CDC launches initiative to protect Americans from heat exposure
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, together with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Weather Service, has launched an initiative to protect Americans from heat exposure. The effort focuses on helping people proactively protect themselves by staying cool, staying hydrated and knowing the symptoms of heat-related illness.
The initiative uses three resources. The HeatRisk Forecast Tool, developed by the CDC and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, provides a seven-day heat forecast nationwide that indicates when temperatures may reach levels that could harm people’s health. The CDC’s HeatRisk Dashboard integrates the HeatRisk Forecast Tool data with other information, including details on local air quality, to inform the public on how best to protect themselves when outdoor temperatures are high and could impact their health. Newly developed CDC clinical guidance helps clinicians keep at-risk individuals safe when temperatures rise.
More than two-thirds of Americans were under heat alerts in 2023. A recent CDC report found daily emergency department visits because of heat-related illness in 2023 peaked in several regions over the warm weather months and remained exceedingly high for an extended period of time.
Read more: CDC
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