When Weather Kills: Heat Response Plans

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When Weather KillsHeat Response Plans

• Roger D. Colton
• Fisher, Sheehan Colton
• National Low-Income Energy Consortium
• June 2003

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Heat is the most dangerous of extreme weather
conditions.

• Hurricanes
• Tornadoes
• Lightning
• Floods
• Hot weather

• 14 deaths
• 57 deaths
• 58 deaths
• 99 deaths
• 193 deaths

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Weather Event Fatalities and Injuries 1998 - 2000
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Seniors living at home most at risk of heat
fatalities
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Low-income status as risk factor

• Tenements ill-suited to hot weather.
• High cooling burdens.
• Of 185 electric utilities, 37 had summer burdens
  of 20
• 66 more had summer burdens of 15 - 20
• Safety concerns--closed windows.

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The urban heat island effect

• Caused by concrete cover and lack of vegetation.
• Amplifies temperature by 3 - 5 degrees (F).
• Exacerbated in late afternoon and early evening
  (no cool down).

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Air-conditioning as risk mitigation.

• Air-conditioning is the 1 protection against
  heat-related death and illness (CDC).
• Exposure for even a few hours a day reduces the
  risk.
• 21 of all heat-related deaths in NYC between
  1964 and 1988 could have been prevented by air
  conditioning.
• Particularly needed when 5 days of average
  temperature over 75 degrees.

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Milwaukees Heat Response Plan

• Tied to three Heat Action Thresholds
• Heat Health Outlook
• Heat Health Watch
• Heat Health Warning
• (issued by National Weather Service)

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Milwaukees Heat Response PlanComponent 1 of 4

• Identify at-risk persons.
• Elderly, disabled, chronically ill, mentally ill,
  obese.
• Create Extreme Weather Registry
• Assignment to buddy.
• Community check-ins.

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Milwaukees Heat Response PlanComponent 2 of 4

• Consumer education
• Raise public awareness of heat index to same
  level as public awareness of wind chill.
• What to do in extreme hot weather.

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Milwaukees Heat Response PlanComponent 3 of 4

• Access to cooling.
• Home cooling for immobile.
• Congregate cooling facilities
• Extended hour congregate facilities
• Emergency cooling facilities (buses, etc.)

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Milwaukees Heat Response PlanComponent 4 of 4

• Heat-related assistance
• Where are congregate cooling facilities located?
• What in-home cooling measures can be used?
• Where can immediate medical attention be
  obtained?
• (guaranteed after-hour availability)

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Heat Response PlansRole of the Low-Income
Energy Community

• Advocate for Heat Response Plan creation.
• Locate Extreme Weather Registry.
• Coordinate congregate cooling facilities.
• Education regarding extreme heat.
• Outreach for and about Extreme Heat Registry.

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For more information

• roger_at_fsconline.com