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1 <br /> ORANGE COUNTY <br /> BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br /> Meeting Date: May 20, 2025 <br /> Action Agenda <br /> Item No. 8-e <br /> SUBJECT: Heat Awareness Week Proclamation <br /> DEPARTMENT: Emergency Services and <br /> County Manager <br /> (Sustainability) <br /> ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: <br /> Proclamation Hannah Tuckman, Emergency <br /> Management Planner, (919) 245-6138 <br /> Mel Gilles, Sustainability Projects Analyst, <br /> (919) 245-2626 <br /> PURPOSE: To approve a proclamation declaring May 25-31, 2025, as "Heat Awareness Week" <br /> in Orange County. <br /> BACKGROUND: Extreme heat is the number one weather-related cause of death in the United <br /> States and kills more people in most years than hurricanes, floods and tornadoes combined. <br /> Extreme heat poses a threat to human health in Orange County, especially to residents who are <br /> at increased risk for heat related illnesses, people who work outdoors, the unhoused population <br /> and those who live in homes without adequate air conditioning or insulation or who cannot afford <br /> high electricity bills during heat waves. Recent and projected rising summer temperatures, along <br /> with misconceptions about heat risk, make educating the public about extreme heat even more <br /> urgent. <br /> The number of days and nights surpassing dangerously high temperatures each year is increasing <br /> in the community. Historically, Orange County experienced temperatures of 95 degrees <br /> Fahrenheit eight (8) days per year, on average. In 2024, the world's hottest year on record, <br /> Orange County experienced twelve (12) days above 95 degrees Fahrenheit. By the 2060s, the <br /> community will likely experience between 28 to 41 days above 95 degrees Fahrenheit. The <br /> community can also expect more days above 90 degrees Fahrenheit and more nights above 70 <br /> degrees Fahrenheit. Nights that stay warm make it hard for individuals' bodies to relax and recover <br /> from the heat during the day, making health problems worse. <br /> Former Governor Roy Cooper has previously proclaimea North Carolina Heat Awareness Week <br /> during the last week of May 2024 to raise awareness of the state's continued climate warming <br /> trend and highlight newly available State resources to support local communities in their efforts to <br /> reduce impacts of extreme heat. <br /> The Heat Awareness Week Proclamation encourages community residents to prepare in advance <br /> for high summer temperatures and the significant health risks residents and workers experience <br />