Tulsa City Leaders Declare Heat Emergency

Tulsa area leaders say the city is in a heat emergency.

They said it can be dangerous and even deadly if people don't take precautions to stay safe. Four cooling centers in the city are a start for people looking for a place to get out of the heat since it can take only a few minutes outdoors to become dangerous.

Inside the newest cooling center at the Fair Meadows Building at the Tulsa Fairgrounds, water snacks, and a cool breeze are ready to greet people looking to beat the heat.

“Air conditioning is the number one way to protect yourself from heat-related illness," said Joe Kralicek with the Tulsa Area Emergency Management Agency.

Tulsa area emergency management leaders say heat is the number one weather-related cause of death each year, and the concern is heat exhaustion and heat stroke that can happen in a short time outside.

So far this year, EMSA has taken 246 people to the hospital with heat-related illnesses.

“These numbers are what we would expect to see in mid to late August, so we’re 4 to 6 weeks ahead of what we would normally see those mid-200 numbers.”

Adam Paluka with EMSA said anyone can feel the effects of heat, so he urges people to drink fluids and stay inside.

"That's the key point, don't think you’re invincible because of your age or your fitness level," said Paluka. "Everybody could succumb to the heat-- there’s nobody that's immune.’

Another concern now is drought and the possibility of fires, which can be exhausting and dangerous for first responders, so more burn bans are expected.

“We’ve seen less than 10 percent of our normal rainfall since June," said Steve Piltz with the Tulsa National Weather Service. 

Three other cooling centers are open at John 3:16 Mission, the Salvation Army, and Tulsa County Social Services.

“That's really the way we’re going to get through this, is by taking care of one another throughout this event," said Kralicek.

 Workers with housing solutions are also making sure the homeless have a place to go.

They're passing out water, towels, and other cooling gear along with providing transportation.