August 8, 2023 - STOCKTON – Rep. Josh Harder (CA-9) is helping to lead a bipartisan effort to make federal resources available to respond to extreme heat by expanding the list of natural catastrophes FEMA currently responds to. The Extreme Heat Emergency Actwould add extreme heat to the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) list of major disaster qualifying events. Extreme heat kills more people in the U.S. than any other natural hazard or extreme weather event. Heat-related illnesses result in over 700 deaths nationwide each year, including nearly 100 in California. Heat leads to an average of nearly 68,000 emergency room visits and over 9,000 hospitalizations across the country every year.

“We’re used to high temperatures in the Central Valley, but the summers keep getting hotter year after year, and the record-setting extreme heat we’ve been dealing with is only going to keep getting worse,” said Rep. Harder. “Extreme heat isn’t just uncomfortable – it can be deadly, especially for children and elderly folks. By adding extreme heat to FEMA’s list of major disaster qualifying events, we can make sure federal resources and support like cooling centers, medical assistance, emergency supplies, and other programs can be available if needed. We need to get ahead of this heat and save lives.”

The Extreme Heat Emergency Act would ensure that individuals and local governments are not left to deal with these types of disasters on their own by adding extreme heat to the list of natural catastrophes that qualify for major disaster assistance. The current list of qualifying events includes hurricane, tornado, storm, high water, wind-driven water, tidal wave, tsunami, earthquake, volcanic eruption, landslide, mudslide, snowstorm, or drought. This bill simply adds extreme heat to the list. The bill was led by Reps. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ-03), Mark Amodei (R-NV-02), and Sylvia Garcia (D-TX-29).

The types of federal assistance that would become available if a FEMA emergency is declared include:

• The use of FEMA’s mobile cooling centers

• Distribution of emergency supplies, such as water and fans

• Assistance with medical expenses caused by heat-related illnesses

• The deployment of FEMA personnel to help with heat-related emergencies

• Crisis Counseling and Disaster Legal Services

Full text of the legislation is available here.
Source: Congressman Josh Harder