Indicator Gauge Icon Legend
Legend Colors
Red is bad, green is good, blue is not statistically different/neutral.
Compared to Distribution
the value is in the best half of communities.
the value is in the 2nd worst quarter of communities.
the value is in the worst quarter of communities.
Compared to Target
meets target; 
does not meet target.
Compared to a Single Value
lower than the comparison value;
higher than the comparison value;
not statistically different from comparison value.
Trend
non-significant change over time; 
significant change over time; 
no change over time.
Compared to Prior Value
higher than the previous measurement period;
lower than the previous measurement period;
no statistically different change from previous measurement period.
Significantly better than the overall value
Significantly worse than the overall value
No significant difference with the overall value
No data on significance available
Number of Extreme Heat Events
This indicator is archived and is no longer being updated. Click to learn more
This indicators shows the number of extreme heat events per year.
Extreme heat events are a model-based estimate and defined by a minimum of two consecutive days in which the daily maximum temperature exceeded the 90th percentile threshold. Percentiles are calculated by creating an average county-level estimate of the daily maximum temperature, specific to that county and summer months across all available years of data (1979-present). This measure was only calculated for the months of May through September.
Why is this important?
Extreme heat events, or heat waves, are a leading cause of extreme weather-related deaths in the United States. The number of heat-related deaths is rising. Heat stress is a heat-related illness caused by one's body's inability to cool down properly. The body normally cools itself by sweating, but under some conditions, sweating is not enough and high body temperatures can damage the brain or other vital organs. When humidity is high, sweat will not evaporate as quickly, which prevents the body from releasing heat quickly. Heat-related conditions range from heat rash and heat cramps to heat exhaustion and finally heat stroke, which can cause death or permanent disability if treatment is not provided. The following groups of people have higher risks of experiencing adverse health effects related to extreme heat event days: infants and children under five years of age, people 65 years of age and older, people who are overweight, and people who are ill or on certain medications.
events
| County | Source | Measurement Period | Events | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
There are 32 County values. The lowest value is 9, and the highest value is 31.
Half of the values are between 12 and 26.
The middle (median) value is 16.
Data Source
- National Environmental Public Health Tracking Network
Maintained By: Conduent Healthy Communities Institute (Methodology)
Filed under: Environmental Health / Weather & Climate, Physical Determinants of Health