Climate/Weather
Climate change, including major changes in temperature, sea level rise, and rainfall, can impact our health in many ways:
- Greater frequency and severity of extreme weather such as downpours, floods, droughts, and storms can lead to injury, illness, displacement of people, and worsening of chronic illness.
- More wildfires, smog, pollen, and mold can lead to asthma and allergy attacks.
- More extreme heat outside can lead to heat-related illness including dehydration, heat cramps, heat stroke, and even death.
- Longer warm seasons and precipitation changes can lead to more vector-borne disease.
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While all communities can be impacted by changes in our climate, not all people are equally affected. Important considerations include someone’s age, underlying health conditions, economic resources, and location. For individuals with heart and respiratory conditions, they may be at risk of worsening symptoms due to changes in air quality. In the event of extreme weather, people without adequate access or ability to use evacuation routes are susceptible to injury, illness, displacement, and worsening of chronic conditions. In the case of extreme heat, those at greatest risk for heat-related illness include outdoor workers, infants, young children, pregnant women, people 65 years of age and older, people who are overweight, and people who are ill or on certain medications.
Virginia EPHT currently provides several datasets related to heat, including annual number of extreme heat days, annual number of heat events, and a heat risk forecast. These data are provided by CDC’s National Environmental Public Health Tracking Data Explorer using a data visualization embed.
VDH collects data on visits to emergency departments and urgent care centers in Virginia for purposes of public health surveillance. These data are analyzed through a syndromic surveillance system, known as ESSENCE, to monitor the health of the community and identify emerging trends of public health concern. During the summer months (May to September), the Office of Epidemiology conducts surveillance for heat-related illness. For more data about heat-related illness in Virginia, visit the Heat-Related Illness Surveillance page on the Office of Epidemiology Syndromic Surveillance program website.
VDH also displays data on heat-related “incidents” through the Office of Emergency Medical Services (EMS). Heat-related incidents include patients who interact with the EMS system (including patients seen by paramedics and first responders). For more data on heat-related incidents, visit the Heat-Related Illness Incidents page on the Office of EMS website.
Helpful Links
- View Climate Change information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
- View CDC's HeatRisk Forecast by zip code.
- Visit VDH Severe Weather Preparedness
- View VDH Extreme Heat and Heat-Related Illnesses for more on extreme heat.
Contact Us
Virginia Environmental Public Health Tracking Program
Virginia Department of Health
P.O. Box 2448
Richmond, Virginia 23218-2448
109 Governor Street
Richmond, Virginia 23219