While natural disasters like hurricanes and tornadoes capture attention with their dramatic impact, it is heat that proves to be the deadliest.
This fact became painfully evident in Chicago in 1995 when a weeklong heatwave claimed the lives of over 700 people.
The majority of the deaths occurred in impoverished neighborhoods, predominantly inhabited by Black residents, where vulnerable individuals, particularly the elderly and isolated, suffered without proper ventilation or access to air conditioning.
Power outages exacerbated the dire situation caused by the overwhelmed grid.
In the aftermath, Chicago took steps to improve its emergency heat response plans, but experts caution that cities worldwide still face significant challenges as heat records continue to shatter and inequities persist.
Over the years, heat preparedness has improved as forecasting accuracy has increased, and efforts have been made to raise awareness among the public.
Chicago, for instance, expanded its emergency text and email notification system and identified the most vulnerable residents for targeted outreach.
However, what works effectively in one city may not have the same impact elsewhere due to variations in architecture, transportation, layout, and underlying inequalities.
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Addressing Inequality and Unique Challenges
Bharat Venkat, director of UCLA’s Heat Lab, emphasizes the need for cities to address inequality by investing in labor rights, sustainable development, and other measures.
Each city must confront its specific challenges, as seen in France’s heat watch warning system and Germany’s recent campaign inspired by France’s experience.
In Ahmedabad, India, city officials developed a heat action plan to raise awareness and improve healthcare services after a devastating heatwave claimed the lives of over 1,300 people.
Ladd Keith from the University of Arizona highlights Baltimore’s well-designed Code Red Extreme Heat alerts as an effective example of an alert system.
However, he points out that many cities still lack similar measures. In Philadelphia, environmental health scientist Inkyu Han notes the struggle to provide cooling centers and subsidized air conditioning in low-income neighborhoods.
Han suggests sustainable solutions, such as improving tree canopy coverage, which can help mitigate the effects of extreme heat.
Klinenberg emphasizes that the underlying social problems contributing to the deadliness of heat events are worsening.
Depleted neighborhoods with a lack of communal spaces and weakened social connections are particularly vulnerable.
Noboru Nakamura, a professor at the University of Chicago specializing in extreme weather events, acknowledges the city’s improvements in heat emergency plans, wellness checks, and cooling centers.
However, he recognizes that systemic resource inequity remains a significant, unsolved problem that cannot be remedied overnight.
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Source: The Hamilton Spectator, Inquirer.net