The CommHEAT project, led by Dr. Ulrike Passe and her team, is tackling the often-overlooked, yet critical, danger of extreme heat, especially for vulnerable communities. Thanks to an NSF grant, the team is developing a groundbreaking community-focused microclimate-informed indoor heat emergency alert system. By utilizing empirical data and participatory processes, this system aims to predict indoor heat conditions more accurately than current city-wide heat indexes, focusing on street- or house-level predictions.
Extreme heat poses a severe risk to vulnerable populations such as the elderly and low-income residents, who often lack adequate cooling systems in their homes. This innovative project goes beyond simply communicating heat warnings; it focuses on how to deliver personalized, actionable information to help residents mitigate heat-related risks effectively. The system will engage community residents via a mobile app, offering real-time heat alerts tailored to individual living conditions and providing recommendations for protective actions.
The ultimate goal of the CommHEAT project is to create a sustainable and scalable solution that helps vulnerable communities respond more effectively to heat emergencies, ensuring that everyone, regardless of their resources, has the tools to protect their health and well-being during extreme heat events.