The following information has been provided by the Vermont Department of Health:
Vermont data indicates that emergency department visits for heat-related illnesses increase when temperatures reach the mid- to upper-80s, with impacts getting progressively worse as temperatures rise into the 90s. Sun exposure and humid conditions make the temperature feel even hotter.
Please find resources below that will help you and the communities you serve stay informed and safe. Reach out if you have any questions.
Department of Health Hot Weather Page
Hot Weather | Vermont Department of Health
Where to Find a Cooling Center
Hot Weather | Vermont Department of Health Use the interactive map to find somewhere to take a break in air conditioning or splash in cool water.
Heat Safety Guidance for Caregivers – Factsheet
Heat Safety Guidance for Caregivers
Printable Factsheet on Heat Safety Tips
English – Stay Safe When It’s Hot Outside
Translated Fact Sheets on Heat Safety Tips
(Titles are in English, material is in language indicated)
Arabic – Stay Safe When It’s Hot Outside
Burmese – Stay Safe When It’s Hot Outside
Chinese – Simplified – Stay Safe When It’s Hot Outside
French – Stay Safe When It’s Hot Outside
Karen – Stay Safe When It’s Hot Outside
Kirundi – Stay Safe When It’s Hot Outside
Nepali – Stay Safe When It’s Hot Outside
Somali – Stay Safe When It’s Hot Outside
Spanish – Stay Safe When It’s Hot Outside
Swahili – Stay Safe When It’s Hot Outside
Vietnamese – Stay Safe When It’s Hot Outside
Translated Videos from Vermont Language Justice Project
Taking Care of Yourself and Others in the Hot Weather – Playlist featuring 16 languages
(696) Taking care of yourself and others in the hot weather. – YouTube
Beat the Heat Infographics
The CDC has infographics in English, Spanish, Chinese, and Vietnamese
Beat the Heat (Infographic) | Natural Disasters | CDC
Additional Resources:
Hot weather preparedness resources for community partners
Hot Weather Media Toolkit – Use Front Porch Forum or social media to raise awareness
Stay Safe as Summer Heats Up in Vermont | Vermont Department of Health – Press Release
Water Safety Resources: Please find safety reminders for swimming and boating in pools, rivers, lakes, and watering holes. Water Safety in Vermont | Vermont Department of Health
Translated Materials: Vermont Language Justice Project has a playlist titled “Water Safety. Staying safe near lakes, rivers and the swimming pool” in 15 languages.
(698) ENGLISH: Water Safety. Staying safe near lakes, rivers and the swimming pool – YouTube
Red Cross Water Safety Information: The American Red Cross has swimming and water safety resources as well as downloadable and printable infographics in English, Spanish, and Haitian Creole.
Water Safety | American Red Cross
CDC: Know The Signs and Symptoms of Heat Illnesses: Know The Signs and Symptoms of Heat Illnesses
Resources – Severe Drought
Vermont is experiencing drought conditions across the state. Currently, 94% of Vermont is in a severe drought, while almost 24% of the state is in an extreme drought.
Among the many impacts of drought, we are getting reports from Vermonters who rely on a private source of drinking water (wells and springs). An unprecedented number of Vermonters have reported water shortages (their water supply is unreliable) and outages (their water supply has run dry). Orange, Caledonia, and Orleans counties are the top three counties reporting outages right now.
However, Vermont needs a significant amount of rain to get out of the drought, so we expect water supply issues to worsen and impact more people across the state in the coming months.
Most of the reports are from people who have dug wells or springs, which are shallow sources of water. However, we are also getting reports from those who have drilled wells, which are deeper sources of water. For people without water, finding an alternate safe drinking water source is their immediate concern.
Health is actively working to offer translated materials to supplement the below information.
I am also including two videos to offer local information as well as an overview of what to do when a well runs dry.
Amid drought, property owners coping with dry wells https://youtu.be/lWHqe5L0YVw?si=rcProSREhExa8gib
What Can I Do When My Well Goes Dry? https://youtu.be/vKlH-krzeBM?si=IvqhxQCc5nuBWo1g
Finding safe water options
Locations where safe drinking water may be available may include town library, town hall, town office, fire department, schools, or churches.
During droughts we typically suggest temporary solutions (listed below) if someone’s well or spring is failing or running dry. However, due to the unprecedented nature of this drought, some water haulers and well drillers are at capacity, so they may not be reliable options. Additionally, those options may be too expensive for some people, which is why it’s important to identify alternate safe drinking water sources in your community. Once identified, you can share these options with your community.
Temporary Solutions for Failing or Dry Wells
Filling food-safe containers with water from a known safe source that is a tested water supply (for example, a community or municipal water system or a neighbor’s or family member’s home).
- Buying water from a bulk water hauler and filling up a water tank.
- Do not fill wells or spring boxes with water delivered by a water hauler. This is because it could seep into the surrounding soils and bedrock before you can use it and it is against state regulation.
- Buying bottled water.
- Hiring a well driller to make well improvements, like lowering pumps, deepening existing wells, or drilling new wells
For well improvements, most well drilling projects can take 4 to 8 weeks to complete. While we have heard reports of long wait or project timelines from well drillers in certain communities, many well drilling companies travel statewide, and we recommend that well owners reach out to multiple companies to see if they are available.
For financial assistance, low-cost financing options may be available to eligible homeowners for the repair or replacement of failed septic and/or water systems.
Roadside Springs
Please note that roadside springs are not considered a safe source of water for drinking and cooking (or other ways of swallowing water). Roadside springs are frequently contaminated by bacteria or other germs that can make people sick, which happened recently in New Hampshire, and oftentimes it is not known what is happening on the lands above them.
However, as a last resort during an emergency water outage, roadside springs may offer a temporary solution.
· It is okay to use water from roadside springs for bathing, washing clothes, and flushing toilets.
· Boil water for one minute before using it for drinking, cooking, washing fruits and vegetables, brushing teeth, and making ice cubes, and concentrated juices.
o Note that even after boiling there could be health risks, especially for infants, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems.
Other Water Uses
Vermonters who have run out of water also often need temporary solutions for other water uses, like showering and toilet flushing.
· Think about locations in your community where people can take showers.
· People can flush toilets with a bucket of water. They need to use 1-2 gallons of water and quickly dump it into the toilet bowl all at once.
o They can use water from roadside springs or greywater, which is the wastewater from bathroom sinks, bathtubs, showers, and clothes washing machines.
Report water supply issues
If someone has a water supply issue, please ask them to submit it via the drought reporter, or you could fill it out on their behalf. It is a short form that the State uses to gather information about where support and resources may be needed.
Find more information and resources
· For general questions from people on private wells or springs, go to www.HealthVermont.gov/water/drought.
· For the current drought status and other resources, go to www.drought.vermont.gov.
WhatsApp
The Vermont Department of Health has a WhatsApp channel that we are using to share or “broadcast” translated materials. As of now, we are trying to post bilingual posts once a week to correspond with seasonal themes. We will be highlighting different languages to get the attention of non-English users. The goal is to give community partners and members an easier way to find trusted material, especially during an emergency.
Vermont Language Justice Project App
VLJP recently released the app they have been working on. Here is a YouTube video explaining how to use the new app and part of an email they sent to announce its launch. Please share with those who will benefit from this. Thanks!
(666) English. iFY: An App for your Phone to Watch Videos in Your Language – YouTube
The free mobile phone app is available for Apple and Android.
iFY (Information for You) has videos available in 18 languages and will make finding and accessing translated videos easier for speakers of languages other than English (as well as the service providers working with them).
Once folks have the app, they’ll get notifications when new videos are added in their language, and videos are arranged into intuitive categories. It also has a calendar feature prompting you to watch timely videos (think: hot weather, tick season, winter driving, filing taxes). The app doesn’t take up much storage space on your phone (videos are still stored on YouTube) and data or a wifi connection is needed to use most features.
