Extreme temps at the World Cup: fans make dozens of calls for heat-related help

Just three World Cup matches in Miami have already led to dozens of heat-related medical incidents as the region swelters under a rash of extreme heat warnings.

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Miami-Dade Fire and Rescue said they responded to 38 heat-related calls at the Miami Stadium between June 15 and 21. Five of them required medical transports. On Tuesday, between Fan Fest and the fan march, the City of Miami reported 100 calls and 15 transports, and 79 of those were heat related.

In an effort to keep those numbers as low as possible, the county is making a push to urge fans, athletes and employees to stay cool in a campaign named “heat is not a game.”

“We want every resident and visitor to enjoy the experience safely,” said Mayor Daniella Levine Cava in a statement. “Heat is not a game — and in Miami-Dade, we know it.

The Department of Environmental Resources Management (DERM) and the Department of Emergency Management (DEM) said they have made extra efforts to ensure there are places to cool off and drink free water.

The mitigation is working, Jesse Spearo, the assistant director of the Department of Emergency Management, said. During the Formula One game in May, the county got many more heat-related calls, he said.

Fans are directed to use designated shuttle stations around the stadium rather than walking directly, even if dropped off nearby. There are cooling stations at four of the shuttle sites: the Calder Casino racetrack, Walmart Supercenter, Lot 14 (Near the pedestrian bridge) and Lots 15/16 (by the Chattahoochee at Honey Hill Park).

The cooling stations are large 20 foot by 25 foot container boxes hooked up to a generator that can comfortably fit about 20 people, Spearo said.

“We had a couple from Australia at our last match that came in here and spent about half an hour in there,” he said. “They were, I wouldn’t say complaining, but they were very vocal as to how incredibly hot it is in Florida.”

Two of these cooling sites, the one at Lot 14 and the one at the Walmart area, are staffed by doctors from Jackson Memorial. At the last match, they treated three patients experiencing heat-related illness, Spearo said. One was a volunteer helping at the hydration station. He was wrapped up in ice bags for about 90 minutes and then he was fine and back to working.

“We’re the worst offenders, because we’re always helping out other people,” Spearo said.

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The county recommends bringing a plastic, 20-ounce, factory-sealed disposable water bottle into the game that can be refilled. There are several first-aid stations located throughout the interior perimeter of the stadium, as well as in the fan experience zone.

As fans – and residents – do some sweaty sightseeing, there is access to air conditioning at all at the county’s libraries, government buildings, and some parks. Here is a full list of the 60 county cooling sites.

More hot days ahead

The National Weather Service issues heat warnings when the heat index – a measure that combines temperature and humidity – is expected to reach at least 105 degrees for two hours or more. Forecasters have issued seven in the past nine days.

Even on days without heat advisories this week, it’s been hot. On Monday, June 22, the temperatures were so high that fans were briefly turned away from the FIFA Fan Festival in Bayfront Park.

As Brazil gets ready to play Scotland on Wednesday, temperatures have cooled slightly thanks to a third of an inch of rainfall. But it’s still hot, with a high of 92 degrees.

Dr. Cheryl Holder, who has practiced medicine for nearly 40 years and helped advise FIFA on heat safety, said it’s important to know the signs of heat stress.

Early on, it might be a little rash that might be a little itchy and uncomfortable, Holder said. That can lead to profuse sweating and cramping. Without taking action, it could lead to vomiting and a sped up heart rate. That’s heat exhaustion.

“The body is diverting the blood to the skin and sweat glands to try and cool, and when it’s diverting it, that’s why you’re feeling faint, because the blood is not going to the brain, your heart is pumping faster,” Holder said.

Ashley Miznazi is a climate change reporter for the Miami Herald funded by the Lynn and Louis Wolfson II Family Foundation and MSC Cruises in partnership with Journalism Funding Partners.

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