• A heat wave is a period of high temperatures that can cause illness and death.
• Climate change is predicted to make heat waves longer, occur more frequently,
and be more intense.
• Infants, seniors, people with heart or lung problems, and people who are economically disadvantaged, live in
substandard housing, or do not have access to air conditioning are especially vulnerable to heat waves.
• People living in cities often experience more heat-related illness than people in
rural areas because of the high-rises, older multi-family dwellings, and urban
heat islands common in cities.
• Some communities are conducting heat vulnerability assessments to identify areas where residents who may be at risk during a
heat wave and setting up heat alert and response systems.