DES MOINES, Iowa — After a cooler wave and some flash flooding in the middle of July; Polk County and other organizations are preparing for a heat wave coming to central Iowa this week. 

Polk County’s Extreme Temperature Plan is in place starting on Tuesday at 10 a.m. until the end of the week, or until the heat gives up.

“This high extreme heat is something that people don’t think about,” said Dutch Geisinger, Deputy Director of Polk County Emergency Management. “They tend to focus on the cold. But heat really has a negative impact on people. So we want to make sure that they know they’ve got a place that they can go and they can get cooled off.”

The plan has shelters, libraries, malls, community centers and more taking in people. In total, it’s more than 30 cooling centers that will be open during the day for people to get into air conditioning and out of the heat. Dart will be giving free rides to those centers if they are open. To find a full list of resources and what Dart bus to take, go to Polk County Emergency Management’s website. Geisinger added that people should be mindful with their pet’s outdoor time over the next week as the temperatures rise.

Those temperatures are expected to reach into the mid-90s, with feels like temperatures approaching 105 degrees Fahrenheit. It’s expected that emergency rooms will see an increase of heat-related illnesses.

“We do see a bump in the number of patients experiencing heat-related illness,” said Dr. Clint Hawthorne, the Medical Director of UnityPoint Health Des Moines Emergency Departments. “Some of this is going to depend on your activity level. If you do start to feel like you’re getting overheated, symptoms of that would include things like feeling very thirsty, dry mouth, lightheaded or fainting. If you get to the severe stages of heat-related illness, as we see in the emergency department, that will manifest as confusion. And that’s very serious.”

Dr. Hawthorne emphasizing that thirst is the biggest indicator for anyone. If you are thirsty you are dehydrated. Dr. Hawthorne recommends two to three glasses of water or so every half hour that someone is outside working in the heat.

If you are feeling overheated and dehydrated over the next week, Dr. Hawthorne advises people to get inside immediately and replenish your fluids.

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