Extreme Heat Resource Hub

man outside in sunlight experiencing heat stroke, wiping face with towel

Extreme heat as a public health issue

Working together to build safer, more resilient communities in the face of this growing threat

Use this resource hub to discover actionable steps you can take to address the challenges of extreme heat, from raising public awareness and strengthening healthcare system preparedness to advocating for heat-resilient communities.

Learn more about extreme heat in our fact sheet

✨ Latest Highlights

Cities for Smart Surfaces: For the past year, APHA has partnered with the Smart Surfaces Coalition on the Cities for Smart Surfaces project, along with the National League of Cities, Metropolitan AME and many others. This groundbreaking project brings together six APHA affiliates from across the country to explore the potential of smart surfaces to improve public health in urban environments. Learn more.

Sign letter urging Governors to take action on extreme heat preparedness: APHA is part of the Alliance on Heat Resilience and Health, a national coalition of health and environmental organizations working to elevate action on extreme heat. We are circulating a Call to Action urging Governors to lead on extreme heat preparedness, particularly in the absence of strong federal coordination. We invite your organization to join us by signing on to this letter to help amplify the public health voice and support urgent, coordinated action to protect communities from the health risks of rising temperatures. The letter will be delivered during the National Governors Association Annual Meeting in July. The deadline to sign on is July 7th.

🔎 What's New

Beat the Heat Webinar Recording: A Multi-Stakeholder Approach with CDC's New Heat and Health Initiative - APHA, the National League of Cities and WEACT for Environmental Justice explore the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s newly launched Heat and Health Initiative in this action-oriented webinar. Watch the recording.

Extreme Heat Congressional Briefing - The Center for Climate, Health and Equity hosted a congressional briefing on July 8, 2024, focused on policy recommendations to reduce the health impacts of extreme heat. Read the highlights.

When the Heat is On: How Cities Can Protect At-Risk Residents - APHA and the National League of Cities shared three solutions for local leaders to combat extreme heat. Read the article.

Energy Insecurity Toolkit

Cover of Understanding Energy Insecurity Toolkit

Understanding Energy Insecurity in the Field Toolkit

This toolkit serves as a guide for community members, researchers and local practitioners, especially those in the field of public health, to understand how energy insecurity manifests within their communities, define the adverse effects of energy insecurity, and implement effective strategies to mitigate its repercussions. The toolkit will equip stakeholders with resources on conducting community-based focus groups, including best practices in outreach and recruitment strategies as well as innovative methods for disseminating the findings and insights on how these conversations can inform subsequent actions towards energy equity and justice.

Why is extreme heat a public health issue?

Extreme heat is one of the most dangerous climate-related threats we face. Here’s why it matters:

🧑‍⚕️ Extreme heat kills more people in the U.S. than all other weather-related disasters combined. And it’s getting worse each year due to rising temperatures and urban heat islands.

🌍 Fossil fuel-driven climate change is responsible for 37% of global heat-related deaths. Communities with fewer resources are hit hardest.

💸 Heat causes an estimated $100 billion in economic losses each year, primarily due to lost productivity. It also drives $1 billion annually in direct healthcare costs.

🏥 Each summer, heat leads to 235,000 ER visits and over 56,000 hospital admissions. Most of these are preventable with the right policies and preparedness.

🧾 Yet only 37% of Americans recognize heat waves as a serious health threat.- APHA/ EcoAMerica Survey

Extreme heat is a significant and escalating public health crisis in the U.S., claiming more lives annually than hurricanes, floods and tornadoes combined. This alarming trend is worsening due fossil fuel-driven climate change, which accounts for 37% of heat-related deaths worldwide.  

The impacts of extreme heat are broad, straining infrastructure and disproportionately affecting vulnerable populations such as older adults, children, individuals with chronic illnesses, low-income communities, people experiencing homelessness, etc... In 2023 alone, extreme heat accounted for at least 2300 deaths in the United States, which many experts consider to be a significant underestimate. Furthermore, heat illness causes $1 billion in healthcare costs annually in the U.S., along with $100 billion total cost to the U.S. economy, primarily driven by lost productivity. With heat-related mortality projected to increase substantially due to climate change, it is imperative that health systems, public health agencies, and society at-large rapidly develop the policies and infrastructure necessary to build resilience against extreme heat.

How Climate Affects Health Rising Temperatures

There is a need for increased public awareness about the dangers of extreme heat and the importance of implementing preventative measures like investing in heat-resilient infrastructure and committing to policies that address the root causes of climate change.

Additional APHA Resources in Extreme Heat

For more information about our extreme heat and health work, contact Shweta Arya.