{"id":68048,"date":"2025-07-16T20:27:18","date_gmt":"2025-07-16T20:27:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/68048\/"},"modified":"2025-07-16T20:27:18","modified_gmt":"2025-07-16T20:27:18","slug":"chicago-creating-index-to-id-whos-most-vulnerable-to-heat-waves","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/68048\/","title":{"rendered":"Chicago creating index to ID who’s most vulnerable to heat waves"},"content":{"rendered":"

City officials, residents and researchers gathered at Columbus Park in the Austin neighborhood Tuesday night to remember the deadly heat wave 30 years ago \u2014 and to plan how to prevent future heat deaths.<\/p>\n

From\u00a0July 12 to 15 in 1995<\/a>, the heat index soared above 120 degrees, killing 739 people in the deadliest natural disaster in Illinois history. But the risk of death wasn\u2019t the same for all residents \u2014 most of the victims lived in neighborhoods on the South and West sides, according to data from the Cook County medical examiner.<\/p>\n

\u201cDuring the 1995 heat wave, it became abundantly clear that environmental crises are never just about the weather,\u201d said Mayor Brandon Johnson. \u201cIn fact, they are more about equity and access and justice.\u201d<\/p>\n

Today, residents of these neighborhoods \u2014 where historic redlining and unequal investment by city government have often occurred \u2014 are still statistically more likely to experience poverty, air pollution and deadly diseases like cancer. These factors can put people at greater risk of sickness or death during extreme heat waves, according to a team of researchers from Northwestern University who presented at the event.<\/p>\n

The team, the Defusing Disasters Working Group<\/a>, compiled data on citywide heat deaths to produce Chicago\u2019s first heat vulnerability index. The tool shows which Chicago neighborhoods are at the highest risk during heat waves, based on not only their history of heat-related deaths but also on several other factors, including demographics, land use and air conditioning access.<\/p>\n

This initial version of the map shows a band of neighborhoods stretching from Chatham and Englewood in the south to Austin and Portage Park farther north where heat vulnerability is the highest. Neighborhoods closer to Lake Michigan tended to have lower scores, while those farther inland often had higher scores.<\/p>\n

The group is also surveying Chicagoans on what services they most want to see from the city during heat waves, which they\u2019ll use to inform policy recommendations for future heat waves.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a disaster responder, I can take a look at that map and disaster response plan, and say, \u2018Where might I want to focus my efforts? How does that help me identify my patients earlier?\u2019\u201d said Jennifer Chan, a Northwestern professor and team member.<\/p>\n

So far, the top responses that residents have voted for include offering water at bus and train stops, providing more emergency shelters, and prioritizing parks and other green spaces.<\/p>\n

The city has faced criticism in recent years for its emergency response plans during heat waves. Though Chicago\u2019s Office of Emergency Management advertised that over 280 cooling centers were open during a recent heat wave in June, the\u00a0Tribune found that almost half<\/a> of those centers were sprinklers and spray features that were running at parks. Many cooling centers are stationed at city buildings that don\u2019t remain open beyond their regular business hours, and none of them are open overnight.<\/p>\n