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In last year’s May-September warm season, rates of emergency department visits for heat-related illness substantially increased across several U.S. regions compared with previous years, especially among males and adults aged 18–64 years, according to a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Heat waves are becoming more frequent, hotter and longer lasting than in previous decades. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is predicting above-normal temperatures across the midwestern, western and southern lower 48 states during the summer 2024 season.
Heat-related illness will continue to be a significant public health concern. Extreme heat kills more Americans than any other weather event, but heat-related illnesses are preventable. The public often lack awareness about how dangerous extreme heat can be, and effective mitigation of the risks of extreme heat requires a multi-disciplinary response, shared across multiple agencies.
The nation’s emergency management community is gearing up for this year’s warmer months. In April and May, national stakeholder groups held several information sessions related to how to address this year’s extreme heat. Recordings of these sessions and one upcoming webinar are linked below:
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- FEMA’s second virtual #SummerReady Extreme Heat Summit, April 26, 2024.
- Third Annual National Integrated Heat Health Information System (NIHHIS) National Meeting, April 16-18, 2024.
- National Weather Service (NWS) – NWS HeatRisk Tool, April 22, 2024.
- NWS- NWS Partners and Users Heat Webinar – 2024, May 13, 2024. Presenters discussed current heat-related products from the Climate Prediction Center (CPC), Weather Prediction Center (WPC), and local Weather Forecast Offices (WFOs), and detailed future initiatives related to heat.
- Resilient Cities Network – Cities on the Frontline: Addressing Extreme Heat Webinar, April 25, 2024.
- Arizona Department of Health Services, NOAA, University of Arizona, and Arizona State University’s Knowledge Exchange for Resilience (ASU KER) – Eighth Annual Arizona Heat Planning Workshop, April 15, 2024. This presentation discussed Arizona’s extreme heat preparedness efforts and the state’s Extreme Heat Preparedness Plan.
- American Public Health Association (APHA) – Building Extreme Heat Resilience Through Innovative Solutions, April 4, 2024.
The above information sessions can assist emergency managers, planners, and public health officials to manage emergency response resources, educate the public, locate at-risk populations, and inform public health actions during this year’s warmer months. To stay informed about extreme heat, visit FEMA’s Ready.gov/summer-ready and the NIHHIS’ Heat.gov.