Emergency services in central North Carolina are encouraging people to prepare for hot temperatures now, as recent call volume data suggests heat-related calls are arriving earlier than in years past.
For Wake County, the bulk of heat-related calls remain in June and July, but Wake County EMS has seen an increase in calls between March and May since 2024
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In 2024, Wake County EMS responded to 37 heat-related calls between March and May. In 2025, it was 46 over the same time period. This year it's 43, and the month of May isn’t over.
“We're always prepared, and we know when these times are going to come around,” said Wake EMS District Chief Michael Arnold. “It's just when it does start a little bit earlier, you’re like, ‘OK, we need to get more into gear like what we typically do in June and July.’”
On Monday, it reached the low to mid 90s in Raleigh.
In 2025, Orange County EMS responded to 47 different heat-related emergency calls between April and October. They’ve already responded to four so far this year, which is unusual for the smaller department.
“People aren’t prepared for [the heat]. Maybe they’re out mowing the lawn because people want to mow the grass earlier in the season than they normally would, it’s a lot hotter than they think it’s going to be,” said Orange County paramedic Samuel Meroney.
Orange County EMS responded to a call in April, which involved a man who had fallen asleep in his hot car. Paramedics saved his life by placing him in a bag with cool, running water to drop his temperature. It was a method they've been trained in, but they weren't expecting to have to use it this soon in the year.
This year follows what was already a record-breaking hot 2025. Raleigh saw the hottest July ever, and last year it was the second-hottest for the entire state. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services said 5,700 people went to the hospital in 2025 for heat-related emergencies.
Learn how to prepare for the heat here.
