Emergency Preparedness By Briana Leone

It is no new news that climate change is happening. To anyone who is surprised I suggest simply looking back to the last hurricane and fire seasons in the United States. Catastrophic climatic events are becoming more frequent and more intense as time goes by. Look no further back than Tropical Storm Isaias from last year, which had unprecedented and devastating effects even in Pennsylvania, where a tornado struck (very very unusual for our region) (The Associated Press, 2020; 6ABC, 2020). What is even more worrisome is the continued and prolonged heat waves that are becoming even more frequent and pronounced as the years go on. 

This year's heatwave has been among the most devastating and concentrated heatwaves ever. Temperatures in the Pacific Northwest have consistently and consecutively broken every heat-record ever documented in the region. Perhaps dangerously evident, this early and devastating June heatwave highlights the climate trends we have so dreaded. The heat dome that concentrated on the Pacific Northwest was particularly dangerous for people who live in that area and have no air conditioning (Samenow & Leonard, 2021). 

Our structured interview data tells us that many households are unprepared to face a loss of power during heatwaves. Out of 161 people, 44 (27%) said they didn’t know what they would do if they lost power during a heat wave, or they would just wait out the loss of power, which is very dangerous in a scenario like the Pacific Northwest heatwave. In the words of some of the people we interviewed: 

“{big sigh...} Um... I don't know. {laughter} That would be disastrous, you know. First I would open the window. What else, would I do... I don't know. That's why i am going to the program that we were talking about. They want to teach us about what we can do when these sort of things happen.”

“A couple years ago when we had that heat wave, I didn't have an air conditioner. I just take a cool shower and get into bed. I was OK once I went to sleep. My son was furious with me.
I also got the reflector board from the mechanics. Keep my windows closed, closed the blinds, closed the curtains. and put the reflector boards up. This is what I learned from the mechanics.”

“I guess, we would be hot... we can plug up nothing. We are gonna have to just do the best we can, open a window or go to somebody's house with some air.”

Seattle, WA and Medford, OR have the lowest rate of AC ownership in the Northwest region, which places millions at risk for heat related illnesses (heat stroke, heat cramps, heat exhaustion, etc.). With little to no warning on when heatwaves might strike, despite weather forecasts, it is important for us to know basic precautions and actions to take in the likely case a heatwave like this past one hits again. In the image here, you can see some tips on how to stay cool without AC or where to go if in need. It is in our best interest to figure out how to best address the catastrophic events that are becoming more common. As we enter hurricane season on the US East Coast, also think about creating an emergency plan.