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NOAA & HHS Collaborate on New Climate and Health Outlook

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On Friday, May 6th, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office of Climate Change and Health Equity (OCCHE), in partnership with NOAA and the National Integrated Heat Health Information System (NIHHIS), launched the first installment of a new public information series called the Climate and Health Outlook. This new Outlook series connects weather forecasts to health resources to create actionable data that saves lives and reduces illness and health risks associated with climate-related hazards like extreme heat, wildfires, hurricanes, droughts, and vector-borne diseases that impact human health.

The first Outlook serves to illustrate where the greatest health risks from heat will be in the United States during the early 2022 heat season. The Outlook series adds a health lens to seasonal weather and climate outlooks from NOAA to inform health professionals and the public about weather- and climate-related health risks months in advance and provide resources to prepare.

Based on NOAA monthly and seasonal climate outlooks, this first Outlook presents estimates of which U.S. counties are expected to experience extremely hot days and identifies the vulnerable populations in those counties that could be impacted by heat exposure. It also provides a set of actionable resources from HHS that are targeted to the public, specific populations, health care professionals, and public health officials to reduce health risks from heat. Questions that the Outlook addresses includes:

  • Where are extremely hot days expected to be most frequent in May?
  • Who is at high risk from heat in the counties with the most extreme heat days?
  • How hot will it be, and where, over the next 3 months?
  • What Were the Health Impacts During the Heat Dome of 2021?

The Outlook will be updated and improved regularly as future data and feedback are collected. Future editions will address other climate-related threats to the health of people living in the United States, with a focus on those most vulnerable. For more information about the Outlook, visit the HHS website, or you can download a PDF of the Outlook using the link below.

Read more on the HHS website »

Download the Outlook report as a PDF »

For more information, contact Morgan Zabow.

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