The Challenges Surrounding the Reporting of Heat-Related Issues
In the face of relentless hurricanes, wildfires, and floods, excessive heat often takes a backseat in the news cycle. However, this weather and public health emergency is claiming more lives annually in the US than any other weather-related disaster, yet it doesn't receive federal funding.
Elijah Wolfson, the environment, health, and science editor at the Los Angeles Times, and his team cover heat advisory as a climate story. But the challenge lies in communicating its urgency, as its predictable nature and the public's potential acceptance of heat deaths as normal hinder the message.
Journalists like Bridget Bennett and Caitlin O'Hara are at the forefront of reporting on extreme heat. They take heat precautions such as wearing UV protection clothing, staying hydrated, and packing extra batteries for their recorders. In Phoenix, Caitlin O'Hara advises people to modify their routines during excessive heat to minimize risks.
Extreme heat can lead to a myriad of health complications. Pregnancy complications, exacerbation of diabetes and cardiovascular disease, and kidney disease are just a few examples. Heat can also cause physical damage, such as pavement burns that blister and blacken the skin, and in severe cases, can damage bones and muscles or even be fatal.
The city of Las Vegas, known for its searing-hot summers, experiences heat waves that can be deadly. Despite this, the death toll from heat is difficult to determine due to a lack of standardization and a delay in reporting. The hottest summer days in Las Vegas can be fatal, but the exact number of lives lost is often underestimated.
Journalists like Bridget Bennett are committed to depicting the people most vulnerable to extreme heat. Bennett focuses on those without permanent shelter, who labor outdoors, and who wait at bus stops because they don't have cars. The photojournalist who has documented the effects of extreme heat in Las Vegas for more than five years and regularly publishes her work in the New York Times and the Washington Post is Meridith Kohut.
In 2021, the Los Angeles Times published a series that found California regularly undercounted its heat deaths. Months after the investigation was published, California governor Gavin Newsom announced a plan to better communicate the dangers of extreme heat and more effectively monitor heat deaths.
However, the lack of government response to heat is a significant problem. In many states, utility companies can legally cut off electricity during high temperatures, though it's illegal in some of those same states to cut off heat in the wintertime. This poses a significant risk to vulnerable populations during heat waves.
Joan Meiners, a climate reporter for the Arizona Republic, published multiple stories on the collision of extreme heat and housing insecurity in 2023. Seth Borenstein, an Associated Press journalist, published a story last month on New York's heat wave that wove quotes from meteorologists into reporting from daily life around the Northeast.
As extreme heat continues to claim lives and exacerbate health issues, it's crucial that journalists and policymakers alike prioritise this silent emergency. The future of our communities depends on it.
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