It's hot, and a great time to be neighborly

It's hot, and a great time to be neighborly

Hot summer days like these are nothing new to Nevadans, but that doesn't mean we should take them lightly. The heat can be deadly to people who can't afford to keep their homes cool.

There was no better example of that than the Chicago heat wave in 1995, which killed almost 600 people. Research suggests that high heat takes more lives than tornados, hurricanes, floods and other natural events combined, according to the book "Heat Wave: A Social Autopsy of Disaster in Chicago."

And most of the people who succumb are the elderly poor, who tend to be isolated with few friends or family members to check on them. Northern Nevada has many people in that category, who either can't afford or do not have air conditioning. Some of them might live in your neighborhood.

That's where the rest of us can help out. If you think there's someone in your neighborhood who might have a hard time dealing with the heat, stop by to visit. Consider inviting them over to cool off in your home.

They'll appreciate the offer and, even if they say no thanks, you'll probably have made new friends.

The heat is also hard on our friends with the fur coats, of course, so make sure yours, and even the ones next door, have plenty of water and shade and never leave them alone in your vehicle.