EDITORIAL: Heat a reminder of climate change's challenges
One week before the official start of summer, Clark County is expected to face summerlike weather in the next several days.
Temperatures are projected to climb above 90 degrees on Saturday and close to 100 Sunday and Monday. The National Weather Service has issued an "extreme heat watch" for 11 a.m. Sunday through 11 p.m. Monday, warning of "dangerously hot conditions."
Predicting the weather, of course, is an imperfect science. But even if temperatures do not reach that level in the near future, they will at some point this year. That leads to some timely advice from health officials for when extreme heat arrives:
* Remain indoors in an air-conditioned location if possible.
* Do not leave children, older adults or pets in a parked car, even for a short time. "Temperatures can rise rapidly in parked vehicles, even with the windows rolled down," Clark County Public Health reports on its website.
* Drink plenty of nonalcoholic fluids.
* Wear light clothing and use sunscreen if outside.
* Check on neighbors or loved ones who do not have access to air conditioning.
* Limit use of a stove or oven to avoid heating your home.
* If you are feeling the effects of heat, take a cool bath or shower.
* Schedule outdoor activities to avoid the hottest part of the day.
* Be particularly cautious in the woods; warming temperatures increase the risk of wildfires.
* And be cautious in waterways. Even when the air is hot, the water can be shockingly cold.
Each of these tips reflect common sense, but they are easily overlooked when we are not accustomed to extreme heat. They also can be easy to forget if we are outside enjoying some recreation.
Hot weather this weekend likely will be only a harbinger of the summer ahead. The typical year sees at least one day of 100 degrees in Clark County, and we are not far removed from the hottest period in the region's recorded history.
A heat dome in June 2021 led to several days well over 100 degrees, culminating in a Vancouver record of 115. A 2023 report about the event - "In the Hot Seat" - attributed more than 400 statewide deaths to the heat wave, concluding that, "The 2021 heat dome was the deadliest weather-related disaster in Washington state history."
Heat domes are an unusual confluence of atmospheric events that trap heat close to the Earth's surface. But such occurrences - along with other extreme weather events - are a reminder of the need to confront climate change.
As the authors of "In the Hot Seat" write: "Enough is already known about the risks of extreme heat, and potential solutions, to take immediate action that will save the lives of Washingtonians when the next extreme heat event occurs. At the same time, we acknowledge that pressing policy problems, persistent coordination challenges and limited resources complicate efforts to take action."
The report recommends taking extreme heat into consideration when formulating building codes and urban development; increasing tree canopy and shade structures; and expanding energy assistance programs for cooling. Dealing with climate change, it emphasizes, requires more than efforts to reduce carbon emissions.
That represents the long-range issues presented by dangerously hot conditions. But for now, the focus is on the coming weekend and the hope that people throughout Clark County will stay safe.
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