Chicago, IL Adapts to Improve Extreme Heat Preparedness

epa.gov/arc-x/chicago-il-adapts-improve-extreme-heat-preparedness

In 1995, Chicago experienced an extreme heat event
that led to the deaths of several hundred people over
the course of five days. This event prompted the city to
strengthen and update its heat emergency response
system. Recognizing that heat waves are expected to
increase in Chicago due to climate change-supported
by the Chicago Climate Impacts Report, the city
adopted a comprehensive set of actions to reduce
deaths from extreme heat events.

Chicago's approach focuses on community
preparedness with particular attention to vulnerable
populations. Since effective public outreach is a time
and resource intensive process, Chicago worked with
the Field Museum, a world-renowned museum and a
leader in science education and engagement, to
develop an outreach program that targeted
neighborhoods vulnerable to climate change. This
partnership engaged the local community to increase
awareness of neighborhood vulnerability and identify how residents could reduce the impact of climate exacerbated extreme
heat events. This outreach effort has worked to complement traditional disaster response actions that Chicago promoted after
the 1995 heat wave.

How did they do it?	Applicable EPA Tools

Identified current disaster response needs for extreme heat resiliency

• Chicago adopted disaster responses including: expanding Notify Chicago, the city's
text and email emergency notification system; identified (e.g., public libraries) or
established cooling centers; set up a call "311" program to have officials conduct
well-being checks for those who may need additional assistance during events such
as the elderly or infirm; and conducted disaster preparedness and response
trainings.

EPA's Excessive Heat
Events Guidebook can help
identify current and future
disaster response needs for
extreme heat adaptation
strategies.

Excessive Heat Events
Guidebook

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Assessed citywide vulnerability to future climate extreme heat conditions

CDC's Assessing Health
Vulnerability to Climate
Change can help identify the
communities most at risk and
adopt adaptation strategies
that target extreme heat
vulnerabilities.

• The city assessed future vulnerability using an "analog city analysis".

° USGCRP's Climate Change, Heat Waves, and Mortality Projections for
Chicago

• Chicago identified the most vulnerable residents in their community (e.g., elderly,
young) in order to best target heat outreach efforts.

Assessing Health
Vulnerability to Climate
Change (PDF)(24 pp, 4.3
MB)

* (This is a non-EPA
resource from the Centers for
Disease Control and
Prevention.)

Adopted adaptation strategies that targets extreme heat vulnerabilities and support EPA's Urban Heat Island

mitigation efforts.

Similar Cases and More Information

Extreme heat events and other weather extremes can disproportionately impact at-risk or vulnerable communities. To see how
Chicago has used green infrastructure to both reduce the impact of future extreme heat events and reduce stormwater runoff
during extreme precipitation events, view Chicago Green Infrastructure to Reduce Heat. For another case on how a large
municipality has adapted to prepare for extreme heat events, view NYC Heat Preparedness.

•	Chicago, IL Uses Green Infrastructure to Reduce Extreme Heat

•	NYC Heat Preparedness

vulnerable populations

Strategies identifies
strategies for adapting to
future extreme heat events
by reducing the urban heat
island effect.

• Partnered with the Chicago Field Museum to conduct tailored outreach to at-risk
communities and neighborhoods to increase understanding of current and expected
future changes. Relating future climate norms to a previous extreme heat event (in
this case, the 1995 heat wave) helped the climate risk resonate with the residents.
Chicago identified urban heat island areas that would be worsened by climate
change and used this information to target green infrastructure and heat island

EPA's Urban Heat Island
Strategies

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