BIDEN-HARRIS ADMINISTRATION ANNOUNCES EXTREME HEAT SUMMIT SERIES TO
ADVANCE NATIONWIDE CLIMATE RESILIENCE GOALS
[https://www.fema.gov/press-release/20240419/biden-harris-administration-announces-extreme-heat-summit-series-advance]


Release Date: 
April 19, 2024 

WASHINGTON -- In advance of the summer and underscoring the
Biden-Harris Administration’s focus on community resilience to
address climate change, FEMA will host a virtual and in-person Extreme
Heat Summit series focused on understanding extreme heat impacts and
defining actionable ways to combat and prepare for these increasing
risks across the country. Well ahead of the start to summer, January
through March 2024 clocked in as the fifth-warmest start to a year
[https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/national-climate-202403] in the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s 130-year climate
record. NOAA predicts odds for above-normal temperatures across the
midwestern, western and southern lower 48 states during the summer
2024 season
[https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/predictions/long_range/fxus05.html].

In honor of Earth Month, the two-part series kicks off with a virtual
summit on April 26, 2024, featuring remarks from Secretary of Homeland
Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell and
roundtable discussions examining federal, state and local initiatives
to combat extreme heat risks. Speakers include representatives from
the U.S. Fire Administration, the National Park Service, Occupational
Health and Safety and the Department of Health & Human Services.

“Extreme heat is becoming a more aggressive threat to well-being
across the country,” said Administrator Criswell. “We want to arm
our emergency responders—and communities across America—with the
health and safety information needed to stay healthy when the
temperatures soar. Just this week, we saw temperatures in the 80s and
90s over larger parts of the country. The time to be summer ready is
now.”

FEMA’s Extreme Heat Series concludes with an in-person summit hosted
in Chicago on May 21, 2024. Building on the lessons learned from
FEMA’s 2023 Extreme Heat Summit, this engagement is open to
government leaders and resilience focused private sector, nonprofit
and academic organizations. FEMA will offer opportunities for
discussion, networking and cross-collaboration between all levels of
government and community partners. Presentations and panel discussions
will be led by subject matter experts, local emergency managers and
climate resilience practitioners. Speakers will focus on raising
awareness of the increasing frequency and severity of extreme heat
events, highlighting mitigation best practices across the country, and
discussing ways of communicating extreme heat risks and implications
to communities and stakeholders.

Attendance to the virtual and in-person extreme heat summits are open
to the public. Register for the April 26 virtual summit at
#SummerReady Extreme Heat Summit | FEMA.gov
[https://www.fema.gov/event/summerready-extreme-heat-summit] and
register for the May 21 in-person Chicago summit at cvent.me/Z8lAk3
[https://web.cvent.com/event/d9f66b76-c01f-4ff9-a252-73371cb8172b/summary].

For questions or additional information about the Extreme Heat Summit
series, please contact FEMA-extreme-heat-summit@fema.dhs.gov.

To learn more about extreme heat preparedness, visit FEMA’s
Ready.gov [https://www.ready.gov/summer-ready].