Important Considerations

 

Health Effects: Heat cramps, heat exhaustion, heatstroke, exacerbation of chronic medical conditions such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes, pregnancy complications, and mental and behavioral health symptoms such as increased interpersonal violence and impaired attention and cognition.

Populations at Risk: Older adults (especially those who live alone), infants and children, pregnant women, low-income populations, people with housing instability and homelessness, people with substance use disorder, people with chronic conditions (such as cardiovascular, pulmonary, and renal disease), people on medications that increase heat sensitivity, outdoor workers, outdoor athletes.

Risks to Facility Operations: Storage of medications and clinical supplies, supply chain disruption, patient surge, prolonged power outage.

Infrastructure Risk: Compromised transportation and building infrastructure, rolling blackouts/power loss, inefficient utilities.