From Phoenix to Buffalo: Experiences with Extreme Temperature

Extreme temperature events tend to cause a greater human toll than other hazards including flooding, hurricanes, and tornadoes. 1 However, the extent of fatalities and injuries caused by extreme heat or cold are largely invisible to the public. Unlike disasters with overt impacts, extreme temperature events are commonly perceived as “everyday events.” Yet these events, when unprepared for, exacerbate health risks for communities. The 1995 Chicago Heat Wave 2 or the 2021 Texas Winter Storm Uri 3 dramatically illustrate how the everyday quickly transforms into a disaster through cascading impacts brought on by failures in every phase of the emergency management cycle.