Best ways to cool off and stay safe in Savannah

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - With heat index temperatures reaching peaks around 119, heat hasn’t left our minds.

Experts say that around 104 and above is extreme caution in terms of heat illnesses.

Well what’s one of the ways you can ward those off?

You can visit a splash pad in our area.

VISIT: City of Savannah announces cooling centers amid hot weekend weather, extends pool hours

WTOC traveled around to a couple different splash pads to see what was happening at them, and that’s when we came across Tarell Nevels, who showed us his favorite trick at the Forsyth Park water pad.

“So you’re supposed to put your heel in the glass thingy and then it starts to get bigger,” said Nevels.

All fun aside, this heat can be a health concern at a minute’s notice.

We recently sat down with a health professional on how heat illness can sneak up on somebody if they aren’t paying attention.

See interview below:

“A lot of people just don’t realize how much the heat does affect them and their daily normal activities that they feel comfortable doing, well now you add 10 or 15 degrees of heat and your body can’t cool off to that level that it needs to cool off in, and you have the untoward effect of bodily harm,” said Memorial Hospital Dr. Jay Goldstein.

One of the biggest things that may slip people’s minds regards leaving kids or animals in your car.

“That is such an extreme no-no. The temperatures rise so dramatically in these automobiles that people can succumb and have some pretty significant effects and even die, so we don’t recommend doing anything like that even if you think it’s gonna be for a minute or two,” said Dr. Goldstein.

Remember to take extra precaution and plan out any outdoor activities with potential heat illness in mind, and like Tarell, use your city’s resources to keep yourself cool.