Over the last week, much of the U.S. has been dealing with unusually high temperatures and humidity. For some, it's been an annoyance - a reason to stay indoors, grab an iced drink, or complain about the weather. But for others, this kind of extreme heat brings very real health risks.
I saw this firsthand during City of Water Day on Saturday, July 12, where I joined a flood-resilience walking tour in Lower Manhattan and took part in a kayaking demo. It was a great way to step outside the usual headlines and statistics and actually observe how people in local communities are responding to the climate challenges around them. Talking to organizers, residents, and other participants helped me understand the everyday impact of climate change- especially how it shows up in public health.
Heatwaves don't affect everyone equally. People living in older buildings- especially those without reliable air conditioning or proper ventilation- are at greater risk. Families without access to shaded outdoor spaces or with limited mobility are more likely to suffer. Low-income communities are more exposed- and less supported- during heatwaves. It's not just about discomfort. It's about safety, equity, and whether the systems we have in place are enough to protect the most vulnerable.
According to a recent Washington Post article, a record heatwave swept across the Midwest and East Coast last week, overwhelming infrastructure in multiple cities. The strain on power grids, especially during peak demand hours, made it harder for some households to keep cool. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization has highlighted how prolonged exposure to extreme heat can worsen chronic conditions like heart disease, asthma, and kidney issues- especially in older adults and those with preexisting health problems.
It's easy to assume that solutions like cooling centers or public alerts solve the issue, but they don't always reach the people who need them most. In some neighborhoods, these resources are limited, underfunded, or even closed on the hottest days due to staffing issues. For people without access to transportation, getting to a cooling center isn't always an option either.
The Jewish World Foundation emphasized that the impact of climate change hits hardest in already underserved communities - those who are often overlooked in policy decisions. If a neighborhood has older infrastructure, fewer green spaces, or outdated building codes, its residents are more likely to face the full force of extreme weather. These areas are also less likely to have funding for climate adaptation projects.
This all connects back to public health. We can't treat environmental issues and health issues as separate problems anymore. They're linked: through housing, energy, income, access to care, and education. And the more we start seeing those links, the better we can respond.
City of Water Day reminded me how important it is to bring climate issues to street level. It's one thing to read about rising temperatures or flooding risk- it's another to walk through neighborhoods, talk to local groups, and see how people are trying to adapt. These kinds of grassroots efforts, like educational walking tours and community events, create space for learning and action that policy alone can't always reach.
As I continue writing and researching, I'm focusing my work on how infrastructure and heat overlap. How something like a cracked sidewalk, a lack of trees, or a broken AC unit isn't just a small inconvenience- it's part of a larger system that determines who stays safe and who doesn't when the temperature rises.
We often hear climate change talked about as a future problem. But events like last week's heatwave, and the daily reality for millions of Americans, show it's already here. And it's not happening evenly. That's why the response needs to be more than just technical fixes. It needs to center equity, community resilience, and the people who are most affected.
We still have time to make changes - in how we build our cities, support vulnerable groups, and plan for future heat. To do that we need to start being able to treat public health and climate adaptation as shared priorities- not just as separate conversations.