States Greatly Underestimate Extreme Heat Hazards: Analysis

Coastal Review spoke with Ashley Ward, senior policy associate at the Nicholas Institute, about a recently published report analyzing extreme heat coverage in state hazard mitigation plans. Coauthors Jordan Clark and Ward intend for the report to supplement new FEMA guidance to provide "easy-to-pick-up roadmaps" for states to better incorporate extreme heat into their mitigation plans.

The article delves into specifics of the North Carolina Hazard Mitigation Plan and the importance of tailoring the plans to each individual state. 

“That is because extreme heat in North Carolina is not the same as extreme heat in Oregon and it’s important that people think about their geography with respect to how we define extreme heat,” Ward told Coastal Review.

UPDATE: This article was highlighted in NC Health News on June 2, 2023.