New Interactive Map Shows Where Extreme Heat Threatens Health
People in the U.S. will be able to see where extreme heat is a threat to health with a new interactive tool created by the National Weather Service and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
A woman shades herself from the sun with an umbrella as she walks on the National Mall during warm weather in Washington, D.C.
Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images
CLIMATEWIRE | An online tool launched Monday by the Biden administration aims to keep people safe from extreme heat by showing them where in the lower 48 states temperatures are high enough to harm their health.
The interactive map, called HeatRisk, appears on websites for both the National Weather Service and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Users can scroll through to look at current heat conditions, as well as a forecast for the next several days. The map is color-coded to show the risk of heat-related health impacts — with green being little to no risk and magenta showing areas of extreme heat health impacts.
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“We know heat can impact our health, but heat-related illness and death are preventable,” CDC Director Mandy Cohen said at a press conference Monday.
The color-coding of the maps is based on local health data that reflects actual increases in emergency department visits at different temperatures.
The CDC’s version of the dashboard also directs visitors to guidelines on heat risk and how to stay safe in high temperatures. Its release came the same day the CDC put out new guidance for clinicians for how to help vulnerable patients — such as those with heart or lung conditions — handle extreme heat conditions.
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