July and August are the hottest months of the year, with September not far behind here in the South. Extreme high heat can affect our outdoor activities, our electric bills, and our moods. But what effect does heat have on the most vulnerable communities and what is their resilience to this external pressure on them. According to the Census Bureau, “Community resilience is the capacity of individuals and households within a community to absorb the external stresses of a disaster.”
The United States Census provides data about the population in
numerous topic areas. Most recently
(July 16, 2024), they released their report on the 2022 Community Resilience Estimates (CRE) for Heat. The report
includes Quick Guide which can be used to understand and use the data available. The Bureau previously released data for 2019.
In general, the CRE reports the social vulnerability that
inhibits community resilience. The CRE for Heat (which is an experimental report) adds new components of social
vulnerability and information concerning exposure. For example, the report looks at which areas
(by geography, state, county, and census tract) have more than two days in a
row of temperatures over 90 degrees and what households in those areas do not
have air conditioning.
The CRE for Heat uses information from the American Community Survey and the Population Estimates Program.
The American Community Survey is conducted every month of every year and,
unlike the decennial census, is sent to a sample of addresses. The survey asks questions about topics not in
the regular census such as education, employment, internet access, and
transportation.
The Population Estimates Program annually produces reports
on the estimated changes in population and housing units for the nation,
states, counties, cities and towns and includes births, deaths, and
migrations.
Arizona State University’s Knowledge Exchange for Resilience collaborates with the Census Bureau to produce the CRE for Heat reports.
The data from the CRE for Heat is included in My Community Explorer which is a Census Bureau tool to identify underserved communities and
includes Census Bureau and Emergency Response datasets.
