As the heat index soared to dangerous temperatures Saturday, North Texans looked for relief wherever they could.
“We’re all dripping in sweat, but the kids got in the splash pad over there and that helps out a lot. Now we’re going to go grab snow cones,” Nicole McDonald said.
Then, McDonald said they were headed indoors for the rest of the day.
With nearly all of the metroplex under a heat advisory through the weekend, experts urged people to limit their time outside.
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"Just today, we’ve already responded to four calls,” said MedStar spokesperson Matt Zavadsky.
Zavadsky said that number was likely to rise headed into the late afternoon.
Friday, his crews treated 12 people for heat-related illness with symptoms like fatigue, profuse sweating and nausea, which he says often catches people off guard when it’s humidity, and not temperature alone, pushing people into the danger zone.
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“Because of all of the rain and the storms that we’ve had, the ground is pretty saturated and it’s unusual for us to see humidity levels, like you all report at 70%, 80%. So even at 90 degrees, when you’ve got 80% humidity, that heat index can be at 103 or 104 degrees, and we start a special response protocol once the heat index gets to be 105,” he said.
Zavadsky said when that happens, crews stock ambulances with extra IV fluids and ice packs.
On Monday, he said they’ll have additional staff in preparation for Opal’s Walk for Freedom in Fort Worth.
