PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT
A Message from Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey
I’m North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey with an important reminder of how you can protect yourself against heat stroke and heat exhaustion.
Summer may be winding down, but the hot temperatures are still very much with us. Just this week, many counties across North Carolina experienced temperatures in the mid-90s and those temperatures may continue into next month.
Heat-related deaths have climbed 117% over the past 25 years, with more than 21,500 succumbing in the United States during that time, according to a U.S. Centers for Disease Control study.
Infants and children are especially at risk to extreme temperature as are pregnant women, older adults and persons with less mobility that are more likely to experience the adverse health effects of severe heat.
And It doesn't even have to be 90 degrees for kids or pets to be put in danger inside of a vehicle. In the United States this year we've already had 14 people die in hot cars this year alone.
Just last week, a Johnston County man faced criminal charges after he allegedly left a man in his early 20s with special needs in a hot vehicle for hours. And in June a Charlotte woman is facing manslaughter charges after her 8-year-old girl passed away from a heat-related medical emergency.
These are always preventable deaths.
For your pets and your children, pay attention to the hour by hour temperatures to avoid exercise or hours outside during the hottest times of the day.
And while It's best to avoid going out during the hottest hours of the day, sometimes that can't be avoided. When out in direct sunlight remember:
- Wear (and regularly reapply) sunscreen.
- Cover your head with a hat.
- Take regular breaks indoors or in a shady area to avoid getting heat exhaustion or heatstroke.
- Wearing light-colored, loose-fitting clothing will also help you to stay cool.
All of us can do our part to look out for ourselves, our loved ones and our pets during extreme weather.
Thank you and God Bless!
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