The U.S. Commerce Department and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced $5 million in funding Tuesday to help protect underserved American communities from extreme heat. Photo by
David Mark/
Pixabay
July 11 (UPI) -- The U.S. Commerce Department and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced $5 million in funding Tuesday to help protect underserved American communities from extreme heat.
The funding, from President Joe Biden's Investing in America agenda and the Inflation Reduction Act, will pay for two virtual research centers that will provide information and resources to help communities mitigate heat waves.
"Millions of Americans are being affected by extreme heat, which is growing in intensity due to the climate crisis -- that's why President Biden's commitment to tackling climate change and helping communities prepare for the impacts is so urgent," Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said in a statement.
The funding will provide NOAA with the resources to hire applicants in the field of heat health for the new Center for Community Climate and Health Observations, Monitoring and Evaluation -- which will provide technical assistance to promote equitable heat resilience -- and the new Center for Climate and Health Assessments, Policy and Practice -- which will scale up policies and lessons to benefit all heat-affected areas.
"Are you a practitioner working on extreme heat issues? There is a new funding opportunity through HeatGov that is right up your alley!" NOAA tweeted Tuesday.
"These new centers will advance President Biden's environmental justice goals by improving services to disadvantaged communities that are overburdened by extreme heat, heat waves and related climate-fueled conditions," said NOAA administrator Rick Spinrad.
According to the White House, millions of Americans are being "impacted by extreme heat waves, which are growing in intensity, frequency and duration due to climate change." Heat waves broke records across the country in June, as Texas recorded its 19 hottest days ever. In total, there have been 12 individual billion-dollar weather and climate events in the United States during the first half of this year, the White House said.
This week, much of Arizona and southern California are under excessive heat warnings with temperatures expected to reach as high as 115 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.
And last week set another record for the unofficial record high in the average global temperature, which hit 62.9 degrees Fahrenheit, according to data from the University of Maine.
In addition to the virtual centers funding, the Biden administration plans to meet with mayors and local tribal officials from heat-affected areas throughout the country to increase preparedness for extreme heat events.
The administration has also convened leaders for a Summit on Climate Resilience and Sustainability in Affordable Housing to focus on how property owners and developers can reduce heat risks for low-income Americans.