April 16, 2021
The City of Richmond was chosen as one of two cities in the state to receive a Beat the Heat grant made possible by Indiana University’s Environmental Resilience Institute and the Office of Community and Rural Affairs. The funding, which amounts to just over $121,000, will provide a staff person for two years whose job will be to reduce the negative impact of rising temperatures on vulnerable residents.
By participating in the Beat the Heat program, Richmond will also join the CAPA Strategies Heat Watch Campaign that comes with technical assistance from NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) to support several cities around the country as they develop urban heat island maps. Richmond will have access to several NOAA resources, including informational webinars and technical support from NOAA staff, among other benefits.
The Indiana Climate Change Impact Assessment, coordinated by Purdue University, predicts that days above 95 degrees Fahrenheit continue to increase significantly (Source: Indiana’s Past &Future Climate: A Report from the Indiana Climate Change Impacts Assessment –Indiana Climate Change Impacts Assessment (purdue.edu)) and will put many populations at risk for health problems. Heat is the leading cause of weather-related fatalities in the US(Source: Weather Related Fatality and Injury Statistics). By identifying cooling strategies for Richmond’s most vulnerable populations, our community can keep illness numbers low while saving money on health care.
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Contact:
MattEvans
GISCoordinator
mevans@richmondindiana.gov
AlisonZajdel
EarthCharter Indiana
alzajdel@gmail.com
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