City of San Antonio shares extreme heat safety reminders and tips

Published on May 12, 2025

SAN ANTONIO (May 12, 2025) – The City of San Antonio urges all residents to prepare now to stay cool and safe during extreme heat. Temperatures above 100 degrees are expected starting tomorrow, Tuesday, May 13, in San Antonio. A top priority for the city is ensuring all residents, especially vulnerable populations, and pets are safe during this heat event.

Stay Cool

• Spend time in air-conditioned spaces whenever possible.
• Wear lightweight, light-colored, and loose-fitting clothing.
• More than 60 places to stay cool, such as libraries, senior centers, community centers, shopping malls, pools, and splash pads, are available to provide heat relief for the community. For an interactive map of places to stay cool, hot weather tips, and a list of City resources, visit SA.gov/HotWeather or call 311 (210-207-6000).

Stay Safe

Adults over 65, children under four, people with existing medical conditions, and those without access to air conditioning are at the highest risk on days with high temperatures.

• Avoid strenuous activity during the hottest part of the day (typically 2 - 7 p.m.).
• Take frequent breaks in the shade or indoors if working or exercising outside.
• Use sunscreen, wear a wide-brimmed hat, and protect your skin from sun exposure.
• Watch for signs of heat exhaustion: heavy sweating, weakness, nausea, dizziness, and headache.
• Recognize heat stroke symptoms – high body temperature, confusion, no sweating, rapid pulse – and call 911 immediately.
• Check on neighbors, especially older adults, young children, people with disabilities.
• Never leave children or pets unattended in vehicles. If you see a child or pet locked in a hot car or the bed of a truck, take immediate action. Note the vehicle’s description and license plate number and call 911.

Uunsheltered Neighbors

To support our unsheltered neighbors, the City collaborates with nonprofit partners to provide additional street outreach, providing information on ways to stay cool and develop a long-term safer housing plan. Street outreach teams provide water and may open additional cooling sites or extend hours in extreme heat warnings. For assistance, call the City’s Community Connections Hotline at 210-207-1799.

Pets

Extreme heat can quickly lead to heat stress in pets. To keep them safe:

• Always provide fresh water, shaded shelter, and proper housing-these are not just best practices, they're required by law. Chain tethers are prohibited year-round.
• Protect your pet’s paws - pavement and asphalt can get dangerously hot in the summer. If it's too hot for your hand, it's too hot for their paws.

CPS Energy

CPS Energy is closely monitoring the expected high-power demand due to the extremely hot weather, and its power plants are prepared to serve our community. 

CPS Energy reminds customers they can conserve energy during the summer months and peak demand times to help them save money on their bills and lower demand on the overall state grid. Tips can be found on the Energy Saving Tips webpage. 

Per the utility’s terms and conditions, CPS Energy will not discontinue or disconnect service of a residential customer on a weekend day or during an extreme weather emergency. During summers, CPS Energy does not disconnect when the National Weather Service issues a heat advisory for a county in the CPS Energy Service Area, and the first two calendar days following the termination of such advisory. 

CPS Energy has a variety of cost-saving and general assistance programs designed to help qualifying customers. To stay informed, customers are encouraged to sign up for Energy Alerts or call 210-353-2222 to provide their emergency contact information for the utility to reach them in the case of an emergency.

San Antonio Water System

Stage 3 outdoor watering hours are during the week only between 5-10 a.m. and 9 p.m. to midnight on your designated day. Consider staying out of the heat and take advantage of the SAWS PAUSE conservation program. More information available at GardenStyleSA.com/pause.