MOBILE, Ala. — The Mobile County Health Department is renewing its call for heat safety after real-time disease surveillance flagged a sharp spike in heat-related illness on July 29, one of the hottest and most dangerous days of an already record-challenging summer.
Using the ESSENCE syndromic surveillance system, which tracks emergency department visits in near real time, the health department identified 18 heat-related illness hospitalizations across Mobile County that day. The spike coincided with a National Weather Service Extreme Heat Warning, as the heat index climbed to approximately 114 degrees Fahrenheit — a level capable of causing heat illness quickly, even among healthy people engaged in normal outdoor activity.
“Days like July 29th are exactly why we watch our surveillance data so closely,” said Dr. Kevin Michaels, health officer for Mobile County. “An 18-case spike in a single day tells us the heat wasn’t just uncomfortable — it was actively putting people in the hospital. Some of these visits appear connected to outdoor work and physical labor, which is a reminder that heat safety isn’t only a personal responsibility, it’s also a workplace responsibility.”
Understanding the Risk
Heat illness ranges from cramps and exhaustion to life-threatening heat stroke, and can progress quickly once the body’s cooling systems are overwhelmed. Health officials say risk is elevated for outdoor and physical laborers such as construction and landscaping workers; young athletes who have not yet acclimated to the heat; older adults and young children, whose bodies regulate temperature less efficiently; and people with chronic conditions like heart disease, diabetes or kidney disease, or those taking medications such as diuretics and beta-blockers that impair the body’s ability to cool itself. People without reliable air conditioning, including those experiencing homelessness, and anyone new to the region’s heat are also at higher risk, as is alcohol use during outdoor activity, which accelerates dehydration.
Opportunities for Prevention
The health department is urging residents to reschedule strenuous outdoor activity to early morning or evening hours, avoiding peak heat between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m., and to hydrate proactively while limiting caffeine and alcohol during extreme heat. Officials also recommend building in acclimatization time for new outdoor workers and athletes, adopting workplace heat safety plans that include water and shade breaks, buddy checks and clear stop-work triggers during heat advisories, and checking on neighbors and family members, especially older adults living alone without air conditioning.
Warning signs of heat exhaustion include heavy sweating, dizziness, nausea and cramps. Hot, dry skin, confusion and loss of consciousness signal heat stroke and require an immediate call to 911.
Tracking Heat Risk
The Mobile County Health Department’s smartphone app includes a “Heat Risk” tool, a health-based heat forecast developed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Weather Service and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The tool integrates health and temperature data to deliver a seven-day outlook for hot weather, using a five-level, color-coded scale to indicate how risky heat exposure is in a specific area. The tool can be found on the health department’s app by navigating to the home page, selecting “More,” and then choosing “CDC Heat Risk Dashboard.”