to keep themselves cool, other than the public buses," Sondrup said.
Being incapacitated from drugs or alcohol is also a big risk because you may not notice your body experiencing any symptoms.
"The best thing you can do is keep yourself hydrated. Lots and lots of fluids. Second best thing you can do is make sure you have shade or [an] air-conditioned space to be," Sondrup said.
Other symptoms you can watch out for include dry mouth, feeling dizzy or confused, and going long periods without urinating — as with severe dehydration, the kidneys are the first organ to fail.
Cooling centers are scheduled to be open in Clark County, during daytime hours, from Wednesday through Friday. You can see the full list here.
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