As climate change pushes temperatures higher, extreme heat has emerged as the nation’s deadliest weather hazard — claiming more lives each year than floods or hurricanes — yet many U.S. cities remain unprepared. Policy analyst Karen Beck Pooley studied heat mitigation policies of one small city and her findings show how local responses could be key to building future urban resilience.

While climate adaptation efforts often prioritize flooding or sea-level rise, extreme heat remains alarmingly overlooked, says Pooley, professor of practice in the Department of Political Science. A 2015 review by climate researchers found that just 4% of climate adaptation resources addressed heat. By 2020, only a minority of cities included it in emergency or resilience planning. Fewer still had implemented tangible solutions like cooling infrastructure, heat alerts or public awareness campaigns.

This oversight is dangerous. Heat waves disproportionately affect those who are already vulnerable: the elderly, low-income families, outdoor workers, people with chronic illnesses like asthma and residents of aging, poorly insulated buildings. Without access to air conditioning or safe public spaces, they face life-threatening conditions as summer heat intensifies.

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