Tag Archives: climate data

This is a very interesting new tool. According to Nextgov/FCW, The Department of Health and Human Services, along with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), has launched a new tool called the “heat and health index” to identify communities hit hardest by extreme heat. The assessments are done by top code and include historic temperature data on heat-related emergencies within the last 3 years. The tool is built off of and extends the CDC’s Heat and Health Tracker and shows up on the CDC tool’s left hand navigation. The tool includes technical documentation and bulk data download. Check it out!

As the American public gears up for a summer that meteorologists are predicting will be among the hottest on record, federal officials have rolled out a new interactive portal to provide granular data on extreme heat risks across the country. 

The heat and health index tool, launched by the Department of Health and Human Services on Friday, processes data on communities’ health and environmental characteristics to determine heat-related health risks by zip code.

The portal is hosted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which estimates that approximately 1,220 people in the U.S. die as a result of extreme heat each year. 

HHS said in a press release that the tool will help officials identify communities “most likely to experience negative health outcomes from heat, ensure that outreach and medical aid reach the people who need it most and help decision-makers prioritize community resilience investments.”