Laserfiche WebLink
Public Review Draft <br />Page 38 San Leandro 2021 Climate Action Plan <br />Extreme heat can interrupt sleep and daily activities, exacerbate respiratory and cardiovascular <br />conditions, and cause a variety of severe health impacts and illnesses, including heat cramps, heat <br />exhaustion, heat stroke, and death. The most vulnerable populations are those that spend a <br />disproportionately high amount of time outside, such as children, outdoor workers, and persons <br />experiencing homelessness; those who cannot easily adjust to their environments in order to <br />reduce heat exposure, such as households in poverty; and those whose health makes them <br />particularly sensitive to heat, including those with sensitive or compromised immune systems, <br />persons with chronic illnesses, and seniors. <br />On average, children spend more time than adults outdoor, which leaves them more susceptible to <br />negative health outcomes from extreme heat. 39 Child athletes (due to high levels of exertion and <br />increased time spent outdoors) and children under the age of four are considered to be at especially <br />high risk. 40 <br />Outdoor workers are directly exposed to extreme heat due to the nature of their work. Outdoor work <br />is often physically intensive, and workers face higher risks of heat exhaustion, sunstroke, and other <br />heat-related medical conditions. Outdoor work may be suspended during heat events; however, <br />this can cause significant financial hardships. <br />Persons experiencing homelessness face greater exposure to extreme heat because they lack <br />access to permanent and often temporary shelter. Dehydration is common among these persons, <br />which makes health-related complications from extreme heat more likely. Persons experiencing <br />homelessness are more likely to suffer respiratory infections, which are exacerbated by extreme <br />heat. Persons experiencing homelessness and who are on medication are also at greater risk from <br />extreme heat because some medications interfere with the body's ability to maintain a safe internal <br />temperature during times of extreme temperatures. <br />Households in poverty are less likely to live in air-conditioned buildings or those that have effective <br />insulation, increasing their exposure to extreme heat. During extreme heat days, uninsulated or <br />poorly-insulated homes may reach unhealthy temperatures. Households in poverty may not have <br />access to medical services, which means that they are more likely to have medical conditions that <br />can be exacerbated by extreme heat. <br />Aging can impair muscle strength, coordination, cognitive ability, the immune system, and the ability <br />to regulate body temperature, making elderly populations, especially those with limited income or <br />mobility, at a higher risk of health impacts from extreme heat events. 41 Medications that seniors <br />may be taking can also limit their ability to maintain a safe internal temperature. In general, seniors <br />are more likely to suffer medical complications or death during extreme heat events than other <br />members of the population. <br />Extreme heat can regularly cause power outages due to a combination of mechanical failure of <br />electrical grid equipment, heat damage to the wires themselves, and high demand for electricity as <br />a result of cooling equipment, all of which causes stress on the grid. As extreme heat events <br />become more frequent and intense, disruptions in service are likely to become more frequent. <br />82