Although it is just mid-July, just about every corner of the U.S. has already experienced some extreme heat this month, with the West and Southwest likely continuing the unprecedented temperatures at least through the end of the month. Excessive heat warnings are in place over parts of California, Nevada, and Arizona, where temperatures are expected to be above 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Heat advisories have been posted in counties across New Mexico, Texas, and Florida, and the northeast region isn’t exempt from these temperatures, and a new record temperature of 91 degrees Fahrenheit was set in Central Park earlier this month. All of this comes as the global heat records are being set, and while public safety is a significant concern, there are growing economic impacts on healthcare, infrastructure, transportation, and other areas estimated to cost the U.S. economy $100 billion annually.
Extreme heat is the number one weather-related cause of death in the U.S., with an estimated average of 702 deaths yearly according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Life-threatening temperatures are a very real concern for our healthcare system, and a recent report estimates that this summer’s extreme heat will result in $1 billion in healthcare-related costs in the United States.
Beyond the highest priority and concern – the impact of extreme heat on the safety and wellbeing of the public—businesses and municipalities also incur loss and damages due to high temperatures. One of the more noticeable impacts is the effect on our infrastructure. Roadways are particularly vulnerable to buckling in high temperatures. Earlier in June, nearly a dozen instances in which roads sustained damage or buckling because of prolonged heat around the Houston area. The region was experiencing a very dry, sunny period with daily high temperatures near or above 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Even concrete roads can be compromised. Recent research that found concrete is vulnerable to extreme heat and literally explodes. As the water in the concrete heats, it vaporizes and becomes trapped. The concrete becomes pressurized to a point that the concrete would explode, releasing the built-up energy. This is not an uncommon phenomenon. During an Iowa heat wave a few years ago the city experienced concrete blowouts on the roads and also sewer collapses below ground. as a result of extreme heat.
Airports and airplanes also suffer in extreme temperatures, and it’s not uncommon for aircraft to be grounded at Phoenix Airport. In addition to potentially buckling runways, extreme temperatures, such as the ones we have seen across portions of the Southwest U.S., decrease air density, making it difficult for planes to generate lift. So, planes with heavier passenger or cargo loads have more difficulty getting off the ground. Back in 2017, American Airlines canceled 40 flights out of Phoenix as the temperatures reached 120 degrees Fahrenheit. This becomes a nuisance for leisure travelers and can put additional strain on our supply chains.
The upstream and downstream oil and gas sectors are yet another industry impacted by extreme heat. The extreme heat hinders refinery activity as it impacts operational pressures and line flow of liquids throughout pipelines necessary to run refineries at full capacity, and it can limit the electricity supply refiners need to run their operations. According to Troy Vincent, a senior markets analyst at DTN*, the recent extreme heat and electricity scarcity in Texas disrupted field production operations of oil and natural gas and has limited Gulf Coast refinery throughput, limiting the production of refined fuels like gasoline, jet fuel, and diesel.
With the continued growth of extreme weather events, businesses and municipalities are forced to start looking at additional policies and technologies to protect people and assets during the year’s hottest days. We are not even in the hottest days of summer, so the challenges with extreme temperatures are forecasted to continue. Not only with the direct – and critical – effects of high temperatures, such as health and safety, but also the secondary effects that affect business operations, productivity, supply chains and infrastructure.
*This author works for DTN.
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