Georgia Tech researcher warns of heat stroke as temperatures rise

ATLANTA - Dangerously high heat levels forced at least one metro Atlanta school district to pull students inside Monday as heat index values head toward triple digits this week. 

Atlanta school heat safety

What we know:

Clayton County Schools declared a code red heat risk Monday, canceling all outdoor classroom activities as temperatures rise across metro Atlanta. The FOX 5 Storm Team forecasts temperatures climbing into the mid-90s by the end of the week, with peak heat index levels reaching up to 110 degrees.

Georgia Tech biology professor Mike Sawka explained that extreme heat creates severe cardiovascular strain during exercise. "The main problem with heat stress is it puts stress on the cardiovascular system," Sawka said. "The blood flow that would normally go to the muscles has to be shared by the skin. So as you exercise, you're cheating the bloodflow from the heart called your cardiac output". 

Sawka noted that extended exertion in hot weather puts the human body into overdrive, triggering a progression of severe health risks. "That can lead to either heat exhaustion, heat injury, or heat stroke, which is a continuum of serious heat illnesses, with heat stroke being the most severe," Sawka said. 

What we don't know:

Officials have not stated if other metro Atlanta school districts will issue similar cancellations as heat index values rise later this week. 

The backstory:

Extreme heat has previously turned deadly for local student-athletes during outdoor August training. In 2022, Clayton County Schools paid a $10 million settlement to the family of 16-year-old student Imani Bell, who died from heat stroke during outdoor basketball drills in August 2019 when the heat index reached 106 degrees. 

A grand jury later indicted the teen's two basketball coaches with second-degree murder. "Every day, you know, we think about her, her siblings, her family, our extended family, friends, her best friends. She'll never be forgotten," said her mother, Dorian Bell, in 2022. 

What's next:

School officials in Clayton County declined an interview request but stated they closely monitor forecasts for high heat and consult the Georgia High School Association regarding sports guidelines. Meanwhile, researchers at Georgia Tech are testing potential life-saving solutions to detect early signs of heat-related illness. 

"We're doing some stuff at Georgia Tech where we're looking at wearable sensors to predict body fluid requirements using machine learning to predict a head heat exhaustion or heat stroke," Sawka said.