Emergency Management Asking Vulnerable Groups To Stay Safe During Heatwave In Wright County

Press release from the Wright County Government:

June 9, 2021

As Wright County experiences its seventh straight day with temperatures of 90 degrees or above (a state record for June) with no significant drop in sight, Wright County Emergency Management is reminding residents about the dangers inherent to heat.

The National Weather Service has a guide explaining the difference between heat cramps, exhaustion and heatstroke that can be found here: https://www.weather.gov/safety/heat-illness. Nobody is immune to excessive heat and humidity, but some groups are more vulnerable to heat-related illness. They include:

• Young children and infants – they are particularly vulnerable to heat-related illness and death because their bodies are less able to adapt to heat than adults.
• Older adults – Those elderly, especially those with pre-existing medical conditions and those who take medications need to remain in somewhere air-conditioned or cool because excessive heat can cause multiple adverse effects.
• People with chronic medical conditions – Their immune systems are compromised and often show symptoms of heat-related problems quicker than healthy individuals.
• Pregnant women – Extreme heat has been associated with adverse birth outcomes such as low birth weight, pre-term birth and infant mortality, as well as congenital cataracts.

As the unprecedented June heat wave continues to hang over Minnesota, the danger of heat exposure will remain a concern and Wright County Emergency Management is advising residents to take as many precautions as possible to keep themselves safe as the number of 90-plus degree days pile up and keep us in the danger zone.

This press release was produced by the Wright County Government. The views expressed here are the author’s own.