Trees, Cool Roofs, Mid Century, and Late Century scenarios reflect blackout conditions. (Image source: Stone, B., et al. 2023 “How blackouts during heat waves amplify mortality and morbidity risk.” Environmental Science & Technology)
Heat is already the leading contributor to weather-related deaths in the United States. And the increase in extreme heat events puts an extra strain on the country’s power grids, sometimes resulting in blackouts. This can be a deadly combination, depending on where you live.
Recent research aims to show how blackouts during heat waves amplify the number of both heat-related emergency room visits and deaths. The work, penned by researchers from the United States and Canada, uses modelling and a large number of data sets to dig into the present and future of this phenomenon in three U.S. cities: Detroit, Atlanta, and Phoenix.
Read the full article here.