How Can We Keep People Safe in a World of Deadly Extreme Heat?

As we slog through another sweltering summer, we’ve seen headlines this week, stating, “World swelters in record-breaking heat,” “Ocean heat around Florida is ‘unprecedented,’” and “One-third of Americans under heat alerts.”

In a world transformed by climate change, heat waves have grown more frequent and long-lasting.

Extreme heat is the deadliest of natural disasters — killing more Americans each year than any other extreme weather event, including floods, hurricanes and tornadoes. Among those most adversely affected by extreme heat are communities of color, children and seniors. Yet, even among vulnerable groups, most heat-related deaths are preventable.

That’s why Congress is reviewing bipartisan legislation that would define extreme heat as a “natural disaster,” allowing Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to mobilize resources and save lives during deadly heat waves.

FEMA should have the authority to respond to the full range of disasters, including heat waves. But it is far better — and more cost-effective — to be proactive. Many states and localities are investing in adaptation strategies before climate crises strike.

No single agency or government can singlehandedly address climate threats. But a whole-of-government approach — with contributions and collaboration among federal, state, local and tribal governments — can effectively protect people, infrastructure and nature.

Local governments have led the way in designing extreme heat plans that can be activated when temperatures soar. For example, Washington, D.C.’s Heat Emergency Plan is activated when the heat index reaches 95 degrees Fahrenheit. Then, cooling centers are opened to serve district residents and visitors.

Miami-Dade County and the City of Phoenix have even appointed chief heat officers to focus exclusively on coordinating local government agencies as they plan and respond to extreme heat events.

States are also developing extreme heat plans to mobilize state resources, work with their local governments and tribal nations, along with engaging the public. For example, California issued a far-reaching Extreme Heat Action Plan last April. New York and New Jersey are in the process of developing plans, gathering individual state agencies’ input, and directly engaging with residents and disadvantaged communities. Other states like Minnesota and Kansas have developed extreme heat tool kits.

States are also finding creative ways to address heat and its effects on particularly vulnerable people. For example, Oregon and Massachusetts requested and received waivers from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to allow their Medicaid programs to provide cooling systems and air filtration units for Medicaid recipients.

At the federal level, in 2015, the Obama administration established the National Integrated Heat Health Information System (NIHHIS). NIHHIS “builds societal understanding of heat risks, develops science-based solutions, improves capacity, communication, and decision-making to reduce heat-related illness and death.” Today, NIHHIS is centrally housed at Heat.gov, providing access to tools and information for other levels of government and the public at large.

Building on that foundation, the Biden administration is now driving a whole-of-government approach to addressing extreme heat. With Executive Order 14008, President Biden created the National Climate Task Force, which includes a Working Group on Extreme Heat coordinated through the Department of Health and Human Services, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Together these agencies work to understand all of the federal government’s assets and capabilities — and vulnerabilities — when it comes to addressing extreme heat.

And, importantly, the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), are providing federal agencies with greater resources to help states, local and tribal governments adapt to extreme heat and build resilience to its impacts.

For example, IIJA expanded funding by $500 million over five years to the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) program. Managed by the states and tribes, LIHEAP helps low-income families and seniors afford energy bills in the winter as well asin summer when air conditioners and fans are needed most.

Both of the new laws provide the U.S. Department of Agriculture with resources for tree planting that can create shade canopies — and EPA’s Green Streets program allows State Revolving Fund resources to support tree planting and greenscapes. IRA provides the Department of Housing and Urban Development with $1 billion to make affordable housing more climate resilient. And just last week, the Biden administration issued an IRA funding opportunity through NOAA to create virtual health centers to help every level of government respond to heat and other climate health threats.

With the promise of more extreme heat across the United States, it is critical that cities, counties, states, tribes and the federal government work in concert together. Every level of government has authorities, capacities and resources that, together, can keep people safe in a hotter, more dangerous world.

Mark Rupp is Georgetown Climate Center’s Adaptation Program director. Part of Georgetown Law, the center serves as a resource to state, federal and local policymakers who are working to reduce greenhouse gas pollution and to help communities adapt to and become more resilient to the effects of climate change, including rising sea levels and flooding, extreme heat and severe weather events.