1 of 2 | The Department of Health and Human Services on Friday introduced a new tool to help communities prepare for extreme heat. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo
The Department of Health and Human Services announced a new tool on Friday that will provide information to identify potentially life-threatening extreme heat situations.
The Heat and Health Index is the first nationwide tool that will help state and local officials inform communities that are threatened by excessive heat by zip code,” HHS sad. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said at least 1,220 people die from heat events each year. Advertisement
The Biden administration said information provided by the Heat and Health Index will be crucial as the effects of climate change get worse.
“All across the country, communities are battling to keep cool, safe and alive in the face of dangerous, record-setting heat, made worse by the climate crisis,” HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said in a statement.
“Exposure to extreme temperatures can lead to serious illness and death, and the risk for people who are pregnant and those with pre-existing conditions like asthma or diabetes, are even greater.”
The new index combines historic temperature data and Emergency Medical Services data on heat-related emergency responses from the past three years, along with community characteristics and pre-existing health conditions and other factors to provide a final heat and health index broken down by zip codes. Advertisement
“With the hottest months ahead of us, the Biden-Harris administration is taking important steps to protect communities, by giving advance understanding of the dangers before heat waves hits,” Becerra said.
“President Biden promised to provide the tools and resources that communities need to stay safe from the effects of the climate crisis — and he is continuing to deliver.”
Pre-existing health conditions that can be accelerated by extreme heat include asthma and diabetes. Community and environmental characteristics can be made worse during heat including poverty, age, pregnancy local tree canopy cover and access to a vehicle.
“The most recent National Climate Assessment highlighted the scale at which climate change is driving record-breaking high temperatures and dangerous heat waves across the country and world,” the HHS said in a statement.
In March, the World Meteorological Organization reported that 2023 was the hottest year on record, affecting weather around the globe in negative ways. Its Global Climate Report said the average near-surface temperature was 1.45 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial baseline.
