Lowcountry Heat Action Plan Toolkit

  • Temperatures are increasing! We have more extreme heat days more frequent and longer heat waves (Figure 1: Charleston County Days with Maximum Temperature greater than 90 degrees).
  • Extreme heat already impacts, and will increasingly impact, Lowcountry resident health.
  • Preparations for extreme heat include raising awareness, providing coping resources, mitigating heat impacts and developing adaptation strategies.
  • Resources include community notifications, recommended household preparations and ongoing operational adjustments before, during and after an extreme heat event.
Figure 1: Charleston County Days with Maximum Temperature greater than 90 degrees. Source: US Climate Resilience Toolkit/Climate Explorer

The Lowcountry Heat Action Plan Toolkit provides guidance and case studies on how to address extreme heat. It draws from our local knowledge as well as lessons learned in best practices elsewhere.

Why should we be concerned about heat?

Lowcountry temperatures continue to rise, worsening direct effects to families (e.g. increasing utility bills) and amplifying indirect effects (e.g. increasing energy insecurity or increasing emergency room visits).  Reducing extreme heat effects could help families to cope better and in turn reduce long-term heat-related health effects (Figure 2: How Heat Affects Our Bodies. Source: Union of Concerned Scientists[1]). Extreme heat requires our whole community to understand its interrelated risks and to work collectively to reduce those risks.

Figure 2: How Heat Affects Our Bodies. Source: Union of Concerned Scientists

What is the Lowcountry Heat Action Plan Toolkit?

The Lowcountry Heat Action Plan Toolkit summarizes our existing experiences with, and projected future with, extreme heat and its health effects. It also  identifies various available resources to reduce extreme heat effects. The Toolkit raises awareness of our heat-related health risks and our collective work to address those risks.

How can you get involved?

The Lowcountry Heat Action Plan team welcomes everyone’s input. Whether individuals, community-based organizations, institutional or municipal leaders, or researchers, we are truly in this together. If you have ideas to share, want to participate in our monthly meetings, or want to learn more, please reach out to the Citadel James B. Near Center for Climate Studies at citadelclimate@citadel.edu. To connect with other collaborators, see the Acknowledgements for contact information.

Who else is working on the Toolkit?

The Lowcountry Heat Action Plan Toolkit represents the work of the Charleston Heat Health Research Program (CHHRP) team and a growing group of collaborators, including The Citadel James B. Near Center for Climate Studies, South Carolina Sea Grant Consortium, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the National Weather Service (NWS) Charleston Office, the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), the University of South Carolina (USC), the University of North Carolina, North Carolina State University, Appalachian State University, the College of Charleston, the City of Charleston, the Town of Mount Pleasant, Richland County, the State of South Carolina Climatology Office, Charleston Housing Authority (CHA), Climate Adaptation Partners (CAP) and Hamilton Advisors.

This collaboration started in 2020 with initial work at the Charleston Medical District and continues to welcome additional partners as new studies, pilot programs, and community interests increase.