MCHD urges heat safety after sharp rise in heat-related hospitalizations 08-05-26
August 5, 2026
MCHD urges heat safety after sharp rise in heat-related hospitalizations
MOBILE, Ala. — The Mobile County Health Department (MCHD) 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, most dangerous days of an already record-challenging summer.
Using the ESSENCE syndromic surveillance system, which tracks emergency department visits in near real time, MCHD identified 18 heat-related illness hospitalizations across the county that day. The spike coincided with a National Weather Service Extreme Heat Warning, as the heat index climbed to approximately 114°F — 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. Risk is elevated for:
• Outdoor and physical laborers — construction, landscaping, and other jobs requiring sustained exertion in direct sun
• Young athletes — especially before players are heat-acclimatized
• Older adults and young children — whose bodies regulate temperature less efficiently
• People with chronic conditions (heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease) or on medications like diuretics and beta-blockers that impair cooling
• People without reliable air conditioning, including those experiencing homelessness
• Anyone new to the heat, before acclimatizing to high temperatures
• Alcohol use during outdoor activity, which accelerates dehydration
Opportunities for Prevention
• Reschedule strenuous outdoor activity to early morning or evening, avoiding peak heat (11 a.m. to 6 p.m.)
• Hydrate proactively; limit caffeine and alcohol during extreme heat
• Build in acclimatization time for new outdoor workers and athletes
• Adopt workplace heat safety plans — water/shade breaks, buddy checks, and clear stop-work triggers during advisories
• Check on neighbors and family members, especially older adults living alone without air conditioning
• Know the warning signs — heavy sweating, dizziness, nausea, and cramps signal heat exhaustion; hot/dry skin, confusion, and loss of consciousness signal heat stroke and require immediate 911 response
Tracking the heat risks
MCHD’s smartphone app includes a tool to track local “Heat Risk.” The tool is 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 (CDC).
It integrates health and temperature data to deliver a 7-day outlook for hot weather. “Heat Risk” uses a 5-level scale to indicate how risky the heat level is in a specific area. Each level uses a color to represent risks from heat exposure.
The tool can be found on the MCHD smartphone app by navigating to the home page, clicking on the “MORE” Section and then selecting the tab called “CDC Heat Risk Dashboard.”
The app is available to download for free in the App Store and Google Play. Search “My MCHD Health Check” or use this link to download the app — https://apps.myocv.com/share/a65536603. The app can be used in both English and Spanish.
MCHD will continue monitoring heat-related illnesses through syndromic surveillance and will issue updated guidance as extreme heat persists this summer. For more information, visit https://mchd.org.