2019 Spring Newsletter

In This Issue
♦ Climate and Health Champion Nominations Open May 1st  

♦ Stakeholders Meet to Plan for Extreme Heat

♦ ADHS Highlights Climate and Health Success Stories

♦ Heat Relief Network Prepares for the Heat Season

♦ 2018 Becomes Deadliest Year on Record for Heat 

♦ Climate and Health News Roundup
Climate and Health Champion Nominations Open May 1st
Starting on May 1st, the Maricopa County Department of Public Health will be accepting nominations for 2019 Climate and Health Champion recognition program. The program identifies and celebrates those in our community that are working to improve health and/or health equity affected by climate-sensitive hazards. This year, awards will be presented in the following categories:
  • Individual
  • Youth
  • Organization
  • Business
  • Research
Stakeholders Meet to Plan for Extreme Heat
On April 8, stakeholders from across the state met in Scottsdale for the 2019 Arizona Statewide Heat Planning Workshop. The meeting featured small group discussions on the following topics:
  • National Weather Service Heat Services and Tools
  • Neighborhood Heat Action Planning
  • Heat Relief Network
  • Heat Data for Urban Planning
  • School Heat Policy
  • City Heat Planning in Action
  • Emergency Services and Outreach
  • Home Weatherization
  • Summer Pet Safety
  • Heat Health Data

By chance, the workshop took place on the warmest day of the year to date with temperatures reaching 97°F. A presentation by Paul Iñiguez from the National Weather Service emphasized the importance of planning for extreme heat in Arizona. The number of days with record cool high temperatures is decreasing while days with record warm high temperatures are increasing. The climate is very likely to continue to warm.

Phoenix is already the second fastest warming city in America, and by 2060 climate scientists predict temperatures will top 100°F on an average of  132 days each year (compared to the current average of 92 days over 100°F).
Over 100 attendees participated in the workshop, jointly hosted by the Arizona Department of Health Services, Arizona State University, and the National Weather Service.
ADHS Highlights Climate and Health Success Stories
The Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) has published an addendum to the Arizona Climate and Health Adaptation Plan (ACHAP) for 2018. The update features climate and health success stories from around the state, including Maricopa County's own Climate and Health Champions program. The report also highlights new resources for understanding the health impacts of climate across Arizona.

Use the button below to read about the different climate and health activities happening throughout the state.
Heat Relief Network Prepares for the Heat Season
The Heat Relief Network is a regional partnership of the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG), municipalities, nonprofit organizations, the faith-based community, and others. Each year, MAG coordinates the mapping of the Heat Relief Network, a network of partners providing hydration stations, refuge locations, and water donation sites throughout the Valley with the goal of preventing heat related and heat caused deaths among people experiencing homelessness and other vulnerable populations.
Use the button below to view the Heat Relief Network map of hydration stations, heat refuges, and water donation sites across Maricopa County.
2018 Becomes Deadliest Year on Record for Heat
Last year is now officially the deadliest year on record for heat, with 182 deaths associated with environmental heat. The Maricopa County Department of Public Health has release a preliminary report on heat-associated mortality for 2018 with details on when and where these cases occurred, and which groups were most affected. The department has also updated the full mortality report for 2017. Use the button below to view these new reports as well as all past reports on heat-related mortality in the county.
Maricopa County Heat-Associated Deaths, 2001-2018
Climate and Health News Roundup