Climate Health Expert: While You Sleep in NC, Extreme Heat Is Quietly Deadly

While daytime highs of 105 degrees grab headlines, persistently high overnight temperatures can still be deadly, particularly for people who don't have access to air conditioning.

Ashley Ward, a senior policy associate at the Nicholas Institute, has worked with communities and individuals at risk for heat exposure over more than a decade. Ward writes for The News & Observer that people are individually taking action to protect themselves, but hospital admissions for heat exposure and deaths from heat stroke continue to rise because structural improvements are needed.

In her op-ed, Ward provides context on the Biden administration's recently announced executive actions on extreme heat and writes about how communities of care can help protect the most vulnerable.

Note: Versions of this op-ed also appeared in:

• The Charlotte Observer
• Albany Times Union
• Newsday
• South Florida Sun-Sentinel
• Houston Chronicle