Miami, May 15 (EFE).- Miami-Dade, in southeast Florida, is on alert for another summer of extreme heat in the region, that “silent killer”, as defined by its mayor, Daniella Levine Cava, which each year claims 34 lives in this county and leaves millions in economic losses.
“If we combine all weather-related deaths, heat takes the greatest toll, and most of those who die come from our most vulnerable and low-income communities,” the mayor said Monday, announcing the “ second annual hot season” in this southern Florida county (USA).
The initiative, which was inaugurated last year, is the spearhead with which local authorities have decided to face the threat posed by high temperatures in this subtropical enclave highly exposed to climate change.
This public service campaign, which runs from May 1 to October 31, is supported by an “Extreme Heat Action Plan” led by Jane Gilbert, “the world’s first female heat director,” according to the county office.
One of the goals of that plan is to increase the average area covered by the treetops to 30% by the year 2030, that is, ten percentage points from the current average of 20% in the county.
“We want to keep the trees we have and plant more, that’s paramount,” Gilbert told EFE, noting that the number of 34 deaths as a result of extreme heat is one of the highest in Florida.
In Miami-Dade and southeast Florida, climate change and urban development patterns, Gilbert stresses, have produced longer and hotter summers in this county, where there are an average of 51 additional days each year with temperatures above 90 degrees Fahrenheit. (32.2 degrees Celsius) compared to 50 years ago.
Forecasts suggest that this region, which due to greenhouse gas emissions also lives with the threat of rising sea levels, will have the greatest increase in days of dangerously high heat, that is, more than 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.7 degrees Celsius), among all counties in the United States by the middle of this century.
The county seeks to educate the public about the potentially devastating health and economic effects of extreme heat, responsible for $10 billion in annual losses primarily due to decreased worker productivity.
MORE EFFICIENT AIR CONDITIONING
The county is taking concrete measures to address this situation and has among its priorities to modernize practically all public housing units with efficient air conditioning, but the challenge involves all sectors, emphasizes the heat director of this county.
Gilbert, with more than 30 years of experience in the sector, stressed that it is necessary to improve the way buildings are designed, which must have more ecological materials.
He explained that his office has a budget of 2.5 million dollars, part of which will be used during the season in a public information campaign, with tips to stay hydrated and other protection measures, which will be issued through multiple media. (television, radio, internet), and in English, Spanish and Creole.
In the campaign presentation, Robert Molleda, advisory coordinator meteorologist for the Miami and South Florida Forecast Office of the National Weather Service (NWS), announced changes in this county regarding advisory thresholds. and heat warnings to reinforce prevention messages.
The meteorologist explained that beginning this season, the NWS will issue heat advisories when a heat index is projected to reach 105 degrees Fahrenheit (40.5 degrees Celsius) for two or more hours, and a warning when a heat index is projected to reach a 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43.3 Celsius) for two or more hours.
