Over the last couple of decades, heat-related deaths have risen dramatically in the U.S. even though they are largely preventable. Extreme heat can increase the risk of dehydration, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke. High heat days often coincide with poor air quality, exacerbating respiratory and cardiovascular conditions. Some people face a higher risk during heat, including older adults, children, pregnant people, outdoor workers, athletes, people with medical conditions or disabilities, people without access to air conditioning, and people who live alone.
The Greater Boston region is feeling the impact of this growing threat. Due to climate change, the area is facing more frequent and intense heat. By 2050, Massachusetts is expected to see double or possibly triple the number of historical days above 90°F, putting communities increasingly at risk year after year.
This issue must continue to be elevated across the region for members of the public, policy makers, and decision-makers. Community-centered planning and decision-making will be critical to protecting the most vulnerable for this - and every future - summer. This week, we will explore several actions that municipalities can take to protect residents, and share resources that can be used to prepare for and adapt to extreme heat.
The first step is understanding where, how, and when heat threatens your community. MAPC and our partners offer tools to help municipalities begin this exploration:
Climate Vulnerability Tool — maps which neighborhoods across Metro Boston are most vulnerable to climate hazards, including extreme heat, by combining demographic, health, housing, and climate-exposure data. Useful for deciding where to focus outreach and resources.
MAPC Land Surface Temperature Index — lets you explore land surface temperature data to identify the hottest areas and urban heat islands within your community.
High Temperatures and Emergency Department Visits in Municipalities of the Lower Mystic River: A new analysis from MAPC and Boston University shows who is at greater risk during heat events in five Lower Mystic communities — Everett, Chelsea, Malden, Revere, and Winthrop. Beyond making the case that heat's health burden is likely far greater than official "heat-related" counts suggest, it reveals how that burden falls unevenly across age, ethnicity, and insurance status — helping practitioners target outreach and resources to the residents who need them most. Boston University has also packaged the analytic code and methods so communities anywhere can run the same analysis with their own data — explore the tool at climatehealth.city.
The Massachusetts Unhealthy Heat Forecast: Temperatures at or above 85°F for 3+ days in a row will trigger an unhealthy heat alert from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. These alerts help local governments, healthcare professionals, and community organizations to plan, prepare, and act. You can check the Unhealthy Heat Forecast and sign up for email alerts when unhealthy heat is forecasted.
Beyond understanding risk, MAPC offers additional resources support broader summer and climate planning:
Peak Demand Notification Program — sign up for daily summertime emails (June to mid-September) flagging when electricity demand, driven largely by air conditioning during hot weather, is likely to peak, helping your municipality cut energy costs and emissions.
- Green Stormwater Infrastructure Siting Tool — an interactive tool to help identify where to site green infrastructure for managing stormwater and flooding, with equity built into the criteria.
- DataCommon — MAPC's open data platform, filtered here to clean energy, climate and environment, and public health datasets.
Stay tuned for more throughout the week, and stay cool.