A scorching heat wave will arrive this weekend, with temperatures expected to soar into the triple digits in many parts of Georgia. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, extreme heat is the No. 1 weather-related killer in the U.S, claiming approximately 400 lives across the nation. In fact, excessive heat typically claims more lives each year than floods, lightning, tornadoes and hurricanes combined, so it is best to prepare now to reduce your risk of heat-related illness. 

Here are 10 tips from the Georgia Emergency Management Agency’s (GEMA) Ready Georgia campaign to help beat the heat in the coming days:

• Insulate your home by installing weather stripping around your doors and window sills to keep the cool air inside.
• Stay indoors in air-conditioned spaces as much as possible and limit exposure to the sun.
• Dress in loose-fitting, lightweight and light-colored clothes that cover as much skin as possible.
• Familiarize yourself with the medical conditions that can result from over-exposure to heat, including heat exhaustion and heat stroke to help lessen health threats and harm.
• Avoid strenuous work during the warmest part of the day. Use a buddy system when working in extreme heat, and take frequent breaks.
• Never leave children or pets alone in closed vehicles.
• Postpone outdoor activities and take shelter in a home, building or hard top automobile if severe weather is headed your way.
• Make sure pets have plenty of water and shade, be careful to not over-exercise them, and keep them indoors when it's extremely hot.
• Conserve water in your household to help prevent drought: wash only full loads of dishes and laundry, fix household leaks and install low-flow toilets and showerheads.
• Closely monitor a local radio station, TV station or NOAA Weather Radio for the latest information on excessive heat watches and warnings. Ready Georgia is currently hosting a contest for the chance to win a free weather radio, so visit the Ready Georgia website and create a Ready profile for a chance to win.

Georgians can find this information and more at www.ready.ga.gov. The website offers an interactive preparedness tool to create custom checklists of emergency supplies and tailored family plans. For preparedness on the go, families can also download Ready Georgia’s free mobile app.

Related content:

• Heat Advisory, Fire Hazard Thursday.
  

Don’t miss any of the local news you care about. Subscribe to Canton-Sixes Patch’s free newsletter, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.