Editor’s Note: Can you take the heat?

Can you take the heat?

Sarah Wright | Editor

This past summer definitely packed the heat, with records being broken left and right across the U.S. As a person who prefers cooler temperatures, I’m not entirely pleased that this is likely the new norm, but burying one’s head in the sand does nothing.

According to the newly launched Heat.gov, on Aug. 1, 2022, there were 30,801,095 people living within extreme heat warning areas. The Pacific Northwest, typically a cool region, saw triple digits in late July and early August. As of Aug. 1, medical examiners were investigating whether the deaths of 10 people are heat related.

Heat is dangerous. According to the National Weather Service, “Extreme heat and humidity is one of the leading weather-related killers in the United States, resulting in hundreds of fatalities each year. In the disastrous heat wave of 1980, more than 1,250 people died. In the heat wave of 1995, more than 700 deaths in the Chicago area were attributed to heat, making this the deadliest weather event in Chicago history. In August 2003, a record heat wave in Europe claimed an estimated 50,000 lives.”

On the National Weather Service’s website, weather.gov, the agency released a chart showing 2021 weather fatalities. Heat topped the list with 190 fatalities, though it came with an asterisk noting the inherent delay in reporting official heat fatalities in some jurisdictions, which could see the number rise. This figure tops the 10-year average for 2012-2021 (135 fatalities) and the 30-year average for 1992-2021 (158 fatalities). And in case you were wondering, floods rated second on the 2021 weather fatality chart with 148 fatalities. They were followed by rip currents (111 fatalities) and the cold (106 fatalities).

As summers heat up, municipalities are left to navigate the consequences from the impact on infrastructure to those felt by staff and vulnerable residents. From cool pavement to cooling stations, they are moving to adapt to this latest crisis.

Crises take many forms, and how we face and react to them often says a lot. Rockdale, Texas, for example, rose to the occasion when six water mains broke in a 72-hour period this past June. Writer Julie Young shares the city’s response to this unprecedented crisis that occurred during high 90-degree temperatures, according to AccuWeather data.

Another key part of crisis management is preparedness. In this issue, we spotlight several municipalities and states that are putting plans in place to improve responses during crises. From Missouri’s Structural Assessment and Visual Evaluation Coalition to California’s Statewide Transit Mutual Assistance Compact, there are great programs being established for the benefit of all. Additionally, writer Nicholette Carlson shares Carteret County, N.C.’s, Hurricane Preparedness Expo, which is tailored to preparing residents for hurricane season. Finally, writer Denise Fedorow shares Ocala, Fla., decision to take part in the Community Rating System and how it has led the city to install infrastructure to alleviate flooding.

With the changing climate, weather-related crises are increasing in frequency. Being prepared for when rather than if one happens has become a must.