By Dr. Stephanie Piper, HARC’s Research Associate, Climate and Equity
For the second time, HARC has partnered with multiple organizations to make up the Houston Harris Heat Action Team (H3AT)[1] to map heat across Houston and Harris County. Cities are vulnerable to urban heat island effects, characterized by higher temperatures compared to outlying areas. With increased day and nighttime temperatures, urban areas face higher heat risks and do not experience relief from nighttime cooling.
Houston regularly faces high heat in the summer months, which can put residents at risk. Heat-related deaths and ambulance dispatches due to the heat reached record highs in 2023 nationwide, and 2024 is expected to be dangerous as well[2]. In Texas alone, over 300 people died from heat-related causes in 2023[3]. Heat-related illness is particularly harmful to those who have existing health concerns or are vulnerable, many of whom live in communities classified as disadvantaged. Identifying high risk heat areas as well as potential solutions to addressing these high temperatures is crucial if we want to reduce the impacts in our communities.
To help address the high levels of heat in our region, the H3AT team will be organizing a “H3AT Mapping Campaign” on August 10th (this date could change depending on the weather). This will be the largest community heat mapping campaign ever done in Houston, and we’ll be relying on volunteer community scientists to collect the data. Community science, also called citizen science, is a type of participatory research where non-scientists help to collect data on a larger scale. Community science campaigns increase the amount of data that can be collected by enlisting community members to support the campaign. Anyone can be a community scientist – even if you have no previous experience but would like to get involved. Become a community scientist and join our campaign today!
If you decide to join us, your actions in this campaign will help contribute to future heat relief efforts, such as identifying where to plant trees, installing shade structures, and planning cooling centers. In just one day (Campaign Day), volunteers like you will collect enough data to understand the levels of heat and humidity found in Houston’s disadvantaged communities, which represents over two million people in the Houston and Harris County region. It offers you the opportunity to collect data that will be important locally, helping us understand where hot spots occur in Houston so benefits can be directed to those facing the highest heat risk. Similar to our first campaign in 2020, the data we gather will also be made available to the public. Volunteering for this heat mapping campaign, and sharing this opportunity with your friends, family, and community, ensures we capture comprehensive and high-quality data that can be used by organizations across Houston to help our most vulnerable neighbors.
This heat mapping campaign is being made possible through funding provided by the Inflation Reduction Act and the USDA Forest Service, Urban and Community Forestry Program. This is part of a larger initiative called ForUsTree: Creating an Inclusive Community Canopy within Houston and Harris County, which aims to increase tree canopy, foster community resilience, and improve access to employment in underserved communities in Houston and Harris County. This data, along with community outreach and the ForUsTree Partnership made up of ten governmental agencies, five nonprofits, and one educational agency, will lead to planting and giveaways of over 50,000 trees.
With the help of volunteers like you, we can be sure those trees will bring heat relief to areas that need it most.
To become a volunteer and to learn more about the heat mapping campaign, visit www.h3at.org.
[1] 2024 H3AT Mapping Campaign Project Partners: HARC, City of Houston, Harris County Public Health, Harris County Office of County Administration, Harris County Precinct 4, Student Conservation Association, and the National Weather Service. These institutions are equal opportunity providers.
[2] https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/2023-set-a-record-for-u-s-heat-deaths-why-2024-could-be-even-deadlier
[3] https://www.texastribune.org/2024/01/12/texas-heat-deaths-2023-record-climate-change
