The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) are releasing resources to assist communities across 22 states, where approximately 130 million Americans are under heat alerts, in managing the intensifying impact of extreme heat due to the climate crisis, according to an Aug. 24 press release. Heat remains the top weather-related cause of death in the U.S., and also threatens critical infrastructure.
“As extreme heat, worsened by the climate crisis, threatens the lives, safety, and security of communities everywhere, the Biden-Harris Administration is working across all levels of government to ensure communities have resources to protect the public and our nation’s critical infrastructure,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas, according to the press release. “There are sensible, constructive measures that communities can take to mitigate the impacts of extreme heat. By sharing information, planning ahead with concrete steps, understanding available federal resources, and working together to help the most vulnerable people in their communities, Americans can prepare, adapt, and respond to these weather-related threats to the health, safety, and security of our communities.”
Amidst a nationwide heatwave affecting approximately 130 million Americans across 22 states under heat advisories, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) are releasing new resources to aid communities in navigating the escalating intensity of extreme heat, per the press release. To help communities prepare for these extreme heat events, DHS has released a resource guide, to provide useful life-saving information to state, local, tribal, and territorial officials.
This resource guide and a forthcoming summit form the vanguard of FEMA's #SummerReady campaign, an endeavor designed to mitigate weather-related risks by engaging heat-affected communities and raising awareness for the impacts of extreme heat.
Extreme heat is the number one weather-related cause of death in the U.S. and also poses a threat to critical infrastructure. Roadways, runways, and railways are vulnerable to buckling and weakening, heat on power lines can cause power outages, according to the press release.
