This summer, the United States is experiencing an extreme heat wave that affects more than 190 million people in the Plains, Midwest, and Northeast. Due to temperatures that have risen into the 90s and above 100°F, communities in places like Detroit, Chicago, Washington, and Boston are in danger of experiencing a public health emergency. While the severe heat affects all Americans, some are significantly affected, and low-income families, outdoor workers, and the elderly are more susceptible.
As the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) highlights how excessive heat can worsen pre-existing medical issues and lead to dehydration, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke, particularly in the elderly and young children. These individuals struggle to keep their bodies at safe internal temperatures when exposed to heat for long periods of time because they have less effective thermal regulation. According to the EPA, heat-related illnesses particularly affect the elderly and are one of the main causes of weather-related death in the nation.
Those who work outside, such as delivery drivers, construction workers, and farm laborers, must endure difficult working circumstances. These workers are at a higher risk of heat exhaustion, heat stroke, and even death since they operate in the heat with few breaks and often inadequate protection, unlike others who can seek protection in air-conditioned areas. Stricter rules that require water breaks, shaded rest spaces, and heat monitoring on hot days have been called for by health and safety advocates.
Low-income families occasionally live in public housing units or older, poorly insulated homes that retain heat, a problem made worse by urban heat islands, which are places where concrete and asphalt trap more heat. These heat islands can raise temperatures by up to 10°F, according to The Guardian, which worsens health hazards in areas where access to air conditioning and cooling facilities is already restricted. Many families are forced to choose between paying excessive energy costs and maintaining a safe and cool house.
Solutions include: cities opening more cooling centers that are easy to get to, especially in neighborhoods that get the hottest; more financial help for families who can't afford to keep their homes cool during heat waves; outdoor workers needing better protections on the job (guaranteed breaks, shady places to rest, plenty of water, education on heat safety); planting more trees and greenery in cities to cool down neighborhoods naturally; investing in better power grids and renewable energy so electric systems can handle big demand during heat waves without blackouts.