Johnson and Wyandotte counties participate in study of heat islands
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - Roughly one in three Americans is living under a Heat Advisory or Excessive Heat Warning today.
It’s no different in Johnson and Wyandotte counties, with temperatures expected to be near triple digits this week.
Now, some residents in those counties will have a unique opportunity to help prevent future heat-related deaths.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric istration (NOAA) is making Johnson and Wyandotte counties part of its long-range study of heat islands in urban areas.
“Heat is the number one weather-related killer in the United States,” said Wyandotte County Social Epidemiologist Hannah Conner. “It can cause heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke. It can lead you to a hospitalization that you don’t necessarily want.”
The counties are calling on 300 “resident community scientists” to volunteer and locate area hot spots.
If you’d like more information about becoming a volunteer: Click here for Johnson County or click here for Wyandotte County.
“We’re going to be looking for drivers and navigators,” said Johnson County Sustainability Program Manager Brian Alferman. “We’ll be mapping routes that NOAA is helping us design.”
It’s both counties’ first attempt at doing an urban heat island mapping campaign. Kansas City, Missouri, conducted similar research a few years ago. This campaign will be added to their data set.
“Some areas are greener, have more tree canopy,” Conner said. “Some areas are more industrial. We know that the repercussions from heat aren’t going to be spread equitably or equally. So, it’s important for us to know who’s exactly most at risk.”
So far, the counties have about half the volunteer spots ed for. They’re still looking for 150 more to help with the project.
“This gets them involved in not only understanding our community better, but being part of the solutions that we can implement based on this information,” added Alferman.
The campaign is set to take place Saturday, Aug. 12 and volunteers will receive a $30 gift certificate.
“It’s really important for public health to get involved in spaces like these,” said Conner.
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