Resources
To better understand the potential for Lowcountry extreme heat preparedness, other readily available resources include the National Integrated Heat Health Information System (NIHHIS), the Adrian Arsht-Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center and a number of municipal heat action plans.
National Integrated Heat Health Information System (NIHHIS) – In addition to new ways of operationally forecasting heat impacts, the federal government has begun to communicate heat through specific programs, particularly the National Integrated Heat Health Information System (NIHHIS). The CHHRP team began partnering with NIHHIS and other local and national institutions in 2020 to better understand Lowcountry heat risks and mitigation options. To learn more: www.Heat.gov
Adrian Arsht-Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center – A number of philanthropic organizations are also focused on extreme heat, offering support and sharing resources so that we can learn from one another while more rapidly addressing this growing problem. To learn more, see https://heatactionplatform.onebillionresilient.org/ and https://heatactionplatform.onebillionresilient.org/modules/create-a-heat-action-plan/
North Carolina Heat Action Plan Toolkit
https://www.rebuild.nc.gov/heat-action-plan-toolkit
Municipal Heat Action Plans
- Greater Phoenix Heat Action Plan Guide: https://keep.lib.asu.edu/items/141415
- Miami-Dade Heat Action Plan: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/36c32f824ada442dac2d344263138bcc
- Tampa Heat Resilience Playbook: https://www.tampa.gov/document/tampa-heat-resilience-playbook-152091
- Austin Heat Resilience Playbook: https://www.austintexas.gov/sites/default/files/files/Resilience/Austin-heat-resilience-playbook.pdf
Acknowledgements
The Lowcountry Heat Toolkit represents the work of many hands who collectively began this effort in 2019 and continue to volunteer time and resources to advance Lowcountry preparedness for extreme heat.
The Charleston Heat Health Research Program (CHHRP) team including The Citadel James B. Near Center for Climate Studies, South Carolina Sea Grant Consortium, the City of Charleston, the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Integrated Heat Health Information System (NIHHIS team), the National Weather Service (NWS) Charleston Office, the State of South Carolina Climatology Office, and Climate Adaptation Partners (CAP), alongside a growing group of collaborators such as the University of South Carolina (USC), the University of North Carolina, North Carolina State University, Appalachian State University, the College of Charleston, the Town of Mount Pleasant, Richland County, South Carolina, Charleston Housing Authority (CHA), Hamilton Advisors and a growing group of collaborators meet monthly to further develop the Lowcountry Heat Toolkit. The collective welcomes new collaborators while acknowledging the tremendous work to date.
For information on how to participate or to learn more about available resources, please contact CHHRP collaborators at:
- The James B. Near Center at The Citadel: citadelclimate@citadel.edu
- Climate Adaptation Partners: janice@climateadaptationpartners.com
- MUSC Arboretum: https://web.musc.edu/resources/health-and-wellness/arboretum