Heat-Related Illness in New Hampshire
When we built our New Hampshire home in 1998, we did not include air-conditioning. We found it environmentally unfriendly, an added expense, and unnecessary. We had lived here since 1986, no problem, and before that we lived in Philadelphia and Rhode Island without air conditioning. Open windows and fans in the summertime worked fine. This was New Hampshire, Northern New England for gosh sakes! We were used to hitting the snow line when we crossed from Massachusetts into New Hampshire. We did not yet appreciate the rapidity of climate change.
Our Warm Season is Getting Warmer
Little did we know then that every year since 1998, temperatures would exceed the 20th century average, and continue showing a steady climb (Warming in New Hampshire, geo.umass.edu).
January to November 2020 was 4 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than the historic average (NH state climatologist data), and recent summers have had more days above 90 than ever in my 35 years living here. 2020 had 32 days above 90 degrees F in Manchester NH, up from an historic average less than half that, and 2021 again set many new high temperature records, including the hottest June on record in New Hampshire (NH Bulletin, 7/13/21). Concord NH has also seen an increasing number of days with a heat index over 90 degrees.
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Heat Stress Brings Health Risks
This kind of heat is uncomfortable for most of us, but can be deadly for the very young, the very old, the chronically ill, and those who work outside. Infants and children under 5, pregnant women, the elderly, and persons with immobility, heart disease, diabetes, obesity or high blood pressure can have a much more difficult time cooling off in the heat, especially with our high humidity here in New Hampshire, which makes them more susceptible to heat stroke. At any age, adverse health effects of excessive heat include dehydration, fast pulse, nausea, vomiting, fainting, high body temperature, and confusion.
Locally, 2016 data from New Hampshire “showed that emergency department visits and deaths increase significantly on days when the maximum heat index is 95℉ as compared to days when the maximum heat index is 75℉.” (cdc.gov/nceh/tracking/success/newhampshire.htm)
And data from Oregon and Washington this past June 2021 showed “about 600 more people died than would have been typical” during the week of their unprecedented heatwave (nytimes.com 8/11/21).
So this is serious, folks.
Planning and Adapting to a Warmer Climate
In response to the increasing toll of heat on the health of our New Hampshire populace, the NH Department of Health and Human Services developed an “Excessive Heat Emergency Response Plan” back in 2014 to help guide planning by local municipalities. Last year, Dover, Manchester, Plymouth and Portsmouth all opened cooling centers during summer heat waves (nhpr.org). And debate has begun on using Federal fuel-assistance funds for cooling as well as heating (nhpr.org).
How to Take Action on Heat Stress
We can all take individual and collective actions to adapt to this changing world. Here are a few small steps:
We can enjoy the hot summer weather safely if we know how to acclimate to the changing conditions. Clinical Guidelines advise that at-risk athletes and workers should plan 14 days to adapt to an increasing workload and time in the heat.
Clinicians can talk with their patients and colleagues about the changing climate conditions and how they may affect diagnosis and treatment.
You can join NH HWCA and start to take action on climate change.
Heat matters, climate change matters, and we are still in a position to effect that. Our health depends on it.
- Paul Friedrichs, MD
Exeter NH
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