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CLIMATEWIRE | U.S. cities want more research from scientists to help them handle extreme heat — especially the way high temperatures influence human behavior and health.

That was the message from a panel discussion Wednesday at Columbia University. Officials from Miami and New York City shared their heat research wishlists, and social studies — centered on high-risk populations — made the top of the list.

The use of cooling centers — specifically, who goes to them and why — was a big question for Isabelle Thomas, a policy adviser in the New York City mayor’s office.

“Why do people go to cooling centers? Why don’t people go to cooling centers?” she asked. “What is their perception of the urgency — or lack thereof — as it relates to extreme heat?”

She noted some communities face more risk from skyrocketing temperatures, such as outdoor workers and people experiencing homelessness. Better insight on the experiences of these vulnerable populations would help decision-makers craft more effective heat-related policies.

“We still in New York City are lacking some data on occupational heat exposure and health impacts, specifically as it relates to food vendors and delivery workers and other workers who are outside in the city,” Thomas said.

Cities also need better data on the number of people who die or fall sick during heat waves, said Jane Gilbert, the chief heat officer in Miami-Dade County. As of right now, these estimates are often vastly undercounted.

Extreme temperatures can directly lead to heat exhaustion, heat stroke or even death. These cases are easy to spot. But heat can have indirect effects on human health as well, such as exacerbating preexisting health conditions, increasing the risk of workplace injuries or affecting mental health. These indirect effects often go unrecorded on hospitalization records or death certificates.

“Really, direct heat deaths, illnesses, hospitalizations is the tip of the iceberg of health impacts,” Gilbert said.

Studies investigating how many people are actually hospitalized or dying from extreme heat — as well as where it’s happening and which populations are the most affected — can help policymakers design better protections for vulnerable communities.

“For us to design and prioritize interventions, having that situational understanding of where these illnesses and deaths are — where that exposure is happening — is very important for us,” Gilbert said.

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