Season 4, Episode 4: Meredith McInturff: Managing Public Health in Extreme Heat
Meredith McInturff, New Orleans Health Department
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Meredith McInturff, manager of the Public Health Emergencies and Environmental Health Unit at the New Orleans Health Department, joins John to discuss how the New Orleans Health Department is evolving to meet the growing threats of extreme heat. She and John explore the public health challenges faced by vulnerable populations, from unsheltered individuals to transit riders and outdoor workers, and how these challenges are shaping new city policies and cross-sector partnerships aimed at heat resilience.
“We know that almost 70 percent of New Orleans experiences some form of urban heat island effect, which suggests that the combination of surfaces and the temperature, and maybe lack of wind, is causing it to be anywhere from 5 to 8 degrees hotter in certain areas.”
Key Topics
Extreme Heat Preparedness: Meredith and John address the health impacts of extreme heat, especially on specific populations like the unsheltered, transit riders, and outdoor workers.
Lessons from Hurricane Ida: Meredith discusses how Hurricane Ida highlighted the risks of power outages during heat waves and prompted a rethink in heat emergency responses.
Urban Heat Islands and Community Equity: Meredith discusses the urban heat island effect impacting 70% of New Orleans and the equity issues it raises.
Cross-Department Collaboration: Meredith talks about the efforts to bring together city departments in a unified strategy for heat mitigation, including tree planting and community outreach, that includes community input to improve preparedness across the city.
Reforestation and Green Infrastructure: Meredith and John discuss the role of reforestation and green infrastructure in long-term heat and flood management.
Links to Relevant Studies and Resources:
Learn more about Meredith McInturff
Meredith discusses the new Weather Wise NOLA, where residents can view neighborhood-level temperature and air quality data for New Orleans, provided by local WeatherStem stations.
Meredith mentions the Healthy Homes ordinance that has a renters complaint reporting software. Learn more about the Healthy Homes Program, which aims to improve housing quality and ensure safer indoor rental housing.
Meredith talks about a study that identified areas of New Orleans that identified areas in New Orleans that experience a heat island effect. Read about the recent findings for New Orleans here.
Meredith discusses NOLA Ready, the city’s emergency preparedness campaign.
Further Reading:
National Integrated Heat Health Information System (NIHHIS): Find national guidance and resources on heat and health.
Extreme Heat and Your Health: Insights from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on the health risks associated with extreme heat and preventive actions.
“A few years ago, we had a real wakeup call in New Orleans … that was catalyzed by Hurricane Ida, and that response of a lack of power plus extreme heat that really made us reconsider: What are we doing around extreme heat when there is power available in the city?”
Transcript
Coming soon.