City leaders provide update on Austin's response to dangerous heat

AUSTIN, Texas - The City of Austin provided an update Friday morning on its efforts to help people through the dangerously hot weather.

"In these situations, the combination of the temperature and high humidity can lead to serious heat related illnesses," said Bruce Mills, interim assistant city manager.

To date, about 13 people have died across the state due to heat-related illness this year, according to Homeland security and Emergency Management (HSEM).

"According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an average of 700 people die each year in the United States from heat illness, and most of those illnesses could be prevented," HSEM director Ken Snipes said.

Austin-Travis County EMS says it has responded to 422 heat-related incidents this year. A quarter of those were just in the first two weeks of July.

"During the month of June, we had we set an all-time record for heat related illnesses, almost double what we experienced last year," said Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Chief Robert Luckritz.

If you experience nausea, lethargy, tiredness, EMS says you should find a cool place to rest until you're in a better place. "If you stop sweating or if you see someone who is confused and unable to control themselves following 911 immediately and we will respond. Act quickly," Luckritz said.

To help combat the heat, the City has opened cooling centers at all parks and library facilities and they're also trying out new cooling misting tents at Republic Square during normal business hours. 

The misting tents will be available any day that there's an Excessive Heat Warning as part of the pilot program.

"We're studying this because we want to see whether or not it's being used and what is the result of it being used, because we may be doing this in other parts of downtown, in other parts of the city, to try to meet those kinds of needs," Mayor Kirk Watson said.

The City is also distributing water at homeless encampments for people needing relief from the heat.

For more information on the City's heat response, click here.