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Tricks To Stay Cool (With No Pool) This Weekend

It would be nice if triple digits were limited to paychecks, area codes, and padlocks. But that’s not the case in Dallas-Fort Worth. The summer’s first triple-digit temperature made an early arrival this week, and Friday was even hotter. Here are four tips to beat the heat.

  1. Drink water – yes, you’ve heard this before. But the importance of staying hydrated on hot days can’t be overstated. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reported that 155 people died in 2012as a result of extreme heat, down from 206 fatalities in 2011. If you’re spending time outside, drink plenty of water – any temperature is fine.
  2. Avoid the sun – no amount of sunscreen can keep you cool. If you plan on taking a jog or mowing the lawn, try and schedule it early morning or late at night.
  3. Turn off appliances – the biggest heat producers are lights. Turn them off if you aren’t using them. And keep in mind other appliances, like your oven, microwave, television and dishwasher give off heat as well. Unplugging will help keep the house cool, and save you energy.
  4. Pretend you’re a vampire – no, garlic doesn’t help keep you cool…but closing the blinds and staying inside during very hot weather will. Maybe watch some True Blood or Hemlock Grove while you’re at it.   
Lauren Silverman was the Health, Science & Technology reporter/blogger at KERA News. She was also the primary backup host for KERA’s Think and the statewide newsmagazine  Texas Standard. In 2016, Lauren was recognized as Texas Health Journalist of the Year by the Texas Medical Association. She was part of the Peabody Award-winning team that covered Ebola for NPR in 2014. She also hosted "Surviving Ebola," a special that won Best Long Documentary honors from the Public Radio News Directors Inc. (PRNDI). And she's won a number of regional awards, including an honorable mention for Edward R. Murrow award (for her project “The Broken Hip”), as well as the Texas Veterans Commission’s Excellence in Media Awards in the radio category.
Stella M. Chávez is KERA’s immigration/demographics reporter/blogger. Her journalism roots run deep: She spent a decade and a half in newspapers – including seven years at The Dallas Morning News, where she covered education and won the Livingston Award for National Reporting, which is given annually to the best journalists across the country under age 35.