Beyond the temperature: Palm Springs summit examines the human toll of extreme heat

Raymond Kalra

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – Extreme heat is nothing new in the Coachella Valley, but local leaders and researchers say preparing for it increasingly means looking beyond the temperature — and considering what happens when the systems people rely on to stay safe are put under stress.

The City of Palm Springs brought together researchers, public health professionals, emergency managers, community organizations and residents Friday for its inaugural Extreme Heat Summit at the Palm Springs Convention Center.

The discussions ranged from the human toll of extreme heat to shade, infrastructure and emergency preparedness, as the city works on longer-term plans to make Palm Springs more resilient.

Dr. Jenna LeComte-Hinely, CEO of Health Assessment and Research for Communities, or HARC, said extreme heat does not affect everyone equally.

She pointed to people experiencing homelessness, outdoor workers, people with disabilities and those living with chronic diseases as populations that can face greater risks.

“Extreme heat doesn’t necessarily impact everybody the same way. It impacts vulnerable communities more heavily than communities with more assets, more resources,” LeComte-Hinely said.

For people experiencing homelessness, she said the risk can be particularly significant because they may have little opportunity to escape the elements.

But LeComte-Hinely said one of the misconceptions surrounding extreme heat is believing it is only a threat to someone else.

“I think there’s a misconception that it’s someone else, right? Like, it’s not me, when really we all can,” she said.

She pointed to something as simple as a car’s air conditioning failing during the summer as an example of how quickly someone’s circumstances can change.

“You know, it’s something as little as that that can affect every single one of us,” LeComte-Hinely said. “Extreme heat can have an extreme impact on everyone, and it’s important that we have the resources and we know where to go.”

How access to shade and air conditioning can change the risk

Researcher Diego Ramos Aguilera attended Friday’s summit as part of his work examining extreme heat and heat resilience.

He said part of his research looks at how populations are affected differently by high temperatures and what resources people have available to protect themselves.

That can include access to air conditioning or something as seemingly simple as shade while waiting for a bus.

“I’m looking specifically at heat vulnerability and thinking about how populations are impacted differently by the heat and the ways that the people protect,” Ramos Aguilera said.

He said he is also interested in how lessons learned in Palm Springs, where residents already have extensive experience living with extreme heat, could eventually translate to other parts of the country facing increasing heat challenges.

What happens if the A/C stops working?

For Palm Springs emergency officials, preparation also means considering what happens when a major safeguard from the desert heat suddenly disappears.

The city’s emergency manager said a home can become hot quickly when electricity and air conditioning are lost.

If an individual home loses power, residents who can safely do so may need to find another air-conditioned location, including a public building or business, while waiting for service to return.

For a longer and more widespread utility outage, the city’s response could escalate.

“The city could potentially open a cooling center, which would really be one of those city buildings where we would invite people to come in,” Palm Springs’ emergency manager said.

The goal, he said, would be to give residents somewhere safe to cool down until the problem is resolved.

Palm Springs developing shade and heat mitigation plan

City officials are also looking at ways to reduce heat exposure before an emergency happens.

Palm Springs Director of Sustainability Jasmine Fields said the city is currently developing a comprehensive shade and heat mitigation plan.

At Friday’s summit, attendees were being asked where they currently go to find relief from the heat and which locations they believe need improvement.

“We hope that these conversations can help us to prioritize different infrastructure projects, nature based solutions to be able to meet the community’s needs and really meet people where they’re at and their lived experience in Palm Springs,” Fields said.

That community feedback will become one of the factors the city considers as it prioritizes future projects.

Palm Springs Mayor Naomi Soto said addressing extreme heat could include expanding both natural and manufactured shade and reconsidering how spaces throughout the city are designed.

“Fundamentally, we live in a hot place, but we can design better for it,” Soto said. “So that’s everything around having radical shade that is both our tree canopy but also manufactured shade.”

Soto said the city also needs to consider materials, parking lots, private property and commercial areas as part of a broader approach to living with extreme heat.

“We’re not scared or surprised by the heat, but we could be a bit more prepared,” Soto said.

Summit could feed into future emergency planning

Friday’s discussions could also play a role in broader emergency planning.

Palm Springs’ emergency manager said extreme heat is among the concerns being considered as the city works on its hazard mitigation plan.

Ideas generated through the summit could be incorporated into that planning process, which ultimately goes through the state and Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The city could then identify mitigation strategies, including shade projects, and potentially pursue grant funding to help pay for them.

Officials stressed the summit itself is the beginning of a larger conversation rather than an immediate solution.

“We’re not changing anything today, but we’re trying to plant those seeds in people’s heads of, hey, let’s have these conversations about extreme heat,” Palm Springs’ emergency manager said.

LeComte-Hinely said she hopes those conversations ultimately result in action.

“I hope they take away new connections, not just new knowledge,” she said. “I want them to come away with new ideas and an action to follow up on.”

News Channel 3 will continue following Palm Springs’ development of its comprehensive shade and heat mitigation plan and other efforts aimed at preparing the community for extreme heat.

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