![]() ![]() While these cases can be readily identified with hyperthermia listed as a diagnosis or cause of death, it is important to note that they reflect only a portion of the overall health impact of extreme heat. The Tracking Portal provides data on counts and rates of death, hospital admission, and treatment in an emergency department for heat stress. Such effects include gastrointestinal illness due to food spoilage, acute carbon monoxide poisoning from the use of generators, and illness and death among the medically frail due to mechanical equipment failure, lack of air conditioning, inability to obtain medical care, or extreme exertion (such as having to climb many flights of stairs due to elevator outages). The health impacts of weather events and climate change may be further compounded by power outages arising during heat waves and coastal storms. history, though New York City was largely spared. In 2011, Tropical Storm Irene caused extensive flooding throughout the Northeast and is estimated to be one of the costliest disasters in U.S. While less common, coastal storms also have imparted serious consequences throughout history and in recent years, most notably Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005, from their devastating direct costs in over 1,800 lives along the Gulf Coast, to long-term mental health consequences among survivors. In fact, more Americans die from heat waves in a typical year than all other natural disasters combined, both in direct mortality from heat stress (hyperthermia, also known as heat stroke) and by way of increases in the usual rates of deaths from natural causes due to the exacerbation of other medical conditions. Heat and humidity cause serious illness and death every summer. Climate and HealthĮven without long term changes in climate, New Yorkers face weather-related risks today. Rainfall and precipitation are expected to increase by up to 5%, together with another 10 inches of sea level rise and increased probability of coastal storms with flooding (NYC Panel on Climate Change, Climate Risk Information, 2009). By the 2020s, a projected 25-30 days above 90☏ are expected in a typical summer, resulting in more frequent and intense heat waves. Over the past century in New York City, average temperatures have increased by 0.25☏ per decade, precipitation by 0.72 inches per decade, and sea levels by 1.2 inches per decade. The world’s climate is shifting, becoming warmer with more precipitation and weather extremes. A region’s climate is characterized by its usual weather conditions, seasons, and patterns in extreme weather events like heat waves, droughts, and hurricanes. ![]()
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