Several parts of the state broke temperature records over the weekend amid an intense heat wave that started last week. With temperatures reaching 124 degrees on Friday, Palm Springs surpassed its all-time high. Additionally, cities in Death Valley and the San Joaquin Valley shattered day records on Saturday due to temperatures that reached 128 degrees. One motorcycle rider died from the heat in Death Valley on Sunday, while another was hospitalized.
This intense heat is having a tremendous human and financial cost for California. Levi Sumagaysay, a CalMatters economy writer, explained that seven high heat events from 2013 to 2022 resulted in about 460 deaths, 5,000 hospitalizations, and nearly 344 unfavorable birth outcomes. The state also lost almost $7.7 billion as a result of lost salaries, interrupted agriculture, power outages, and other heat-related issues.
According to the 92-page analysis, excessive heat also disproportionately affects elderly persons, outdoor laborers, and low-income populations. In comparison to Asian and White Californians, Black, Native American, and Hispanic populations likewise had the highest incidence of heat-related deaths.
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Michael Mendez, an assistant professor at UC Irvine teaching environmental planning and policy, says it’s critical to realize that heat kills silently. It necessitates responding with the same urgency as major catastrophes like wildfires.
The report comes after other state organizations, such the Legislative Analyst’s Office, have warned for years about severe heat and other effects of climate change. One of the primary objectives of the study is to give information to the insurance industry, businesses, and legislators regarding the expenses associated with high temperatures, as there is little to no insurance coverage available for the effects of intense heat (such as lost earnings for workers or power outages for businesses).
The paper suggests increasing funding for preparedness against disasters. Additionally, it suggests making use of current state and federal funding to improve infrastructure and reopen access to green areas that provide shade. However, the budget agreement that Governor Gavin Newsom approved last week eliminated about $107.8 million in funding from initiatives to deal with extreme heat, such as those that help local organizations provide shade and inform the public about the dangers of high temperatures. A climate bond initiative that will be on the November ballot would restore some of that money.
In the meantime, wildfires are still raging around the state, forcing several cities to postpone their Fourth of July festivities. Cal Fire reported 23 wildfires as of Sunday night, including the French Fire, which started on Thursday in Mariposa County. Approximately 1,100 firefighters are fighting a 55% confined fire. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, several residents have returned home and the evacuation orders have been removed.
Residents are also receiving warnings from state and local agencies about poor air quality brought on by pyrotechnics and wildfires. The California Air Resources Board published an interactive map last week that shows safe havens where locals can go when they’re experiencing smoke or bad air quality.
