Extreme Heat Prevention

ZANESVILLE, Ohio – Already this summer 16 children nationwide have reportedly died from heatstroke after being left in hot cars by their caregivers.

Even in cool temperatures, cars can heat up to dangerous temperatures very quickly and anyone left inside is at risk for serious heat related illnesses or even death.

"Young ones are the most vulnerable one because, is their a baby they can’t really escape the situation. Their body surface allows them to lose a lot more water and get over heated faster," said Dr. Vicki Whitacre M.D., Zanesville- Muskingum County Health Department. "The elderly needs someone to check on them. They tend to not want to run their air conditioning because they don’t want to pay the increase utility bill but, they’ve got to stay cool."

The most important thing Dr. Whitacre recommends is to stay hydrated at all times.

"We lose more people from the heat then we do from tornadoes, hurricanes and other natural disasters so we really do need to pay attention to staying cool when the weather is like it is now," said Dr. Whitacre.

Dr. Whitacre said if you’re looking for a place to get cool you can always visit your local library and/or mall.