This article was originally published at cleveland.com.
If you think the changing climate mostly affects polar bears in the Arctic, think again. It’s happening right here, right now, in Northeast Ohio. The good news is that people across the region are coming together to keep our families and communities safe.
Remember the floods in the summer of 2023, when people had to be rescued from their cars on Interstate 90? Or last summer’s record-breaking heat wave, as we again faced extreme heat this week? This is what a changing climate looks like. As the planet heats up, we’ll see more droughts, floods, and heat waves.
Heat is especially dangerous, killing more people than floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, and other weather-related hazards combined. You might think we’d be safe from deadly heat, here on the nation’s northern edge. But Climate Central ranked Cleveland among the 15 cities most vulnerable to the “urban heat island effect” caused by too much concrete and not enough green space. And many of our residents lack life-saving air conditioning, partly because they haven’t needed it until now.
These challenges are significant. But here in Northeast Ohio, we are also blessed with an abundance of people who care. And now, a growing coalition of groups from across the region is coming together to prepare for a changing climate. The Reimagining Community initiative, led by the Northeast Ohio Black Health Coalition and The Ohio State University, won a 2024 Climate Resilience Regional Challenge Grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The timing is critical, as we face a new season of storms and searing heat. Please join us, to keep your loved ones safe and well in a hotter, more dangerous world.
Yvonka Hall is the executive director of the nationally recognized Northeast Ohio Black Health Coalition.