Residents in parts of south-central and southwest Georgia face heat index values up to 112 Wednesday. Meanwhile, North Georgia is under a Code Orange Air Quality Alert.
Where the heat is: The Georgia heat advisory covers Seminole, Decatur, Grady, Thomas, Brooks, Lowndes and Lanier counties. It runs from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Heat safety: Hot temperatures and high humidity can cause heat illness. Residents should drink plenty of fluids, stay in air conditioning, avoid the sun and check on relatives and neighbors.
For anyone outside: Wear light, loose clothing and limit hard work or exercise to the early morning or evening. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommends frequent work breaks in shade or air conditioning.
Heat emergencies: Move anyone overcome by heat to a cool, shaded place. Heat stroke is an emergency, and residents should call 911.
Air quality alert: The Code Orange alert runs through 6 p.m. and covers Dawson, Bartow, Cherokee, Forsyth, Hall, Paulding, Cobb, North Fulton, Gwinnett, Barrow, Carroll, Douglas, South Fulton, DeKalb, Rockdale, Walton, Newton, Coweta, Fayette, Clayton, Spalding, Henry and Pike.
Who should limit time outside: Code Orange means outdoor air is likely to be unhealthy for children, people sensitive to ozone and those with heart or lung disease. Those groups should limit long periods of outdoor activity in the late afternoon and early evening, when ozone levels are highest.
B.T. Clark is the Publisher of The Georgia Sun and author of Principles Are Like Pants… You Ought to Have Some. Over two decades in journalism, he has served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc., earning multiple awards along the way. His work has appeared in newspapers across the state, including The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal.
- B.T. Clark
- B.T. Clark
- B.T. Clark
- B.T. Clark
