NWS Heat Safety Week runs May 18-22, 2026, and closes Friday — the same day after NOAA's Atlantic hurricane outlook drops from Lakeland. [1] The paper's May 19 briefs on HeatRisk next to hurricane prep and on the medicine cabinet as the heat story most readers miss framed both as a single preparedness instrument. Closing day is the checkpoint.

The campaign points readers to heat.gov for tips on staying cool, and the NWS extreme-heat page assembles the operational stack: Climate Prediction Center seasonal outlooks, days 3-7 heat-index forecasts, the experimental HeatRisk dashboard, and the CDC Heat and Health Tracker. [1] The mnemonic NWS pushes — Hydrate, Educate, Act quickly, Take it easy — is service journalism by the agency that runs the forecast.

The medicine-cabinet line is the part most readers still skip. Insulin and many biologics need refrigeration; EpiPens degrade fast in heat; some antibiotics lose potency above 86°F; certain blood-pressure and antidepressant medications change how the body handles temperature. None of this requires a heat wave. It requires a closed car or a kitchen counter in afternoon sun.

NWS notes that on average over the last ten years, extreme heat has killed more Americans than any other weather phenomenon. [1] The instruction set is small: check the HeatRisk color for your county, set a refrigerator thermometer, pre-position power and water for medically dependent neighbors, and read the medication label before the first 90-degree day.

Friday closes the campaign. The cabinet does not.

-- NORA WHITFIELD, Chicago