New climate projections show rising exposure to extreme heat in disadvantaged communities

Extreme heat is particularly dangerous for disadvantaged communities, which are least able to prepare for, withstand, and recover from its impacts. In the future, far more Americans living in disadvantaged communities will face exacerbated consequences from extreme heat on their health, and hardships from reduced energy reliability during heat waves. The number of additional people in these communities exposed to health-threatening and energy security-impacting heat waves each year could rise by 25 million by 2050 in even a moderate climate change scenario.

The ICF Climate Center leverages the latest climate projections with ICF’s market-leading climate risk analytics platform, ClimateSight, to understand how people living in disadvantaged communities could be impacted by extreme heat in the coming decades.

Read this report to:

• See how potential exposure to extreme heat that is a threat to human health and energy security will grow in U.S. disadvantaged communities.
• Examine local case studies that spotlight the information state and local government planners need to understand the risks of extreme heat to their communities.
• Learn five strategies to advance extreme heat adaptation in disadvantaged communities.