ENVIRONMENT Community responds as temperatures soar
HEAT-RELATED CALLS ON THE RISE
The United Way for Greater Austin has seen an increase in the number of heat-related calls to 211 seeking assistance. The number of heat-related 911 calls Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services has responded to has increased consistently over the past three years. United Way for Greater Austin service area 211 calls (nonemergency)
BY AMANDA CUTSHALL
Medical Services public information o cer and captain. “We actually broke our all-time record for heat-related calls in the month of June as of June 29,” Stedman said, explaining ATCEMS responded to 174 calls through June. In June 2022—which was the previous record—ATCEMS had 159 total calls, Stedman said. ATCEMS responded to 125 calls in June 2021. Ashley Pierce, United Way chief marketing o cer, said the organi- zation had responded to nearly 100 heat-related calls to 211—a nonemer- gency line—as of the end of June. “Most of the needs are people seeking resources regarding cooling centers, air conditioners and fans,” Pierce said. Virginia Larson, team lead for Family Eldercare—an organization that gives free fans to those in need—said nearly 4,000 fans had already been distributed this year as of the last week of June. The organization distributed 7,200 fans in total in 2022.
Record-breaking heat has taken over Central Texas this summer, and weather experts predict this will con- tinue through at least September. As a result, o cials are o ering residents resources to manage the heat. The National Weather Service issued the rst heat advisory of the year for Central Texas on June 13, and the area has been under a heat advisory most days since then. According to the NWS, the region reached a record heat index value of 118 degrees June 21, and experts sug- gested the future will be lled with an increasing number of heat waves. John Moore, a meteorologist for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, con rmed Central Texas has a 50%-60% probability of experiencing above-average tempera- tures well into September. The hotter-than-normal tem- peratures for Central Texas were also con rmed by Christa Stedman, Austin-Travis County Emergency
10 20 30 40 80 0 June 2021
June 2022
June 2023
Travis County
Williamson County
Hays County
Austin-Travis County EMS 911 calls
50 100 150 200 0
June 2021
June 2022
June 2023
SOURCE: AUSTIN TRAVIS COUNTY EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES,UNITED WAY FOR GREATER AUSTIN COMMUNITY IMPACT
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