Extreme heat hit Massachusetts communities hard this summer. Parts of the Commonwealth saw record-breaking temperatures, and residents grappled with new heat-related health, safety, and economic concerns — in a state where energy policies, emergency management, urban planning and design practices, and priorities have historically been centered around protecting residents from cold and snow.
Winter preparedness is embedded in the Massachusetts way of life, but over the past few years it has become clear that policymakers and residents aren’t prepared for the new reality of summer in the Bay State.
Temperatures are all but certain to continue to rise in the face of rapidly accelerating climate change. As Massachusetts looks to a future of increasingly severe and frequent extreme heat events, cities and towns need to be prepared to face the new barrage of public health challenges that will follow.
