Extreme heat is in full force this summer in Arkansas. Since June 13, the National Weather Service has issued 24 heat advisories and seven excessive heat warnings in Little Rock. These are based on a calculated heat index. A heat advisory is triggered when the heat index reaches 105 degrees, an excessive heat warning when the index reaches 110. The heat index, as defined by the National Weather Service, “is what the temperature feels like to the human body when relative humidity is combined with the air temperature.”

The record for most consecutive days over 100 degrees in Little Rock was set in July of 1980. The temperature remained above 100 for 15 straight days. While this record hasn’t been challenged so far this year, the dangers of heat illnesses and poor air quality still exist, said Travis Shelton, a forecaster for the Little Rock National Weather Service.

Looking at predictive reports for precipitation chances and future temperatures, “there does not appear to be any significant indicators that heat and drought are going to be alleviated,” Shelton said.

On weekdays, a cooling center is available at the East Little Rock Community Center. Other centers open their doors when programming does not interfere.

“The cooling centers are meant to be a place of relief or refuge for those who need that space regardless of circumstances,” Spencer Watson, city of Little Rock spokesperson said.  “Not just the unsheltered, but for anyone who needs a place to go, whether because their AC is broken, they can’t pay the bill, whatever reason.”

The city and the Little Rock Parks & Recreation Department have opened these rooms in several community centers on multiple occasions during the summer. The Little Rock Emergency Management Division recommends the shelters be open any time there is an excessive heat warning, Specialist Nathan Spicer said. 

Chosen for its proximity to homeless shelters, the cooling center in the East Little Rock Community Center offers a break from the heat with an air conditioned room and water.

“When the heat and temperatures are this extreme, just being in the shade is probably not adequate for proper cooling,” Spicer said.

Cases of heat-related illnesses occur in state’s hospitals every year. Heat exhaustion and heat stroke can ultimately lead to dehydration, blood clots, kidney failure or heart attacks, said Robert Hopkins, chief of general internal medicine at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.

“It’s a real challenge for us every summer, but I’m afraid this one’s going to be worse,” Hopkins said. UAMS had 13 patients admitted for dehydration or heat-related illness as of July 20.

How people react to dangerous heat exposure varies, he said. Those who frequently spend time in air conditioning will be at risk for illness quicker than those who have adapted to safely being outdoors for long periods. The elderly and the homeless population are vulnerable groups for heat illnesses, Hopkins said.

“Our bodies are able to adapt to a certain degree of temperature range,” he said. “When you have heat like we have right now, we can very easily get overheated. That can result in damage to multiple different organs.”

COVID-19 adds an element to heat exposure as well, he said. Those who are already sick may have a more difficult time trying to cool off in the already humid environment. Wearing a mask will also inhibit the ability to lower body temperature.

Staying hydrated and keeping a healthy amount of salt in the body is “absolutely critical,” Hopkins said.

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