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Excessive Heat Inland Northwest graphic issued: July 24, 2022

Check out these tips on staying cool:

  • Stay in air-conditioned buildings as much as you can. Air conditioning is the number one way to protect yourself against heat-related illness and death. If your home is not air-conditioned, reduce your risk for heat-related illness by spending time in public facilities that are air-conditioned and using air conditioning in vehicles. Contact your local health department or locate an air-conditioned shelter in your area.
  • Do not rely on a fan as your main cooling device during an extreme heat event.
  • Drink more water than usual and don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink.
  • Check on a friend or neighbor and have someone do the same for you.
  • Limit the use of the stove and oven—it will make you and your house hotter. Schedule outdoor activities carefully.
    • Wear loose, lightweight, light-colored clothing and sunscreen.
    • Pace yourself.
  • Take cool showers or baths to cool down.
  • Never leave children or pets in cars.

Even young and healthy people can get sick from the heat if they participate in strenuous physical activities during hot weather:

  • Limit your outdoor activity, especially midday when the sun is hottest.
  • Pace your activity. Start activities slowly and pick up the pace gradually.
  • Drink more water than usual and don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink more. Muscle cramping may be an early sign of heat-related illness.
  • Wear loose, lightweight, light-colored clothing.

If you play a sport that practices during hot weather, protect yourself and look out for your teammates:

  • Schedule workouts and practices earlier or later in the day when the temperature is cooler.
  • Monitor a teammate’s condition and have someone do the same for you.
    Seek medical care right away if you or a teammate has symptoms of heat-related illness.
    Source: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Heat Impacts: Vulnerable Populations graphic (Pregnant, Newborns, Children, Elderly, and Chronic Illness)

Consider these tips to conserve electricity during this time:

  • Postpone use of appliances such as washers, dryers, and dishwashers until after 10 p.m.
  • Turn off lights and appliances that are not essential to health and safety.
  • Turn off computers and other electrical equipment when not in use. Game consoles, computers, and big-screen TVs left on but unused produce nearly as much heat as they do when in use.
  • Keep your shades pulled and doors and windows closed during the day.
  • Use a microwave oven instead of a conventional electric oven or gas stove.
  • Supplement air conditioner use with ceiling fans and other fans, which create a wind-chill effect that increases air conditioning cooling efficiency.
  • Give your air conditioning a break and fire up the grill! Your oven or stove can raise your kitchen temp 5 to 10 degrees.
  • Turn off ceiling fans when you leave the room. Remember that fans cool people, not rooms, by creating a wind chill effect.
  • Avoid placing lamps or TV sets near your room's air conditioning thermostat. The thermostat senses heat from these appliances, which can cause the air conditioner to run longer than necessary.
  • Consider lighting options that operate at cooler temperatures.

If your power goes out:

  • Report outages by logging into your SmartHub account or on the app.
  • Or, you can report your outage by calling (877) 744-1055. Please be ready to provide at least 1 of the following pieces of information when calling: phone number, account number, or meter number associated with the outage location.

Stay in touch with outage updates: