Louisiana
How to safely enjoy Louisiana summers
BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – The sweltering heat and humidity over the capital region are making it feel like triple digits.
”It’s really important to stay hydrated. I always hydrate before I come, during my walk/run, and afterwards,” said Pam Windham, a runner in Baton Rouge.
Windham is also a nurse who runs two or three times a week, and she’s lived in the Louisiana heat her entire life, so she knows how dangerous it can be.
”Coming out in this kind of heat, I mean, I’ve grown up in it, I’ve done sports my whole life, and I’m still in the emergency room dealing with people that come in and have a heat stroke with temp over 104, 105°,” explained Windham.
Mike Chustz, the EMS Chief at West Baton Rouge Fire Department, says this is nothing to mess around with.
“Untreated heat stroke will result in death almost 100% of the time, so you need to get treatment and get out of the heat before you get to that point,” said Chustz.
Chustz says wearing sunscreen, light colored and loose-fitting clothes, and hats are ways to stay safe in the sun.
They recommend you do outdoor activities in the early morning and the late evening, but if you can’t, Chustz wants you to know what to look for. Signs of heat illness can be leg cramping, lightheadedness, profuse sweating, dizziness, and confusion. If it doesn’t resolve in a few minutes after getting out of the sun and hydrating, call for help.
” Heat-related goes probably to our top three or four calls in the middle of the summer, and we’re just now starting to see it because it’s just starting to get into the mid-90s,” explained Chustz.
While emergency officials warn the elderly about the heat, Chustz says they have been treating more younger people for heat stroke. And the younger they are, the less their body can handle the heat.
”Never leave a child or a pet or anybody in a car when it’s unattended, especially if it’s off, if you shut that vehicle off, everyone comes out,” added Chustz, “in a car parked in the summer, we did it in July one year, and it got to be 128° in about 15 minutes in that car. Humans can’t sustain that for a long time, especially infants and small children.”
Experts say ways to remember a child in the backseat are to set alarms or place something in the backseat, like your purse or phone.
Click here to report a typo. Please include the headline.
Click here to subscribe to our WAFB 9 News daily digest and breaking news alerts delivered straight to your email inbox.
Copyright 2025 WAFB. All rights reserved.
Louisiana
‘Growth pays for growth’: Entergy’s Fair Share Plus model to save Louisiana customers $2.8 billion
Think tank proposes capping Social Security benefits at $100,000
A Washington think tank proposed capping annual Social Security benefits at $100,000 for couples as a way to shrink a looming deficit in the retirement trust fund.
When it comes to retiring, the best places to do so often are affordable, have a high quality of life and access to quality healthcare.
If you’re looking for a place to retire, Niche has identified the best places for retirees in Louisiana.
In its list, Niche has taken into account factors like weather, crime rates, housing costs and access to amenities.
The 5 best places to retire in Louisiana according to Niche
These are the top five best places to retire in Louisiana, according to Niche.
1. Oak Hills Place
Oak Hills Place is a suburb of Baton Rouge and is the overall best place to retire in Louisiana. This suburb, located in East Baton Rouge Parish, has a population of 9,038 and offers residents an urban suburban mix feel. The area is highly rated for families, diversity, as well as health and fitness. Here, the median home value is $437,900 and the median rent is $1,422, according to Niche.
2. Westminster
Westminster is another suburb of Baton Rouge and is the second-best place to retire in Louisiana. Located in East Baton Rouge Parish, this suburb has a population of 2,559 and offers residents an urban suburban mix feel. This area is highly rated for nightlife, diversity, families, health and fitness, as well as commute. The median home value here is $266,100 and the median rent is $1,482, says Niche.
3. River Ridge
River Ridge is a suburb of New Orleans, located in Jefferson Parish, and is the third-best place to retire in Louisiana. This suburb has a population of 13,312 and offers residents a dense suburban feel. The area is highly rated for public schools, family, nightlife and diversity. The median home value is $357,400 and the median rent is $1,127, according to Niche.
4. Westlake
Westlake is a town in Calcasieu Parish that is among the best places to retire in Louisiana. With a population of 4,743, this town offers residents a rural feel. The town is highly rated for public schools, housing, families, jobs, cost of living, nightlife and weather. Here, the median home value is $166,100 and the median rent is $1,049, says Niche.
5. Prien
Prien is another town in Calcasieu Parish that is among the best places to retire in Louisiana. This town has a population of 7,119 and offers residents a suburban rural mix feel. The town is highly rated for public schools, housing, families, nightlife and weather. The median home value here is $278,000 and the median rent is $1,292, according to Niche.
Presley Bo Tyler is the Louisiana Deep South Connect Team reporter for USA Today Network. Find her on X @PresleyTyler02 and email at PTyler@Gannett.com
A motorcyclist is recovering after a West Monroe crash involving an 18-wheeler, while Chevron won a Louisiana Supreme Court ruling shifting a major coastal lawsuit back to lower courts. Ouachita deputies arrested a suspect and recovered more than a dozen guns, Mississippi passed a new school social-media safety requirement, and Louisiana’s House advanced a unanimous state budget. A new recovery center opened, and multiple weekend events are underway across northeast Louisiana, plus national updates include stock-market stress guidance, a Ford F-150 recall, Spirit Airlines uncertainty, and tax-refund tips.
-
Louisiana48 seconds ago‘Growth pays for growth’: Entergy’s Fair Share Plus model to save Louisiana customers $2.8 billion
-
Maine7 minutes ago18 jaw-dropping views from Katahdin to help you plan for warmer weather
-
Maryland13 minutes agoMaryland Lottery Powerball, Pick 3 results for April 18, 2026
-
Michigan19 minutes agoQ&A: Jocelyn Benson on her tenure as Michigan’s secretary of state
-
Massachusetts25 minutes agoPolice shoot and kill man armed with knife in Lexington, DA says
-
Minnesota31 minutes agoBoldy, Eriksson Ek help Wild cruise past Stars in Game 1 of Western 1st Round | NHL.com
-
Mississippi37 minutes agoGeorge County High School senior killed in Highway 26 crash, MHP says
-
Missouri43 minutes ago
Missouri Lottery Powerball, Pick 3 winning numbers for April 18, 2026