Community Care > Extreme Heat :: The Playbook 👥🌿

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And now a PSA from our GenX Marketing Squad (and one Geriatirc Millenial):

🛑We aren’t joking when we say that the heatwave this week be heatWAVING. ☀️🥵

And temperatures are hitting dangerous highs. Beyond discomfort, extreme heat poses significant climate resilience and public health challenges that disproportionately affect vulnerable communities and urban areas prone to the urban heat island effect.

We need everyone to stay safe and locked in. Here is your official playbook on how to survive the trenches of this heatwave:

💧 1. Hydrate Ahead of Time
Don’t wait until you are already thirsty to start drinking water. Avoid heavy, sugary, or caffeinated drinks, which can actually accelerate dehydration.

🏠 2. Optimize Your Indoor Space
Block the Sun: Keep blinds, shades, and curtains completely closed during the peak daylight hours to block radiant heat from entering your home.

Use Fans Strategically: Fans don’t cool the air; they cool people by evaporating sweat. If the indoor temperature is above 90°F, fans alone won’t prevent heat illness—it’s time to seek air conditioning.

Appliance Audit: Avoid using the oven or running large appliances like dryers during the hottest parts of the day to prevent generating extra indoor heat.

🌳 3. Seek Community Cooling Centers
If your home lacks air conditioning, please do not try to tough it out. Seek out public, air-conditioned spaces to let your body cool down for a few hours here.

👥 4. Check on Your Circle
Extreme heat can be isolating. Take two minutes to call or knock on the door of elderly neighbors, those living alone, or friends without reliable AC. A quick check-in can save a life.

🏗️ Looking Ahead: Designing Cooler Cities
At evolveEA, events like this reinforce exactly why our work matters. We are actively designing long-term urban solutions, from expanding urban forestry and tree canopies to implementing cool roofs, green infrastructure, and climate action plans that protect our communities from a warming climate.

Stay safe, stay hydrated, and look out for one another this week.

#Heatwave #ClimateResilience #PublicHealth #UrbanHeatIsland #CommunityCare #StayCool #SustainabilityInAction #evolveEA

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