Buddy System Benefits (St. Louis, MO)
According to estimates based on the 1990 population, extreme heat events cause close to 2,000 deaths in the U.S. every year, and 79 of these deaths occur in the St. Louis Metropolitan Area. The elderly, infants, and people with disabilities or chronic illnesses, particularly those lacking air conditioning and transportation, and living alone, account for the vast majority of these deaths.
Viewer Tip: Help reduce heat-related deaths by lending a hand to neighbors and friends:
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Identify high risk individuals (i.e. the elderly, disabled, chronically ill, and those with small children) in your neighborhood that may need assistance during a heat event.
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Pay attention to your weather forecast. Warnings about extreme heat will be issued.
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When extreme heat warnings are issued, check on high risk friends and neighbors and encourage them to seek shelter in air conditioned environments. Public shelters are available for this purpose, and many communities open cooling centers during heat waves. The United Way of Greater St. Louis Information & Referral Services (1-800-427-4626) can help find a shelter near you.
Season: Summer
(Sources: United States Environmental Protection Agency: Office of Atmospheric Programs. “Excessive Heat Events Guidebook.” Washington, DC. 2006 and Kalkstein, LS and Greene, JS. “An Evaluation of Climate/Mortality Relationships in Large U.S. Cities and the Possible Impacts of a Climate Change.” Environmental Health Perspectives Volume 105, Number 1, January 1997.)
