RALEIGH, N.C. -- North Carolina scientists and residents are teaming up this summer to better understand which neighborhoods in the Raleigh-Durham area are the hottest so-called urban heat islands.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, heat kills more people in the U.S. than any other weather-related phenomenon, and the combination of heat and humidity can cause heat exhaustion and stroke.
Max Cawley, program manager for Public Engagement with Science at the Museum of Life and Science in Durham, explained miles of pavement, asphalt and concrete create a health risk, which is expected to worsen in the coming decade.
"We believe based off of what we've seen assessing a lot of other mapping projects, that Black and Brown communities, and poor communities in particular, are likely much more vulnerable to heat events," Cawley stated. "But again, that's something that we're specifically going to get some data on through a project like this."
He noted people with asthma and other chronic diseases, and people living in poverty who can't pay for continual indoor cooling, are at greatest risk from living in urban heat islands.
Cawley expects the community science initiative to begin in June or July, and will outline the project at this year's NC BREATHE Conference, being held virtually April 6 and 7.
Kathie Dello, director of the North Carolina State Climate Office at North Carolina State University, pointed out inner cities and rural areas can experience up to ten- to fifteen-degree temperature differences.
"Think about when you're wearing a black T-shirt on a hot day versus a white T-shirt; you get much hotter with the black T-shirt," Dello remarked. "In cities we have roads, we have buildings, we have much more of these darker surfaces that trap and emit heat out, so it really can heat up the area."
She added as communities think about moving people out of harm's way or adapting to prolonged periods of extreme heat, local officials and public health departments first have to understand where to direct resources.
"Where are the neighborhoods that need the most help? Is it cooling shelters? Is it tree planting? Is it park access to help cool down the neighborhood?" Dello asked. "We're trying to figure out where truly the literal hot spots are."
According to state data, more than 3,600 residents landed in hospital emergency rooms for heat-related illness in 2019.
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New Mexicans affected by recent wildfires and subsequent flooding may be eligible for Disaster Supplemental Nutritional Program benefits. The additional SNAP dollars will provide one month of groceries for individuals and families affected by the South Fork and Salt fires.
Srikanth Paladugu, environmental health epidemiology bureau chief for the New Mexico Department of Health, said those in wildfire-prone areas should always be prepared because the state's increased and persistent heat as well as strong winds can aggravate asthma and other respiratory issues in both children and adults.
"For example, during the 2022 Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon fire, we reported a significant increase in the number of emergency room visits compared to what it was in the same time frame in 2021," Paladugu noted.
The 2022 fires were the largest in state history. The recent fires have so far destroyed more than 1,400 structures, including 500 homes, and killed two people, according to state officials. Those affected in Lincoln and Otero counties can apply for D-SNAP benefits beginning next Wednesday. More information is available at 1-800-283-4465.
Paladugu pointed out the state has created a new "531 Visibility Tool," incorporating mileage and landmarks to help determine visibility if a wildfire is nearby and the need to seek shelter. He explained the method can also be used by event organizers, coaches and recreational leaders to decide if practice or the game should go on or be postponed.
"If you can see landmarks that are about five miles away, then young children, and adults over 65 and pregnant women and people with lung and heart disease should minimize their outdoor activities," Paladugu advised.
He added at any time, regardless of the visibility, those who feel they are having health effects from smoke should take precautions to avoid further exposure and consult a health care professional as needed.
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The effects of climate change often hit Michigan's most vulnerable communities hardest, prompting state environmental organizations to take action.
The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy has launched the "Michigan Justice40 Accelerator" program in partnership with Elevate and the Michigan Environmental Justice Coalition. Under the initiative, 25 nonprofit organizations in underserved areas across the state will apply to receive funding and technical support to access federal money for clean-energy projects.
Regina Strong, Michigan's environmental justice public advocate, explained what the groups will accomplish over a 12-month period.
"Build capacity and learn the ins and outs of ways to apply for federal and state money, and all the things they need to hopefully address the challenges in the communities where they exist," Strong outlined.
Strong noted communities interested in assistance need to apply by Aug. 1. Organizations must present an idea for addressing climate change in their community, which could include projects related to resilient infrastructure, clean energy and energy efficiency.
Frontline communities in the climate change battle often include people of color, Indigenous groups, and low-income residents. Strong explained funding through the new program also empowers nonprofit organizations and those working toward nonprofit status, to lead efforts in tackling environmental disparities.
"They often are less able to rebound when we have our heavy storms and rain -- there's flooding, or there's an emergency with air," Strong observed. "Oftentimes, these are communities that are already impacted by other challenges."
Strong added parallel to the new program, The Office of Environmental Justice, Public Advocate has a $20 million grant opportunity available for the same communities. The deadline to apply for funding is July 15.
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By Kate Ruder for KFF Health News.
Broadcast version by Eric Galatas for Colorado News Connection reporting for the KFF Health News-Public News Service Collaboration
When powerful wind gusts created threatening wildfire conditions one day near Boulder, Colorado, the state’s largest utility cut power to 52,000 homes and businesses — including Frasier, an assisted living and skilled nursing facility.
It was the first time Xcel Energy preemptively switched off electricity in Colorado as a wildfire prevention tool, according to a company official. The practice, also known as public safety power shut-offs, has taken root in California and is spreading elsewhere as a way to keep downed and damaged power lines from sparking blazes and fueling the West’s more frequent and intense wildfires.
In Boulder, Frasier staff and residents heard about the planned outage from news reports. A Frasier official called the utility to confirm and was initially told the home’s power would not be affected. The utility then called back to say the home’s power would be cut, after all, said Tomas Mendez, Frasier’s vice president of operations. The home had just 75 minutes before Xcel Energy shut off the lights on April 6.
Staff rushed to prepare the 20-acre campus home to nearly 500 residents. Generators kept running the oxygen machines, most refrigerators and freezers, hallway lights, and Wi-Fi for phones and computers. But the heating system and some lights stayed off as the overnight temperature dipped into the 30s.
Power was restored to Frasier after 28 hours. During the shut-off, staff tended to nursing home and assisted living residents, many with dementia, Mendez said.
“These are the folks that depend on us for everything: meals, care, and medications,” he said.
Not knowing when power would be restored, even 24 hours into the crisis, was stressful and expensive, including the next-day cost of refilling fuel for two generators, Mendez said.
“We’re lucky we didn’t have any injuries or anything major, but it is likely these could happen when there are power outages — expected or unexpected. And that puts everyone at risk,” Mendez said.
As preemptive power cuts become more widespread, nursing homes are being forced to evaluate their preparedness. But it shouldn’t be up to the facilities alone, according to industry officials and academics: Better communication between utilities and nursing homes, and including the facilities in regional disaster preparedness plans, is critical to keep residents safe.
“We need to prioritize these folks so that when the power does go out, they get to the front of the line to restore their power accordingly,” said David Dosa, chief of geriatrics and professor of medicine at UMass Chan Medical School in Worcester, Massachusetts, of nursing home residents.
Restoring power to hospitals and nursing homes was a priority throughout the windstorm, wrote Xcel Energy spokesperson Tyler Bryant in an email. But, he acknowledged, public safety power shut-offs can improve, and the utility will work with community partners and the Colorado Public Utilities Commission to help health facilities prepare for extended power outages in the future.
When the forecast called for wind gusts of up to 100 mph on April 6, Xcel Energy implemented a public safety power shut-off. Nearly 275,000 customers were without power from the windstorm.
Officials had adapted after the Marshall Fire killed two people and destroyed or damaged more than 1,000 homes in Boulder and the neighboring communities of Louisville and Superior two and a half years ago. Two fires converged to form that blaze, and electricity from an Xcel Energy power line that detached from its pole in hurricane-force winds “was the most probable cause” of one of them.
“A preemptive shutdown is scary because you don’t really have an end in mind. They don’t tell you the duration,” said Jenny Albertson, director of quality and regulatory affairs for the Colorado Health Care Association and Center for Assisted Living.
More than half of nursing homes in the West are within 3.1 miles of an area with elevated wildfire risk, according to a study published last year. Yet, nursing homes with the greatest risk of fire danger in the Mountain West and Pacific Northwest had poorer compliance with federal emergency preparedness standards than their lower-risk counterparts.
Under federal guidelines, nursing homes must have disaster response plans that include emergency power or building evacuation. Those plans don’t necessarily include contingencies for public safety power shut-offs, which have increased in the past five years but are still relatively new. And nursing homes in the West are rushing to catch up.
In California, a more stringent law to bring emergency power in nursing homes up to code is expected by the California Association of Health Facilities to cost over $1 billion. But the state has not allocated any funding for these facilities to comply, said Corey Egel, the association’s director of public affairs. The association is asking state officials to delay implementation of the law for five years, to Jan. 1, 2029.
Most nursing homes operate on a razor’s edge in terms of federal reimbursement, Dosa said, and it’s incredibly expensive to retrofit an old building to keep up with new regulations.
Frasier’s three buildings for its 300 residents in independent living apartments each have their own generators, in addition to two generators for assisted living and skilled nursing, but none is hooked up to emergency air conditioning or heat because those systems require too much energy.
Keeping residents warm during a minus-10-degree night or cool during two 90-degree days in Boulder “are the kinds of things we need to think about as we consider a future with preemptive power outages,” Mendez said.
Federal audits of emergency preparedness at nursing homes in California and Colorado found facilities lacking. In Colorado, eight of 20 nursing homes had deficiencies related to emergency supplies and power, according to the report. These included three nursing homes without plans for alternate energy sources like generators and four nursing homes without documentation showing generators had been properly tested, maintained, and inspected.
For Debra Saliba, director of UCLA’s Anna and Harry Borun Center for Gerontological Research, making sure nursing homes are part of emergency response plans could help them respond effectively to any kind of power outage. Her study of nursing homes after a magnitude 6.7 earthquake that shook the Los Angeles area in 1994 motivated LA County to integrate nursing homes into community disaster plans and drills.
Too often, nursing homes are forgotten during emergencies because they are not seen by government agencies or utilities as health care facilities, like hospitals or dialysis centers, Saliba added.
Albertson said she is working with hospitals and community emergency response coalitions in Colorado on disaster preparedness plans that include nursing homes. But understanding Xcel Energy’s prioritization plan for power restoration would also help her prepare, she said.
Bryant said Xcel Energy’s prioritization plan for health facilities specifies not whether their electricity will be turned off during a public safety power shut-off — but how quickly it will be restored.
Julie Soltis, Frasier’s director of communications, said the home had plenty of blankets, flashlights, and batteries during the outage. But Frasier plans to invest in headlamps for caregivers, and during a town hall meeting, independent living residents were encouraged to purchase their own backup power for mobile phones and other electronics, she said.
Soltis hopes her facility is spared during the next public safety power shut-off or at least given more time to respond.
“With weather and climate change, this is definitely not the last time this will happen,” she said.
Kate Ruder wrote this story for KFF Health News.
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