Episode 135: Expert Panelists Address Extreme Heat Impacts, Communications Tactics, and Mitigation Measures

Millions of Americans are being impacted by extreme heat waves, which are growing in intensity, frequency, and duration due to climate change. And so, in response to the calendar year 2023 annual planning guidance, where FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell directed a review of all current FEMA authorities, capabilities and gaps to develop a unified agency approach to build resilience to threats driven by climate change such as extreme heat. FEMA Region 5 partnered with the National Exercise Division to host the first Extreme Heat Summit last year in 2023, which we've highlighted here on this podcast. But recently, in May of 2024, we hosted FEMA's second Extreme Heat Summit here in Chicago. Building on the lessons from the 2023 summit, our focus was expanded to include actions that state, local, tribal, and territorial governments can take to prepare for, mitigate and respond to extreme heat events. The summit featured a wider variety of presenters, including state and local leaders and representatives from academic and nonprofit organizations. So, we wanted to bring you back to Chicago for a full replay of the expert panel discussions. We're representing for you the conversations around extreme heat impacts planning and data analysis, communications and messaging, and nature-based solutions.