(Washington, D-C) – Extreme heat kills more Americans than any other weather event, but not everyone’s risk is the same. This summer, NOAA (The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) and community scientists will map the hottest parts of 14 U.S. cities (Including Omaha, NE) and counties, and, for the first time, two international cities. Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves says “Extreme heat kills more Americans than any other weather event and has the greatest impact on our nation’s most vulnerable communities. Fortunately, our talented and dedicated researchers and scientists at NOAA are working directly with communities across the country to help them take action to manage extreme heat. As climate change worsens heat waves, this critical information will help bring local and equitable solutions for those facing the greatest threats.”

NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad, Ph.D said “Our nation faces a climate crisis that has exacerbated inequities for low-income communities and communities of color. NOAA is helping communities measure their hottest places so that they can use this information to inform strategies to reduce the unhealthy and deadly effects of extreme heat and help us build a Climate-Ready Nation.”

The NOAA Climate Program Office will work with the interagency National Integrated Heat Health Information System (NIHHIS) and CAPA Strategies, LLC to launch new community-led heat mapping campaigns this summer. Local teams will map what are called urban heat islands, areas that can be up to 20 degrees hotter than nearby neighborhoods. The U.S. communities chosen for the program include Boulder, Colorado; Clark County, Nevada, which includes Las Vegas; Columbia, South Carolina; Columbus, Ohio; Jacksonville, Florida; Knoxville and Nashville, Tennessee; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Montgomery County, Maryland; Omaha, Nebraska; Spokane, Washington; Philadelphia; Brooklyn, New York and San Francisco. In addition, NOAA is working with local groups in Africa and Brazil on international campaigns in Freetown, Sierra Leone and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Learn more, HERE. And, to keep up with the summer 2022 campaigns, subscribe to the Heat Beat Newsletter, check out the NIHHIS website, or follow #UrbanHeatMaps2022 on social media.