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.

Msibo Mwekundu

Wakati wa hali ya hewa ya joto sana Jiji linaweza kutangaza Msibo Mwekundu kulinda watu ambao hawana makazi. Msibo Mwekundu pia huathiri utunzaji wa wanyama.

Kwa watu wasio na makazi:

• Piga simu kwa timu ya kufikia (215) 232-1984 ikiwa utaona mtu mitaani ambaye anahitaji msaada.
• Piga simu 911 ikiwa kuna dharura ya matibabu.

Kwa wanyama wa kipenzi:

• Mbwa zote lazima ziwe na kivuli ili kuwalinda kutoka jua. Ikiwa hautoi kivuli cha mbwa wako, unaweza kukabiliwa na faini ya $500 au zaidi.
• Ili kuripoti mbwa aliyeachwa nje katika hali ya hewa ya joto sana, piga simu Timu ya Huduma ya Wanyama na Udhibiti (AcCTPhilly) kwa (267) 385-3800.

Tangu Mapinduzi ya Viwandani, shughuli za binadamu zimekuwa sababu kuu ya mabadiliko ya hali ya hewa. Katika miaka ya 1880, jamii za kilimo zilianza kutumia mashine na viwanda vya ujenzi. Viwanda hivi vipya viliongeza hitaji la mafuta - ambayo inaendelea hadi leo. Mafuta ya kuchoma mafuta hutoa gesi chafu, ambayo huchukua joto katika anga ya Dunia.

Leo, sayari ina joto haraka kuliko hapo awali. Hii inasababisha mabadiliko makubwa kwa mazingira yetu. Joto la wastani limeongezeka kwa nyuzi 3.4 Fahrenheit tangu 1970, kulingana na Utawala wa Kitaifa wa Bahari na Anga.

Hii inamaanisha nini kwa Philadelphia

Kuanzia 1971 hadi 2000, Philadelphia ilikuwa na wastani wa siku nne kwa mwaka ambazo zilifikia 100° F. Kufikia 2099, wataalam wanatabiri kuwa siku 55 kwa mwaka zitafikia 100° F.

Siku za moto zinaweza kuleta mawimbi zaidi ya joto. Vipindi hivi vya hali ya hewa ya joto ni mbaya zaidi katika miji kama Philadelphia. Hii ni kwa sababu ya athari ya kisiwa cha joto - neno la njia ambayo miji inachukua joto kwa sababu ya majengo, barabara, na miundo mingine.

Philadelphia iko hatarini kwa:

• Kuongezeka kwa joto.
• Kuongezeka kwa mvua, mafuriko, na dhoruba kali.

Athari hizi zinahisiwa tofauti katika jiji lote. Vitongoji vya kipato cha chini na jamii za rangi zina uwezekano mkubwa wa kuumizwa na hali ya hewa inayobadilika.

Huko Philadelphia, vitongoji vingine vinaweza kupata joto kama 22° F kuliko zingine. Vitongoji hivi vina wakazi wa kipato cha chini zaidi na wakazi wa rangi kuliko vitongoji vingine.

Mfano huu wa mfiduo usio sawa na hatari unatuambia kuwa mabadiliko ya hali ya hewa sio tu suala la afya ya umma. Pia ni suala la usawa wa rangi na kijamii.

Ofisi ya Uendelevu inaongoza juhudi za Jiji kushughulikia mabadiliko ya hali ya hewa. Wanafanya kazi na washirika kwa:

• Kuboresha ubora wa maisha katika vitongoji vyote vya Philadelphia.
• Punguza uzalishaji wa kaboni.
• Jitayarishe Philadelphia kwa hali ya hewa ya joto, ya mvua.

Piga Joto

Hifadhi ya Uwindaji ni moja wapo ya vitongoji vikali zaidi na vyenye mazingira magumu zaidi ya Philadelphia. Mnamo 2018, Ofisi ya Uendelevu ilifanya kazi na wakaazi kusaidia maamuzi yanayotokana na jamii kuhusu jinsi ya kujibu joto kali. Wakazi wa Hifadhi ya Uwindaji waliarifu mpango wa kwanza wa uthabiti unaoendeshwa na jamii, Piga Hifadhi ya Uwindaji wa Joto: Mpango wa Usaidizi wa Joto la Jamii.

Ofisi ya Uendelevu inaendelea kufanya kazi na viongozi wa jamii na idara za Jiji kuandaa Philadelphia kwa joto kali na athari zingine za mabadiliko ya hali ya hewa.

Unaweza kuanza mradi wako wa Beat the Heat katika kitongoji chako. Pata zana zote utakazohitaji kwenye Beat the Heat toolkit.

Mipango mingine ya Jiji ililenga mabadiliko ya hali ya hewa

TreePhilly ni programu wa misitu ya miji ya Philadelphia Parks & Burudani na Hifadhi ya Fairmount Park. Miti na nafasi ya kijani huchukua kaboni, gesi kuu ya chafu nyuma ya mabadiliko ya hali ya hewa. Wanaweza kutoa misaada kutoka kwa joto kupitia kivuli na uvukizi.

Green City, Maji safi ni mpango wa miaka 25 wa kurejesha njia za maji za mitaa. Inatumia mimea na miti kunyonya maji ya dhoruba hatari kabla ya kuchafua mito yetu.

Solarize Philly ni programu wa jua wa dari wa Mamlaka ya Nishati ya Philadelphia. Kubadilisha mifumo mbadala kama nguvu ya jua ni sehemu muhimu ya kupunguza uzalishaji wa gesi chafu na kufanya nishati endelevu.

• Greenworks: Maono ya Philadelphia Endelevu inaelezea malengo na mikakati ya Jiji karibu na chakula na maji, hewa, nishati, hali ya hewa, maliasili, usafirishaji, taka, na ushiriki wa raia.
• Soma gazeti la Mapitio ya Greenworks kukaa na habari juu ya kile Jiji na washirika wake wanafanya kushughulikia mabadiliko ya hali ya hewa.
• Soma Greenworks kwenye Ground ili kujua jinsi watu binafsi, jamii, na taasisi zinaweza kusaidia kukabiliana na mabadiliko ya hali ya hewa.
• Kukua Nguvu: Kuelekea Philadelphia iliyo tayari kwa hali ya hewa inabainisha hatari na athari za mabadiliko ya hali ya hewa huko Philadelphia na inatoa mikakati ya kuzishughulikia.
• Kitabu cha kucheza cha hali ya hewa cha Philadelphia kinaelezea hatua ambazo Jiji linachukua ili kupunguza uzalishaji na kuzoea hali ya joto, yenye maji.