Climate change prompts public health initiative to measure extreme heat preparedness
Extreme heat can harm and even kill.
Incidents of extreme weather are expected to increase, according to the Michigan Department of Community Health.
Because days as hot or hotter than today - which carries an upper-90s heat index - put people prone to heat stress at risk, the MDCH is working with Washtenaw County Public Health Department to help understand the impact of hot and extreme weather on public health via a Hot Weather and Health Survey.
The online survey is part of a larger effort of the state's public health department to begin to prepare for the public health impacts of climate change.
Findings from the online survey could become part of recommendations from the state as to what local health departments can do to further safeguard public health from extreme weather, said Susan Cerniglia, a health educator and public information officer for the county health department.
Are you prepared for the heat? A new Washtenaw County Public Health survey gauges individual preparedness.
Lon Horwedel | file photo
The 37-question survey takes about 8 minutes, quizzing participants on items such as whether or not they’d recognize or treat symptoms for heat stroke or exhaustion, if they know that WEMU 89.1 FM is the designated Emergency Alert Station for Washtenaw County, and what they’d do with pets during a power outage and a heat wave. It will be online through August.
“It’s a great opportunity to hear from people about their individual preparedness, and help us to make sure the community resources we have in place and the plans we have in place for responding make sense and they’re meeting the challenges people might face in a heat emergency,” Cerniglia said.
Washtenaw County communities adhere to a coordinated heat wave emergency response plan, during which public cooling centers might be opened. A heat wave emergency happens when the heat index is over 105 degrees for multiple days or if there is a loss of power during a heat wave.
But before any emergency plan is enacted, the county health department recommends keeping hydrated, staying cool in air conditioning or taking a cool bath or shower on excessively hot days. Those working or exercising outside should be extra cautious on hot days like today; a heat index in the 90s today prompted a heat advisory from the National Weather Service.
People over 65, children and infants, and people with disabilities, the overweight and people with chronic disease are especially vulnerable to heat-related illness.
“Heat can be serious,” Cerniglia said. “We want people to understand that and take precautions.”
According to the MDCH, heat waves kill more people every year than tornadoes, floods, hurricanes and lightening combined.
Juliana Keeping covers general assignment and health and the environment for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at julianakeeping@annarbor.com or 734-623-2528. Follow Juliana Keeping on Twitter
Comments
RayA2
Wed, Jun 1, 2011 : 4:48 p.m.
I can not believe either how many metaphorical ostriches there are out there (people who keep their head buried, somewhere, and refuse to see the obvious because it does not please them) or how many paid teapublican bloggers are visiting this site. Global warming due to man made CO2 and other gases like methane emissions is happening. The fact that the earth has been through temperature cycles before is irrelevant. CO2 causes less of the sun's energy to be refracted back into space. CO2 levels are at unprecedented levels and rising. The earth is warming in correlation to CO2 levels.
Dog Guy
Wed, Jun 1, 2011 : 3:55 p.m.
Global warming was sixth-grade science in the 1950's--sun cycles, confluence of recovery from the great ice age and the little ice age, etc. Nothing about SUV's back then. Mars' dry icecap is currently melting. No SUV's on Mars. It is painful to be a "scientist" or a "science teacher" today and have to spout p.c. nonsense to keep your job.
EyeHeartA2
Wed, Jun 1, 2011 : 1:51 p.m.
Agreed - it is getting warmer around here. <a href="http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-54463_18670_18793-94369--,00.html" rel='nofollow'>http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-54463_18670_18793-94369--,00.html</a>
cinnabar7071
Wed, Jun 1, 2011 : 1:35 p.m.
I think we all believe in Climate change, the cause of it is debatable. Some would have you believe it's caused by people, and some like me know the earth has been covered completely with ice at times and at other times has been covered in molten rock. This all has happened before we got here, and will continue to happen after were gone.
EyeHeartA2
Wed, Jun 1, 2011 : 1:34 p.m.
Definition: "Usual suspects" = Someone I disagree with and will use the logical fallacy of argumentum ad hominem on.
Top Cat
Wed, Jun 1, 2011 : 1:10 p.m.
I'm 59 years old. Every summer I can remember it gets hot. Some days it gets very hot. You take precautions and drink lots of water. So how has the climate "changed" ?
Enso
Wed, Jun 1, 2011 : 12:51 p.m.
It's really too bad people are so scientifically illiterate. Good thing we keep cutting education.
Enso
Wed, Jun 1, 2011 : 3:30 p.m.
Find me a scientist that doesn't believe climate change is happening.
The Ben
Wed, Jun 1, 2011 : 12:52 p.m.
What do you say to scientifically literate people who do not practice Climate Change Alarmism? You know, like scientists and stuff?
The Ben
Wed, Jun 1, 2011 : 11:23 a.m.
Our climate has been changing since the beginning of time. I would be concerned if it STOPPED changing.
Huron 74
Wed, Jun 1, 2011 : 5:06 a.m.
To all of the "climate change" enthusiasts, I am not on your bus. There have been heat waves, tornadoes, bad winters and many other climate changes over the history of mankind. My father worked at farming most of his life, originally plowing fields with horses. That is a much more strenuous activity than I have seen anyone do in recent years. He didn't have a "sports drink". My mother made "ginger water", which is water with sugar, vinegar and ginger flavoring. You can make a gallon for about 25 cents. He lived to be 82. Last year, when it was in the 90's I dug a 100 ft trench, 3ft wide and 1 ft deep to make a brick walkway using a shovel and a wheelbarrow. I'm 54 and it did me good. We are complaining, worrying and coddling ourselves too much.
Rachel
Wed, Jun 1, 2011 : 1:25 p.m.
Yet there has been NO peer reviewed article that dissents from the scientific consensus that global climate change is real, and caused by humans. Yes, of course the weather changes, of course there are freak hurricanes, however the facts remain the same. Earth is warming (look at temperature records from the last decades), humans are emitting carbon dioxide, and CO2 causes warming. Furthermore, scientists know the currents warming is NOT caused by the sun because the upper atmospheres are actually cooling, while the lower atmosphere is warming. If caused by an increase in solar flares it would be vise versa. (plus the solar flares have reduced in the past years).
Charlie Brown's Ghost
Wed, Jun 1, 2011 : 3:29 a.m.
I think there's a mistake in this article. It's filed under "environment," but since it's about climate change (or global warming or whatever the terminology-du-jour is), it should be classified under "religion." If you have a "cult" category, that would be even better. Good Night and Good Grief.
Rachel
Wed, Jun 1, 2011 : 1:18 p.m.
Haha. Are you part of an anti-science, anti-intellectual, robotic "climate change does not exist" propaganda cult?
katie
Wed, Jun 1, 2011 : 2:57 a.m.
If you are prone to heatstroke, or even if you don't think you are, you need to always have water AND a sports drink with you. There are recipes online if you want to make your own. (They replace electrolytes, like salt and other minerals). I was working with a young man who was about 40 years my junior in a garden. It was in the high 80's or low 90's. I was sipping my sports drink periodically. The 20-year-old started to feel terrible and looked sick. I gave him a bottled sports drink and he recovered fairly quickly. He was amazed, never having heard of this. He was very fit (in the Marines). But that didn't mean he was immune to getting sick from the heat. So, yes, I agree that the young and old should be particularly careful, everyone should. Heat stroke strikes quickly and a person becomes disoriented quickly and can even die without much warning. I'm not here to argue about climate change, just to say that during hot spells, it is very important that you drink water and also sports drinks. I got sick from working outdoors in 100+ weather when I was younger. It does leave me vulnerable to heat related illness that this happened already. But I learned what to do and always carried some bottled sports drinks with me and make my own as well.
braggslaw
Wed, Jun 1, 2011 : 2:09 a.m.
The weather gets hot in the summer... It has always gotten hot in the summer...
mohomed
Wed, Jun 1, 2011 : 2:01 a.m.
"Climate Change" this and "Climate Change" that. This rhetoric is getting old and starting to get laughable every time nature turns up or down the heat and "journalists" write their "knowledge" from the "experts". Last time I checked these hypocrites use just as much energy and fossil fuels as every other American but we make sure if we are tree hugger conscious we buy a SUV that visibly says HYBRID. It should just say "look at what a great progressive and smart human being I am". And yes the only reason I'm responding is because I saw the holy grail of libs in this article, "Climate Change" or the next best thing "global warming".
Wolf's Bane
Tue, May 31, 2011 : 11:52 p.m.
One word: Generator. Buy one!
Rachel
Tue, May 31, 2011 : 10:37 p.m.
While no individual event (heat wave, drought etc.) can be said to have been caused by 'global warming", scientists predict these events with much more frequency with climate change. Heat waves can be deadly, but we must remember they're not only bad for humans but also for the environment and animals. Not to mention to heat wave in Russia last year killed a third of their wheat crop!
John B.
Tue, May 31, 2011 : 10:02 p.m.
'According to the MDCH, heat waves kill more people every year than tornadoes, floods, hurricanes and lightening combined.' Correct. Recall also the fairly recent heat wave in Europe that killed thousands (!) of people. Serious business, indeed. Now, wait for the usual suspects to chime in and deny that climate change exists, since those words are in the headline, and that's about all those folks read.
Rachel
Tue, May 31, 2011 : 10:34 p.m.
The 2003 heat wave was awful, it killed more than 40,000 people! It will be a sad day when Ann Arbor Public Schools have to call "hot days" instead of snow days.