05/15/2026
*Surviving Arizona Heat Without Power
1. Protect the House First
Close blinds and blackout curtains before sunrise. Cover west-facing windows with reflective material or tarps. Open windows only
during cooler nighttime hours.
2. Create a “Cool Room”
Choose one small room with minimal windows. Use blankets, tarps, or insulation to block heat. Concentrate sleeping, hydration,
and recovery efforts there.
3. Cool the Body Directly
Use wet bandanas, cooling towels, spray bottles, or foot soaks. Cool water on the neck, wrists, armpits, and groin lowers body
temperature quickly.
4. Use Evaporative Cooling
Arizona’s dry air works well with swamp-style cooling. Wet sheets, damp towels, or small bucket coolers with battery fans can
reduce temperatures significantly.
5. Change Daily Activity
Do physical work early morning or after sunset. Avoid peak heat hours whenever possible. Resting saves water, energy, and
reduces heat stress.
6. Vehicle Heat Safety
if properly ventilated.
Use reflective windshield covers and shade tarps. Vehicles may become emergency charging stations or nighttime cooling shelters
7. Know the Warning Signs
Heat Exhaustion: sweating, dizziness, weakness, nausea, headache.
Heat Stroke: confusion, hot skin, collapse, altered mental status. Heat stroke is a life-threatening emergency.
8. Recommended Prep Supplies
• Battery or USB fans
• Electrolyte packets
• Reflective tarps
• Cooling towels
• Solar generators
• Water storage
• Shade structures
• Wide-brim hats
9. Community Preparedness Matters
Check on elderly neighbors, medically fragile individuals, pets, and livestock. Extreme heat emergencies often become community survival events.
