The Lymes’ Senior Center at 26 Town Woods Road will operate as an Emergency Cooling Center this week from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. until Friday, July 19.
Transportation is available through 9 Town Transit. Please phone 860-510-0429 if you are in need of transportation to and from the Cooling Center.
The Emergency Operations Center Call Line has been activated. Phone 860-598-0120 with any heat related questions and your call will be returned. The Office of Emergency Management will continue to monitor weather conditions and will adjust the hours of operation as needed.
The Old Lyme Office of Emergency Management and Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection offer the following tips during extreme high temperatures:
Slow down, and avoid strenuous activity.
- Wear lightweight, loose-fitting, light-colored clothing. Light colors will reflect heat and sunlight and help maintain normal body temperature. Protect your face with a wide-brimmed hat.
Drink plenty of water regularly and often, even if you don’t feel thirsty.
- Limit intake of alcoholic beverages — they can actually dehydrate your body.
- Eat well-balanced, light, regular meals.
Stay indoors as much as possible.
- If you do not have air conditioning, stay on your lowest floor, out of the sun. Electric fans do not cool the air, but they do help evaporate sweat, which cools your body.
Go to a place where you can get relief from the heat, such as air conditioned schools, libraries, theaters, shopping malls, and other community facilities that may offer refuge during the warmest times of the day.
- Cover windows that get morning or afternoon sun with drapes, shades, awnings or louvers. Outdoor awnings or louvers can reduce the heat that enters a home by up to 80 percent.
- Avoid too much sunshine. Sunburn slows the skin’s ability to cool itself. If you are outside, use sunscreen with a high SPF (Sun Protection Factor) rating.
- Never leave children or pets alone in a closed vehicle.
- Do not leave pets outside for extended periods. Make sure pets have plenty of drinking water.
Check on family, friends, and neighbors regularly.
For more information go to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention: Extreme Heat, http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/extremeheat/index.asp