Posted on Sep 13, 2022
Why heat wave warnings are falling short in the U.S.
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https://www.npr.org/2022/09/13/ [login to see] /why-heat-wave-warnings-are-falling-short-in-the-u-s
In July 1995, weather reports in Chicago started warning residents about an incoming heat wave. It was going to be hot — around 100 degrees — but nothing that was unheard of for a Chicago summer.
That heat wave turned out to be one of the deadliest in recorded U.S. history.
More than 1,000 people died across the larger region. In Chicago, Black residents made up half the deaths. Many were older people who had succumbed inside their homes, as they tried to ride out the sweltering heat.
The heat wave's heavy toll was largely due to its high humidity. In muggy, humid air, the human body struggles to cool off, because sweat doesn't evaporate as well.
As heat waves get more frequent, longer and more intense with climate change, disaster experts say the country's current heat warning system is falling short. Many heat waves are deceptively deadly, but traditional weather forecasts often don't capture the full extent of the risk.
The National Weather Service's main heat alert system, the heat index, may be leading the public to misjudge the dangers. It shows how humidity makes the temperature feel hotter, but only for a person sitting in the shade, leaving out outdoor workers and others who spend hours in the sun.
In July 1995, weather reports in Chicago started warning residents about an incoming heat wave. It was going to be hot — around 100 degrees — but nothing that was unheard of for a Chicago summer.
That heat wave turned out to be one of the deadliest in recorded U.S. history.
More than 1,000 people died across the larger region. In Chicago, Black residents made up half the deaths. Many were older people who had succumbed inside their homes, as they tried to ride out the sweltering heat.
The heat wave's heavy toll was largely due to its high humidity. In muggy, humid air, the human body struggles to cool off, because sweat doesn't evaporate as well.
As heat waves get more frequent, longer and more intense with climate change, disaster experts say the country's current heat warning system is falling short. Many heat waves are deceptively deadly, but traditional weather forecasts often don't capture the full extent of the risk.
The National Weather Service's main heat alert system, the heat index, may be leading the public to misjudge the dangers. It shows how humidity makes the temperature feel hotter, but only for a person sitting in the shade, leaving out outdoor workers and others who spend hours in the sun.
Why heat wave warnings are falling short in the U.S.
Posted from npr.orgPosted in these groups: 
Climate Change
Chicago
Climate Change Chicago
Posted >1 y ago
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."It's not just the hottest cities that need to be addressing heat," says Sara Meerow, associate professor at Arizona State University who works on heat. "Communities everywhere do. Places that have not had to worry as much about excessive heat need to now."
..."It's not just the hottest cities that need to be addressing heat," says Sara Meerow, associate professor at Arizona State University who works on heat. "Communities everywhere do. Places that have not had to worry as much about excessive heat need to now."
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