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Staying cool and safe without breaking the bank

Record-breaking heat wave in Omaha
Posted at 6:29 PM, Jun 17, 2021
and last updated 2021-06-17 19:30:03-04

OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — This record-breaking heat could be very dangerous if you're unable to cool off.

"This is nothing to mess around with. We know annually on average, heat kills people more than any other weather phenomenon in the U.S.," said Phil Rooney, spokesman for the Douglas County Health Department.

During this heat, make sure to stay hydrated with plenty of water.

"If you start to get light-headed, if you start to feel chills, you know if you just don't feel good, it's time to respond right then," said Rooney.

When running errands make sure nobody is left in the car.

"Do not leave pets or small children in the car for any period of time. It can get deadly hot extremely quickly in a car," said Rooney.

Running your air conditioner is unavoidable in this heat, but turning it up a degree or two can help to save energy.

"You want to use fans to your advantage at this point because that can give you the opportunity to raise the thermostat temperature a little bit higher, and then you can use fans to create the windchill effect over the body because it evaporates the moisture that is on your skin and makes you feel cooler," said Eric Bensalah, who is an energy consultant with OPPD.

You want to make sure to block as much sunlight as possible by closing the blinds and curtains.

"Kind of a DIY solution that I think a lot of people receive Amazon packages, that come in the nice white and blue bubble wrap. It's a temporary solution, but sometimes you can actually use a lot of that and put it in between your window set up to kind of stop or slow some of that heat coming from outside inside," said Bensalah.

Eric with OPPD also said to check your furnace filter and your air vents, to make sure they are clean and the cool air can pass through.

Make sure to check in on your elderly friends and family during this heatwave, and try to stay as hydrated as possible.

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