When Degrees Matter: Tackling America's Underestimated Climate Adversary

There are a lot of headlines out there, but are you hearing directly from your local and state officials about the facts and dangers of extreme heat this summer? Fueled by and El Niño, many areas in the United States, from major cities to rural towns, are experiencing extremely high temperatures. Phoenix, a city of more than 1.6 million people with 15 percent in poverty, broke 110 degrees Fahrenheit for 31 straight days. Overall, almost 60 million people have been under extreme heat alerts across the United States in the past 30 days. Climate researchers and agencies, including NOAA: National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration, reported that July was Earth's hottest month on record, and the nation's 11th hottest— and we can only expect more to come. This often means significantly more challenges for exposed to where they live and work.

To create more, especially for those most vulnerable, communication is crucial to both helping people understand the dangers of heat and helping alert communities during times when it’s most dangerous to be outside. In the United States, heat is more deadly than hurricanes, floods, and tornadoes combined almost every year, but according to research, people’s perceptions about heat are different than those of other extreme weather, often not thinking that heat is as dangerous as—or more dangerous than—other weather events. Helping change community perceptions, building awareness of when extreme heat events occur, and ensuring residents know about resources available during these events are all vitally important to their well-being.

As we get through the summer, learning from this year, and preparing for an even hotter 2024 those supporting government and nonprofit communications should be asking ourselves several questions. Are we reaching our entire population proactively through multifaceted outreach and communications campaigns? Are we ready for rapid response when extreme heat hits? Are we leveraging existing networks to meet the most vulnerable? Do we have dedicated resources to cover these responsibilities effectively? Scientists have been forecasting climate change’s effects for decades, and we are feeling them now. To adapt to our changing climate and create resilience in the face of extreme heat and weather, communicating the realities of how we can be prepared and respond to these events can save lives.