State launches new, interactive tool that ranks heat in every ZIP code
(FOX40.COM) — California has launched a new online tool that helps people understand the severity of heat waves in their area and provides them with resources to hopefully prevent heat-related illness.
Gov. Gavin Newsom announced CalHeatScore on Thursday, saying it's the first heat-ranking tool in the nation and one of the only in the world.
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It works by updating a daily heat score based on forecasting for every ZIP code in the state. The area gets a score of 0-4, zero being the lowest heat threat and four being the highest. Each ZIP code is also given information about its most vulnerable populations based on demographics, like the elderly and children.
There are also resources for people, like tips for spotting the signs of heat-related illness and a list of the cooling centers closest to where you're at.
CalHeatScore was developed by the California Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment. Newsom said the tool comes at a critical time, after the Trump Administration cut some funding for the National Weather Service at the beginning of the year. The tool also comes following a 2021 recommendation from the California Department of Insurance's Climate Insurance Workgroup that the state create a platform like this.
In addition to CalHeatScore, Newsom also announced more than $32 million in funding for 47 communities across the state to help with extreme heat mitigation efforts.
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