People aged 65 years or older

Older adults are less likely to sense and respond to changes in temperature. Many people don’t feel thirsty until they’re already dehydrated. If you’re older, be sure to drink water during extreme heat. Others should check in on older adults to make sure they’re staying cool and hydrated.

Older adults who have questions about the heat can call the Philadelphia Corporation for Aging’s Helpline at (215) 765-9040.

Infants and young children

Young children (under age 4) are sensitive to the effects of excessive heat. If you care for young children, they’re relying on you to stay cool and hydrated.

People with certain chronic medical conditions

Many prescription medications can contribute to dehydration. They may also affect the body’s ability to regulate body temperature. These medications include antihistamines, beta blockers, and drugs used to treat mental illnesses like depression and schizophrenia. Ask your healthcare provider how extreme heat events may affect you.

People with certain chronic conditions are also at high risk. Common risks include diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and asthma. People with these conditions are less likely to sense and respond to changes in temperature.

• Diabetes: People with diabetes get dehydrated more quickly. High temperatures can change how your body uses insulin. If you have diabetes, you may need to test your blood sugar more often. This will help you adjust your insulin dose and what you eat and drink.
• Cardiovascular disease: People with heart disease may be more vulnerable to heatstroke. Some medicines used to treat high blood pressure, like diuretics (water pills), can make dehydration worse.
• Asthma and other respiratory diseases: High temperatures can affect air quality. People with asthma and other breathing problems may have worse symptoms during high temperatures.

You may need to stay indoors or visit a cooler location when it’s hot. Check air quality ratings so you can make a plan.

Some Philadelphia neighborhoods are hotter than others. Identifying those neighborhoods helps the City keep people safe during very hot weather.

The Philadelphia Heat Vulnerability Index shows which areas in the city are hottest and coolest during the summer. The index was created by the Philadelphia Department of Public Health and the Office of Sustainability.

Some of the hottest neighborhoods in Philadelphia are:

• Cobbs Creek.
• Point Breeze.
• Strawberry Mansion.
• Hunting Park.

Affected neighborhoods are hotter because they have:

• Lower tree canopies with younger, shorter trees.
• Fewer green spaces.
• More exposed asphalt and dark surfaces, including black roofs.
• Older, less weatherized homes, largely due to a history of redlining and lack of investment.

Muscle cramps may be the first sign of heat-related illness.

Symptoms may include:

• Heavy sweating.
• Painful muscle spasms, often in the abdomen, arms, or calves.

What to do:

• Stop activity and move to a cooler location.
• Drink water.
• Seek medical attention if cramps persist for more than one hour.

Heat exhaustion can develop after several days of exposure to high temperatures and inadequate replacement of fluids. People are most prone to heat exhaustion if they:

• Are 65 years old or older.
• Have high blood pressure.
• Work or exercise in a hot environment.

Symptoms may include:

• Heavy sweating.
• Headache.
• Weakness.
• Fatigue.
• Dizziness.
• Fainting.
• Nausea.
• Vomiting.

What to do:

• Go to an air-conditioned space. On especially hot days, the City opens cooling centers.
• Sip cool, non-alcoholic beverages.
• Take a cool shower or bath.
• Rest.
• Seek medical attention if symptoms persist for more than one hour.

Heatstroke is the most serious heat-related illness. Heatstroke can cause death or permanent disability without emergency treatment.

Symptoms may include:

• Very high body temperature (above 103°F).
• Red, hot, dry skin (no sweating).
• Confusion.
• Throbbing headache.
• Nausea.
• Unconsciousness.

If you see someone with these symptoms, call 911 immediately. This is a medical emergency.

Stay hydrated:

• Drink plenty of water. Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink.
• Avoid alcohol, caffeine, and sugary drinks.

When you’re outside:

• Avoid working, exercising, or playing outside during the hottest part of the day (usually noon to 5 p.m.).
• Slow down. Rest in the shade or a cool place when you can.
• Wear lightweight, light-colored, and loose-fitting clothes.
• Wear a wide-brimmed hat or use an umbrella for shade.

At home:

• Use air conditioners and fans. If you use a fan, make sure your windows are open to release trapped hot air.
• Use drapes, shades, or awnings in your home. Outdoor awnings can reduce the heat that enters the home by up to 80 percent.
• Take a cool shower or bath.
• Visit a friend with air conditioning or spend time in a cool place like a mall, library, senior center, or cooling center. Even a few hours in air conditioning during the hottest part of the day can help your body recover.

Remember:

• Never leave older people, children, or pets alone in cars.
• Check on older adults who live alone.

Fire hydrants:

Fire hydrants are for fighting fires. Opening hydrants to cool off decreases water pressure. This makes it harder for Philadelphia firefighters to do their jobs. It can also damage water mains. If you see an open hydrant, call the Water Department’s emergency line at (215) 685-6300.

These programs can help you pay your utility bills to keep your home cool:

• Neighborhood Energy Centers: Apply for bill payment assistance, learn how to conserve water, gas, and electricity, and get energy counseling.
• Basic Systems Repair Program: Get free repairs for electrical, plumbing, heating, structural, and roofing emergencies in eligible owner-occupied homes.
• Utility Emergency Services Fund (UESF): Find grants to help pay home electricity bills.
• PECO Customer Assistance Program (CAP): Get a monthly credit toward your PECO bill.

During very hot weather, the City may declare a heat health emergency.

In a heat health emergency:

• A special Heatline is open for calls: (215) 765-9040. Call the Heatline to get health safety tips and talk to a nurse about medical problems related to the heat.
• Cooling centers stay open later.
• Mobile heat health teams may be dispatched.
• Residential utility shutoffs stop.

If you think someone is having a medical emergency, call 911.

Emergency notifications

Sign up for ReadyPhiladelphia to get text and email notifications about heat and other emergencies. The alerts are free, but your wireless provider may charge for text messaging.

Ready Philadelphia

Providing emergency information via text and email.

Kòd Wouj

Pandan move tan trè cho Vil la ka deklare yon Kòd Wouj pou pwoteje moun ki san kay. Yon Kòd Wouj tou afekte swen bèt kay.

Pou moun ki san kay:

• Rele ekip sansibilizasyon an nan (215) 232-1984 si ou wè yon moun nan lari a ki bezwen èd.
• Rele 911 si gen yon ijans medikal.

Pou bèt kay:

• Tout chen dwe gen lonbraj pou pwoteje yo kont solèy la. Si ou pa bay lonbraj chen ou, ou ta ka fè fas a yon amann $500 oswa plis.
• Pou rapòte yon chen kite deyò nan move tan trè cho, rele Swen Animal & Ekip Kontwòl (AcctPhilly) nan (267) 385-3800.

Depi Revolisyon Endistriyèl la, aktivite imen te kòz prensipal chanjman nan klima. Nan ane 1880 yo, sosyete agrikilti yo te kòmanse itilize machin ak faktori bilding yo. Nouvo endistri sa yo ogmante bezwen pou gaz - ki kontinye jou a prezan. Boule konbistib fosil degaje gaz lakòz efè tèmik, ki pyèj chalè nan atmosfè Latè.

Jodi a, planèt la ap chofe pi vit pase tout tan. Sa a se sa ki lakòz chanjman grav nan anviwònman nou an. Tanperati mwayèn lan te monte pa 3.4 degre Farennayt depi 1970, dapre Administrasyon Nasyonal Oseyan ak Atmosferik.

Kisa sa vle di pou Philadelphia

Soti nan 1971 a 2000, Philadelphia te gen yon mwayèn de kat jou pou chak ane ki te rive nan 100° F. Pa 2099, ekspè predi ke 55 jou chak ane pral rive nan 100° F.

Jou pi cho ka pote plis heatwaves. Sa yo pwolonje périodes de tanperati cho yo pi mal nan vil yo tankou Philadelphia. Sa a se akòz efè a zile chalè - yon tèm pou wout la ki lavil pèlen chalè paske nan bilding, wout, ak lòt estrikti.

Philadelphia se nan risk pou:

• Ogmante chalè.
• Ogmantasyon presipitasyon, inondasyon, ak tanpèt grav.

Efè sa yo santi yo yon fason diferan nan tout vil la. Katye revni ki pi ba yo ak kominote koulè yo gen plis chans pou yo blese pa klima a chanje.

Nan Philadelphia, kèk katye ka jwenn otan ke 22° F pi cho pase lòt moun. Katye sa yo gen plis rezidan ki gen ti revni ak moun ki abite nan koulè pase lòt katye yo.

Modèl sa a nan ekspoze inegal nan risk di nou ke chanjman nan klima se pa sèlman yon pwoblèm sante piblik. Li la tou yon pwoblèm ekite rasyal ak sosyal.

Biwo Sustainability ap dirije efò Vil la pou adrese chanjman nan klima. Yo ap travay ak patnè yo:

• Amelyore kalite lavi nan tout katye Philadelphia.
• Diminye emisyon kabòn.
• Prepare Philadelphia pou pi cho, move tan.

Bat chalè a

Lachas Park se youn nan pi cho ak pi chalè-vilnerab katye Philadelphia a. Nan 2018, Biwo Sustainability te travay ak rezidan yo pou sipòte desizyon kominote-kondwi sou fason pou reponn a chalè ekstrèm. Rezidan Park Lachas yo te enfòme premye plan rezistans kominote-kondwi Vil la, Bat Park Lachas Chalè a: Yon Plan Sekou Chalè Kominotè.

Biwo Sustainability ap kontinye travay avèk lidè kominotè yo ak depatman Vil yo pou prepare Philadelphia pou chalè ekstrèm ak lòt efè chanjman nan klima.

Ou ka kòmanse pwòp ou a bat pwojè a chalè nan katye w la. Jwenn tout zouti ou pral bezwen nan bat zouti chalè a.

Lòt pwogram Vil konsantre sou chanjman nan klima

TreePhilly se yon pwogram forè iben nan Philadelphia Parks & Rekreyasyon ak Fairmount Park Conservancy. Pye bwa ak greenspace absòbe kabòn, gaz la lakòz efè tèmik prensipal dèyè chanjman nan klima. Yo ka bay soulajman nan chalè nan lonbraj ak evapotranspirasyon.

Green City, Netwaye Waters se yon plan 25 ane retabli vwa navigab lokal yo. Li itilize plant ak pye bwa yo absòbe dlo lapli danjere anvan li polye rivyè nou yo.

Solarize Philly se yon twa solè pwogram nan Otorite Enèji Philadelphia. Oblije chanje nan sistèm renouvlab tankou pouvwa solè se yon pati enpòtan nan diminye emisyon gaz efè tèmik ak fè enèji dirab.

• Greenworks: Yon vizyon pou yon dirab Philadelphia esplike objektif Vil la ak estrateji alantou manje ak dlo, lè, enèji, klima, resous natirèl, transpò, fatra, ak angajman sivik.
• Li magazin Revizyon Greenworks yo rete enfòme sou sa ki Vil la ak patnè li yo ap fè nan adrès chanjman nan klima.
• Li Greenworks sou tè a pou chèche konnen kijan moun, kominote yo, ak enstitisyon yo ka ede reponn a chanjman nan klima.
• Ap grandi pi fò: Nan direksyon yon klima-pare Philadelphia idantifye risk ak enpak nan chanjman nan klima nan Philadelphia epi li ofri estrateji nan adrès yo.
• Philadelphia Klima Aksyon Playbook la detay etap sa yo Vil la ap pran diminye emisyon ak adapte yo ak yon pi cho, pi move tan kap vini.