The summer of 2025 has brought an alarming heat wave across the U.S. With temperatures exceeding 100 degrees Fahrenheit, millions of people across the country are trying to cope, especially the most vulnerable.
Individuals who live in rural America are severely vulnerable to these rising temperatures. According to the CDC, 46 million Americans live in rural parts where healthcare is more inaccessible, and they're most likely to be uninsured.
Indigenous people also face greater inaccessibility to healthcare resources. Just like rural Americans, they don't have infrastructure they can depend on, which significantly sets them back.
Workers are severely impacted as well. This group spends a lot of time outdoors, and in the current heatwave, this means they tremendously encounter the effects of extreme heat.
Pregnant/breastfeeding/postpartum women and individuals with disabilities experience them too. The individuals in these groups have unique challenges, as women with children go through biological and behavioral changes, and disabled individuals have health-related/mobility issues.
Most of the issues that set these groups of people back are caused by institutional disregard. Therefore, to make these groups less vulnerable to heat waves, it is crucial to make institutional changes.