Climate Impacts Group

Saving lives in heat waves

Two years after the deadly Pacific Northwest heat dome, new research findings from the UW, Gonzaga, the state department of health and the state climatologist’s office offers ways to prevent loss of life in future excessive heat waves. 

Preparing for future extreme heat events 

Two years after the deadliest weather-related event in Washington state history, a report from the UW offers both short-term and long-term ways to prepare for extreme heat in the future. Jason Vogel, interim director of the UW Climate Impacts Group, is interviewed. 

New report, tool suggest how Washington can better protect against extreme heat

Two years following the 2021 heat dome, a collaborative effort led by two University of Washington teams, the Climate Impacts Group and the Center for Health and the Global Environment, or CHanGE, has drawn up recommendations for how people and groups across the state could prevent future heat-related illness and save lives. The Climate Impacts Group’s latest report on extreme heat in Washington State is referenced. Dr. Jason Vogel is quoted.  

What can be learned from the Pacific Northwest’s 2021 heat wave

A new report reveals strategies to prevent the hundreds of deaths tied to the prolonged heat wave that hit the Pacific Northwest for several weeks in late June and July 2021, leading to a widespread public health emergency that strained the state’s emergency and healthcare systems. The Climate Impacts Group’s latest report on extreme heat in Washington State is referenced. 

Can Seattle take the heat? Officials say area is better prepared this summer

Emergency officials say the Seattle area is better prepared for extreme temperatures this summer than it was before the Northwest’s deadly heat dome of 2021. But making the region thoroughly heat-proof could take many years, and climate activists say government is not moving with the urgency that a climate crisis deserves. The Climate Impacts Group’s latest report on extreme heat in Washington State is referenced.  

Saving lives from extreme heat: Lessons from the deadly 2021 Pacific Northwest heat wave

The heat dome that descended upon the Pacific Northwest in late June 2021 met a population radically unprepared for it. Dr. Jason Vogel, Climate Impacts Group, and Dr. Brian Henning, Gonzaga University, co-authored this article for the Conversation. The Climate Impacts Group’s latest report on extreme heat in Washington State is referenced. This story was also run in the Lake County News, Kiowa County Press, Times Union, Fast Company, the Everett Daily Herald and the Daily News.  

Climate Impacts Group & partners release report in English and Spanish aimed at preventing heat-related illness and death in Washington

Texto en español a continuación

Two years ago, in the summer of 2021, Washington experienced the deadliest weather disaster in the state’s history with days of record-breaking heat. More Washingtonians died from heat exposure each day during the 2021 heat dome than die from heat exposure in a typical summer.

The devastating impacts of the heat dome, coupled with projections that extreme heat events will be more frequent and more intense as the climate changes, serve as a call to action to address heat vulnerability across our state. 

In the hot seat: Saving lives from extreme heat in Washington state describes the problem of extreme heat and outlines specific, actionable guidance for short-term emergency response and long-term risk reduction. 

How the Canadian wildfire smoke could shift Americans’ views on climate

As climate change dropped its calling card on the East Coast last week in the form of thick, dangerous smoke, millions of Americans and Canadians shared the jarring experience — forced to retreat indoors, cancel plans, wear masks and breathe hazardous air. The smoke that Canadian wildfires sent swirling over swaths of North America blanketed cities including New York, Philadelphia and Toronto, shocked many Easterners, broke air quality records and threatened people’s health. It also created a window, climate experts say, for catching people’s attention. Meade Krosby is quoted. 

“When these events happen, they’re a really important opportunity for helping the public make the connection between these kinds of events and climate change, and helping them understand what they can do.” – Meade Krosby, senior scientist, UW Climate Impacts Group

Beating the Heat: Collective Action for a Safer Northwest | June 22 Event

Summer has barely begun, and already the Pacific Northwest is experiencing a heatwave and record-breaking temperatures. The sweltering conditions are a reminder that heat health risks are a growing concern for many in our region.

The good news is that we have new tools and guidance to catalyze action to prevent illness and death from extreme heat.

On June 22—almost exactly two years after the Pacific Northwest heat dome—EarthLab, the Climate Impacts Group (CIG) and the Center for Health and the Global Environment (CHanGE) will be co-hosting a multifaceted event to share new research and tools that will help save lives during extreme heat. 

Chile deploys a task force to fight deadly wildfires. It’s goats.

Goats are being employed help curb the deadly wildfires now scorching mountainous central Chile, as well as across the Pacific Northwest. Crystal Raymond is quoted.