Tracking Data Inform City Planning for Extreme Heat Events

Submission Date: April 2015

State/Territory Submitted on the Behalf of: New York

States/Territories Involved: New York

Funding Source: CDC

CDC Funding:

Yes

CDC Funding (Specified):

Other CDC Funding

Domain Addressed:

Epidemiology and Surveillance

Public Health Issue:

Heat Waves Cause Illness and Death

• Extreme heat events, or heat waves, are the most common cause of weather-related deaths in the United States.
• Scientists predict that New York City is likely to have more frequent and more severe heat waves in the coming decades due to climate change.
• Certain populations and neighborhoods are more at risk for severe heat-related illness and death.
• To protect people from heat waves, public agencies need information about the effects of extreme heat on specific communities and which are most vulnerable.

Program Action:

Tracking Data Used to Estimate Health Impact of Heat Waves

• The NYC Tracking Program worked closely with staff from the city’s Climate and Health program, funded by the CDC Climate Ready States and Cities Initiative, to contribute to a city-wide strategic plan to prepare for the effects of climate change.
• Using tracking data for NYC, they estimated potential health impacts from increasing temperatures during the 2020s if no additional climate adaptation measures are taken by the city. The data showed that there could be 110–260 additional heat-related deaths and 80–200 heat-related cardiovascular hospital stays each year. The tracking program also established baseline rates of heat-related illness for the city so they can monitor trends over time. They also examined factors that make people more likely to get sick or die from extreme heat—including not having air conditioning at home, social isolation, and poverty status—and mapped those factors across neighborhoods.

Impact/Accomplishments:

Supporting Climate Adaptation Planning

• NYC tracking program data on potential health impacts of warming temperatures are being used in NYC’s strategic plan for rebuilding and improving climate resilience after Hurricane Sandy.Read the Strategic Plan for Rebuilding and Improving Climate Resilience After Hurricane Sandy at:http://www.nyc.gov/html/sirr/downloads/pdf/final_report/Ch_2_ClimateAnalysis_FINAL_singles.pdf
• Findings were used in testimony by the City of New York that recommended improvements in the resilience of electric power grids during heat waves, especially in neighborhoods where residents are at higher risk for getting sick or dying during extreme heat events.
• In response to testimony from NYC, environmental organizations, and scientific experts, the Public Service Commission committed to having the electric utility company plan for and protect the grid from climate change effects, including extreme heat events.

Program Areas:

Epidemiology and Surveillance

State Contact Information:

New York
New York City - Environmental Public Health Tracking Program

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