Preventing heat-associated morbidity and mortality is a public health priority in Maricopa County, Arizona (United States). The objective of this project was to evaluate Maricopa County cooling centers and gain insight into their capacity to provide relief for the public during extreme heat events. During the summer of 2014, 53 cooling centers were evaluated to assess facility and visitor characteristics. Maricopa County staff collected data by directly observing daily operations and by surveying managers and visitors. The cooling centers in Maricopa County were often housed within community, senior, or religious centers, which offered various services for at least 1500 individuals daily. Many visitors were unemployed and/or homeless. Many learned about a cooling center by word of mouth or by having seen the cooling center’s location. The cooling centers provide a valuable service and reach some of the region’s most vulnerable populations. This project is among the first to systematically evaluate cooling centers from a public health perspective and provides helpful insight to community leaders who are implementing or improving their own network of cooling centers.
Details
- Assessing Adaptation Strategies for Extreme Heat: A Public Health Evaluation of Cooling Centers in Maricopa County, Arizona
- Berisha, Vjollca (Author)
- Hondula, David M. (Author)
- Roach, Matthew (Author)
- White, Jessica R. (Author)
- McKinney, Benita (Author)
- Bentz, Darcie (Author)
- Mohamed, Ahmed (Author)
- Uebelherr, Joshua (Author)
- Goodin, Kate (Author)
- Digital object identifier: 10.1175/WCAS-D-16-0033.1
- Corresponding Author: Vjollca Berisha Maricopa County Department of Public Health vjollcaberisha@mail.maricopa.gov, opens in a new window
- © Copyright 2017. American Meteorological Society (AMS). For permission to reuse any portion of this Work, please contact permissions@ametsoc.org, opens in a new window. Any use of material in this Work that is determined to be “fair use” under Section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Act (17 U.S. Code § 107) or that satisfies the conditions specified in Section 108 of the U.S. Copyright Act (17 USC § 108) does not require the AMS’s permission. Republication, systematic reproduction, posting in electronic form, such as on a website or in a searchable database, or other uses of this material, except as exempted by the above statement, requires written permission or a license from the AMS. All AMS journals and monograph publications are registered with the Copyright Clearance Center (https://www.copyright.com), opens in a new window. Additional details are provided in the AMS Copyright Policy statement, available on the AMS website (https://www.ametsoc.org/PUBSCopyrightPolicy), opens in a new window.
Citation and reuse
Cite this item
This is a suggested citation. Consult the appropriate style guide for specific citation guidelines.
Berisha, V, et. al. (2017). Assessing adaptation strategies for extreme heat: a public health evaluation of cooling centers in Maricopa County, Arizona. Weather, Climate, and Society, 9:1, 71-80. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1175/WCAS-D-16-0033.1