Heat waves are deadlier than hurricanes and fires. Maybe they should get names, too
Highlights
- Washington D.C. based think tank Atlantic Council launched the Extreme Heat Resilience Alliance which aims to develop a worldwide standard for naming and ranking heat waves
- People who work outdoors, low-income residences without proper air conditioning, people without homes, and people with health conditions are vulnerable to heatwaves
- Duke University researchers estimated that during the last decade, the Lower 48 states averaged 12,000 heat-related premature deaths per year
- Major U.S. cities are experiencing three times as many heat waves as they did in the 1960s, with a heatwave season that is 47 days longer
- There is a lower perception of risk in the Northern States, among people over the age of 65, and among white men
- California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara is also helping to create standards for heatwaves:
“In policymaking, we have to grab people’s attention…We know that naming heat waves will provide clear levels of that risk, and more adequate warning to protect our most vulnerable Californians.”
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