{"id":18498,"date":"2026-06-10T10:29:43","date_gmt":"2026-06-10T14:29:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/news\/?page_id=18498"},"modified":"2026-06-10T14:12:44","modified_gmt":"2026-06-10T18:12:44","slug":"richmond-and-henrico-health-districts-share-tips-for-preventing-and-recognizing-heat-related-illness","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/news\/public-relations-contacts\/2026-regional-news-releases\/richmond-and-henrico-health-districts-share-tips-for-preventing-and-recognizing-heat-related-illness\/","title":{"rendered":"Richmond and Henrico Health Districts Share Tips for Preventing and Recognizing Heat-Related Illness"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: left;\">June 10, 2026<br \/>\n<strong>Media Contact:<\/strong> Bryan Hooten, 804-807-1727, <a href=\"mailto:bryan.hooten@vdh.virginia.gov\">bryan.hooten@vdh.virginia.gov<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Richmond and Henrico Health Districts Share Tips for Preventing and <\/strong><strong>Recognizing <\/strong><strong>Heat-Related Illness<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>RICHMOND, Va. \u2013 As high temperatures move into the region, Richmond and Henrico Health Districts (RHHD) share tips for preventing and recognizing the signs and symptoms of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/news\/extreme-heat-and-heat-related-illnesses\/\">heat-related illness<\/a>. Prolonged exposure to heat can cause cramping, heat exhaustion, heat stroke, and even death.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Heat impacts health in many ways, including some ways that aren\u2019t obvious,\u201d said Richmond and Henrico Health Districts Community Health Nurse Supervisor Virginia Slattum. \u201cAs our summers get hotter and heat waves become more severe, it\u2019s even more important to protect your health and the health of your family and community. We encourage you to know where to go during extreme heat and to learn the signs of heat stroke and heat exhaustion.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Extreme heat and heat-related illness<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/news\/extreme-heat-and-heat-related-illnesses\/\">Extreme heat<\/a> is a period of high heat and humidity with temperatures above 90 degrees Fahrenheit for at least two to three days. During periods of extreme heat, the body must work extra hard to maintain a normal temperature because evaporation of sweat is slowed.<\/p>\n<p>Recognizing the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/niosh\/heat-stress\/about\/illnesses.html\">signs of heat-related illnesses<\/a> and knowing what to do might save the life of a loved one.\u00a0 If an individual loses consciousness, has a fast, strong pulse, hot, red skin and\/or temperatures of 103\u00b0 F, <strong>call 911 immediately<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What to do during an extreme heat event<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Check local weather and National Weather Service <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov\/heatrisk\/\">HeatRisk<\/a> map daily.<\/li>\n<li>Spend time in air-conditioned places.<\/li>\n<li>Check on older, sick or disabled people.<\/li>\n<li>Drink water and avoid alcohol and caffeinated or sugary drinks.<\/li>\n<li>Know the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/niosh\/heat-stress\/about\/illnesses.html\">signs and symptoms of heat-related illness<\/a> and what to do.<\/li>\n<li>Minimize sun exposure and wear sunscreen (SPF 30 or above).<\/li>\n<li>Eat light, cool, and easy-to-digest foods.<\/li>\n<li>Take a cool shower or bath.<\/li>\n<li>Wear loose-fitting, light-colored clothes.<\/li>\n<li>Use a fan to provide comfort when temperatures are below 90 degrees Fahrenheit.<\/li>\n<li>Don\u2019t leave children, pets, or persons with mobility challenges alone in cars for any amount of time.<\/li>\n<li>Don\u2019t exercise outdoors during the hottest parts of the day (12-4 p.m.).<\/li>\n<li>Talk to your doctor about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/heat-health\/hcp\/clinical-guidance\/heat-and-medications-guidance-for-clinicians.html\">medications that interfere with temperature regulation<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Heat stroke and heat exhaustion<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/niosh\/heat-stress\/about\/illnesses.html\">Heat stroke and heat exhaustion<\/a> occur when your body is unable to cool itself. Humidity plays a big factor in your body\u2019s ability to release heat. The higher the humidity, the slower your sweat evaporates. Age, weight, heart disease, poor circulation, alcohol, sunburn, and prescription drugs play a factor in how quickly your body can cool itself.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Cooling options in Richmond City and Henrico County<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The City of Richmond offers <a href=\"https:\/\/rva.gov\/neighborhood-and-community-services\/inclement-weather\">cooling stations<\/a> at the following locations:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Inclement Weather Shelter operated by the Salvation Army<\/li>\n<li>When temperatures reach 92 degrees Fahrenheit or higher<\/li>\n<li>Daily, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.<\/li>\n<li>Department of Social Services\n<ul>\n<li>Marshall Plaza<br \/>\n900 E. Marshall St., Suite 160<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li>Southside Plaza<br \/>\n4100 Hull Street Road<\/li>\n<li>Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/rvalibrary.org\/about\/hours\/\">Richmond Public Libraries<\/a>\n<ul>\n<li>Monday-Sunday (hours vary)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities Outdoor Pools\n<ul>\n<li>Monday-Friday, Noon-8 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, Noon-7 p.m.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ridegrtc.com\/\">Greater Richmond Transit Company<\/a> (GRTC) bus service is zero-fare this summer and all GRTC buses are air-conditioned.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Henrico County provides cooling refuge at several <a href=\"https:\/\/henrico.us\/health\/healthcare-provider\/heat-protection\/\">recreation centers<\/a> and at all <a href=\"https:\/\/henricolibrary.org\/locations\">Henrico Public Libraries<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Visit <a href=\"https:\/\/rhhd.gov\/\">rhhd.gov<\/a> for more health and safety information. Follow RHHD on Instagram (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/richmondcity_hd\">@richmondcity_hd<\/a>) and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/RichmondHenricoHealthDistricts\">Facebook<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">###<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>June 10, 2026 Media Contact: Bryan Hooten, 804-807-1727, bryan.hooten@vdh.virginia.gov Richmond and Henrico Health Districts Share Tips for Preventing and Recognizing Heat-Related Illness RICHMOND, Va. \u2013 As high temperatures move into the region, Richmond and Henrico Health Districts (RHHD) share tips for preventing and recognizing the signs and symptoms of heat-related illness. Prolonged exposure to heat [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":258,"featured_media":0,"parent":16853,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"tags":[1737,1014,1738,682,1736,1487],"class_list":["post-18498","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","tag-cooling-stations","tag-extreme-heat","tag-heatrisk","tag-richmond-and-henrico-health-districts","tag-signs-of-heat-related-illnesses","tag-virginia-slattum"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Richmond and Henrico Health Districts Share Tips for Preventing and Recognizing Heat-Related Illness - Newsroom<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/news\/public-relations-contacts\/2026-regional-news-releases\/richmond-and-henrico-health-districts-share-tips-for-preventing-and-recognizing-heat-related-illness\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Richmond and Henrico Health Districts Share Tips for Preventing and Recognizing Heat-Related Illness - Newsroom\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"June 10, 2026 Media Contact: Bryan Hooten, 804-807-1727, bryan.hooten@vdh.virginia.gov Richmond and Henrico Health Districts Share Tips for Preventing and Recognizing Heat-Related Illness RICHMOND, Va. \u2013 As high temperatures move into the region, Richmond and Henrico Health Districts (RHHD) share tips for preventing and recognizing the signs and symptoms of heat-related illness. 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