---
chapters: []
contact_email: ~
contact_note: ~
contributors:
  - display_name: 'Author : National Center for Environmental Health '
    href: http://52.38.26.42:8080/contributor/3671.yaml
    id: 3671
    organization:
      country_code: US
      display_name: National Center for Environmental Health
      identifier: national-center-environmental-health
      name: National Center for Environmental Health
      organization_type_identifier: federal
      type: organization
      url: http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/
    organization_uri: /organization/national-center-environmental-health
    person: {}
    person_id: ~
    person_uri: ~
    role_type_identifier: author
    uri: /contributor/3671
display_name: Climate Change and Extreme Heat Events
doi: ~
files:
  - display_name: ClimateChangeandExtremeHeatEvents.pdf
    file: /climateandhealth/pubs/ClimateChangeandExtremeHeatEvents.pdf
    href: http://www.cdc.gov/climateandhealth/pubs/ClimateChangeandExtremeHeatEvents.pdf
    identifier: c7620ac9-8efa-4b8f-be73-9822d97a47d5
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    location: http://www.cdc.gov
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    url: http://www.cdc.gov/climateandhealth/pubs/ClimateChangeandExtremeHeatEvents.pdf
href: http://52.38.26.42:8080/report/cdc-climatechangeextremeheatevents-2012.yaml
identifier: cdc-climatechangeextremeheatevents-2012
parents: []
publication_year: 2012
report_figures: []
report_findings: []
report_tables: []
report_type_identifier: report
summary: "Extreme heat events pose a serious danger to people throughout the United States. Studies conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have shown that exposure to extreme heat can increase discomfort and fatigue, cause heat cramps, and increase emergency room visits and hospitalizations.1 It can also kill. From 1999 through 2009, extreme heat exposure caused or contributed to more than 7,800 deaths in the United States (Kochanek et al, 2011). \r\n\r\nExtreme heat is a real danger to human health that will become worse with time. Experts project that as our climate changes, extreme heat events in the United States will become more frequent, longer lasting, and more severe. By the end of this century, extremely high temperatures that currently occur once every 20 years could happen as often as every two to four years.\r\n\r\nLearning about how to prepare for and respond to extreme heat events will help protect our communities, especially the most vulnerable populations, from avoidable death and hardship. \r\n\r\nThis document describes extreme heat events, how an extreme heat event threatens public health, and how to prepare for and respond to such an event. It explains how the frequency, duration, and severity of extreme heat events are increasing as a result of climate change, and includes links to local programs and real-world examples from across the country."
title: Climate Change and Extreme Heat Events
uri: /report/cdc-climatechangeextremeheatevents-2012
url: http://www.cdc.gov/climateandhealth/publications.htm