Addressing the Perils of Extreme Heat

The trend of hotter summer is not abating as temperatures continue to break records, writes Carl Smith in Governing, putting residents of fast-growing cities like Phoenix at risk for heat-related illnesses and death.

“According to the 2022 Heat Deaths Report from the Maricopa County Department of Public Health, the county had 425 “heat-associated” deaths in 2022, a combination of fatalities caused directly by heat and those in which heat was a contributing factor.” That number was 25 percent higher than in 2021, and over twice as high as the average between 2016 and 2019.

Ariella Dale, a health scientist for the Maricopa County Department of Public Health, says it is crucial for cities to drill down into the details of heat-related deaths and understand who dies and why. “If a community does not already have experience dealing with heat, Dale says, a first step is evaluating gaps in communication and services for communities at highest risk. These tend to be the same groups — the old, the unhoused, the poor — that are most vulnerable to infectious disease outbreaks and other preventable health problems.”

As part of its response, Maricopa County has created an interactive “heat relief” map to help residents locate cooling centers, hydration stations, and locations to collect bottled water donations.

In addition to short-term heat management strategies, “The long-term objective is heat mitigation — adapting, rethinking and redesigning urban spaces so that they do not intensify atmospheric heat.” Strategies include green infrastructure, cool pavement and roof materials, and solar panel installations that provide both shade and renewable energy.