Inside of hot car can become deadly in a matter of minutes
North Carolina has been hit hard by rising temperatures lately; this year alone the state has had 43 days of temperatures higher than 90.
The heat index in Raleigh Friday at noon was around 100 degrees, with temperatures only expected to climb.
Friday was the latest in a string of days with heat that made it feel like 100+, and long-range forecasts indicate above-normal temperatures are likely to stick around into August.
Scorching temperatures like these could lead to potentially dangerous and even deadly consequences.
At Pullen Park on Friday, Jessie Johnson and her daughter, Corinne, relied a spray fan and sunscreen to take on the summer heat.
The 90-degree temperatures are tough enough, but Johnson's biggest concern for families is the potentially lethal heat inside a parked car.
"Having dogs before, I worried about it. If I see people with windows up and dogs in the car, that’s a big concern too," she said.
North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey said 10 children have died in the U.S. this year after being left in hot cars. One of those deaths happened earlier this month in Mebane.
"It’s very sad when you have a tragedy that’s so preventable," Causey said. "It’s totally unnecessary, and we’re trying to reach out to the public and educate people on the dangers of hot cars."
The state held a demonstration for families at the park, showing how quickly temperatures inside a car can rise to more than 150 degrees.
Causey put together a pan of s'mores, and showed children and their families that the marshmallows easily melted in less than 15 minutes.
"You can see it's almost twice as hot in there as it is outside, and when you actually get into this car, it only takes a few seconds of sitting here before the air gets thick with heat," Causey said. "You start to feel suffocated, and for children and small animals it's hot enough to become fatal in a matter of minutes."
Some parents are turning to technology to help keep their children safe. Johnson, for example, has a car seat that connects to her phone. It will send her an alert if she leaves her daughter strapped in when the car's turned off.
She said families can also keep a checklist or leave something in their backseat that they can't leave the car without.
"Putting your purse in the back I think is the best thing," she said. "Something that you wouldn’t leave the car without, so then you remember to check the back seat."
With temperatures in Raleigh expected to reach 96 degrees — and a heat index to reach the triple digits — families are going to need to be extra vigilant through the weekend.
The forecast highs stay in the mid- to upper-90s for the next seven days, with only a slight chance for relief from afternoon thunderstorms.
