-
Notifications
You must be signed in to change notification settings - Fork 0
/
heat-health.html
executable file
·773 lines (586 loc) · 44.9 KB
/
heat-health.html
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253
254
255
256
257
258
259
260
261
262
263
264
265
266
267
268
269
270
271
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296
297
298
299
300
301
302
303
304
305
306
307
308
309
310
311
312
313
314
315
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
326
327
328
329
330
331
332
333
334
335
336
337
338
339
340
341
342
343
344
345
346
347
348
349
350
351
352
353
354
355
356
357
358
359
360
361
362
363
364
365
366
367
368
369
370
371
372
373
374
375
376
377
378
379
380
381
382
383
384
385
386
387
388
389
390
391
392
393
394
395
396
397
398
399
400
401
402
403
404
405
406
407
408
409
410
411
412
413
414
415
416
417
418
419
420
421
422
423
424
425
426
427
428
429
430
431
432
433
434
435
436
437
438
439
440
441
442
443
444
445
446
447
448
449
450
451
452
453
454
455
456
457
458
459
460
461
462
463
464
465
466
467
468
469
470
471
472
473
474
475
476
477
478
479
480
481
482
483
484
485
486
487
488
489
490
491
492
493
494
495
496
497
498
499
500
501
502
503
504
505
506
507
508
509
510
511
512
513
514
515
516
517
518
519
520
521
522
523
524
525
526
527
528
529
530
531
532
533
534
535
536
537
538
539
540
541
542
543
544
545
546
547
548
549
550
551
552
553
554
555
556
557
558
559
560
561
562
563
564
565
566
567
568
569
570
571
572
573
574
575
576
577
578
579
580
581
582
583
584
585
586
587
588
589
590
591
592
593
594
595
596
597
598
599
600
601
602
603
604
605
606
607
608
609
610
611
612
613
614
615
616
617
618
619
620
621
622
623
624
625
626
627
628
629
630
631
632
633
634
635
636
637
638
639
640
641
642
643
644
645
646
647
648
649
650
651
652
653
654
655
656
657
658
659
660
661
662
663
664
665
666
667
668
669
670
671
672
673
674
675
676
677
678
679
680
681
682
683
684
685
686
687
688
689
690
691
692
693
694
695
696
697
698
699
700
701
702
703
704
705
706
707
708
709
710
711
712
713
714
715
716
717
718
719
720
721
722
723
724
725
726
727
728
729
730
731
732
733
734
735
736
737
738
739
740
741
742
743
744
745
746
747
748
749
750
751
752
753
754
755
756
757
758
759
760
761
762
763
764
765
766
767
768
769
770
771
772
773
<!doctype html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="utf-8">
<meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=edge">
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1, shrink-to-fit=no">
<title>Code Red: Health risks rise with the temperature in Baltimore | Howard Center for Investigative Journalism</title>
<meta name="description" content="Code Red: Health risks rise with the temperature in Baltimore">
<meta name="author" content="Howard Center for Investigative Journalism and Capital News Service at Merrill College of Journalism, University of Maryland">
<!-- Favicon -->
<link rel="icon" type="image/png" href="https://cnsmaryland.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/cns_favion-1.png">
<!-- Twitter Card data -->
<meta name="twitter:title" content="Code Red: Baltimore’s Climate Divide">
<meta name="twitter:description" content="Health risks rise with the temperature.">
<meta name="twitter:image" content="https://cnsmaryland.org/interactives/summer-2019/code-red/images/fb-thumb-health.png">
<meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image">
<!-- Open Graph data for Facebook -->
<meta property="og:title" content="Code Red: Baltimore’s Climate Divide" />
<meta property="og:type" content="article" />
<meta property="og:url" content="https://cnsmaryland.org/interactives/summer-2019/code-red/heat-health.html" />
<meta property="og:image" content="https://cnsmaryland.org/interactives/summer-2019/code-red/images/fb-thumb-health.png" />
<meta property="og:image:width" content="1200px" />
<meta property="og:image:height" content="630px" />
<meta property="og:description" content="Health risks rise with the temperature." />
<!-- Bootstrap CSS-->
<link rel="stylesheet" href="https://stackpath.bootstrapcdn.com/bootstrap/4.3.1/css/bootstrap.min.css" integrity="sha384-ggOyR0iXCbMQv3Xipma34MD+dH/1fQ784/j6cY/iJTQUOhcWr7x9JvoRxT2MZw1T" crossorigin="anonymous">
<!-- Leaflet's CSS-->
<link rel="stylesheet" href="https://unpkg.com/[email protected]/dist/leaflet.css"
integrity="sha512-xwE/Az9zrjBIphAcBb3F6JVqxf46+CDLwfLMHloNu6KEQCAWi6HcDUbeOfBIptF7tcCzusKFjFw2yuvEpDL9wQ=="
crossorigin=""/>
<!-- Leaflet's JS - Make sure you put this AFTER Leaflet's CSS -->
<script src="https://unpkg.com/[email protected]/dist/leaflet.js"
integrity="sha512-GffPMF3RvMeYyc1LWMHtK8EbPv0iNZ8/oTtHPx9/cc2ILxQ+u905qIwdpULaqDkyBKgOaB57QTMg7ztg8Jm2Og=="
crossorigin=""></script>
<script src="https://code.jquery.com/jquery-3.4.1.min.js"
integrity="sha256-CSXorXvZcTkaix6Yvo6HppcZGetbYMGWSFlBw8HfCJo="
crossorigin="anonymous"></script>
<!-- Data source 1: geometry data for zip codes-->
<script type="text/javascript" src="js/baltimoreZips.js"></script>
<!-- Data source 2: health data by zip-->
<script type="text/javascript" src="js/health-data.js"></script>
<!-- c3.css -->
<link href="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/c3/0.6.13/c3.min.css" rel="stylesheet">
<link rel="stylesheet" href="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/normalize/5.0.0/normalize.min.css">
<!-- d3.js and c3.js -->
<script src="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/d3/5.9.1/d3.min.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<script src="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/c3/0.6.13/c3.min.js"></script>
<!-- our CSS -->
<link rel="stylesheet" href="css/heat-health.css">
<link rel="stylesheet" href="css/common.css">
<!-- Fontawesome -->
<link rel="stylesheet" href="https://use.fontawesome.com/releases/v5.7.0/css/all.css" integrity="sha384-lZN37f5QGtY3VHgisS14W3ExzMWZxybE1SJSEsQp9S+oqd12jhcu+A56Ebc1zFSJ" crossorigin="anonymous">
<!-- google fonts -->
<link href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Montserrat:400,600,700" rel="stylesheet">
<link href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Playfair+Display:400,700,900&display=swap" rel="stylesheet">
<!--Load Google API fonts-->
<link rel = "stylesheet"
href = "https://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Montserrat|PT+Serif&display=swap">
<!-- METRICS -->
<meta name="parsely-title" content="Red Alert Heat and Health" />
<meta name="parsely-link" content="https://cnsmaryland.org/interactives/summer-2019/code-red/heat-health.html" />
<meta name="parsely-type" content="post" />
<meta name="parsely-image-url" content="https://cnsmaryland.org/interactives/summer-2019/code-red/images/toc-comp-health.jpg" />
<meta name="parsely-pub-date" content="2019-08-15T12:00:00Z" />
<meta name="parsely-section" content="Red Alert" />
<meta name="parsely-author" content="CNS Maryland" />
<meta name="parsely-tags" content="climate, health, baltimore, journalism, interactives" />
</head>
<body>
<!-- START Hero Container -->
<div class="hero-container">
<div id="tophat">Howard Center for Investigative Journalism | CNS | NPR</div>
<div class="cover-img relative-img" style="background-image: url('images/code-red.jpg')"></div>
<div class="headline-container-slide">
<div class="chapter-header"><a href="index.html">CODE <span class="red">RED</a></div>
<div class="story-header"> Heat & Health</div>
<div class="hero-text">For people with chronic health conditions, heat and humidity are more than a summer nuisance.</div>
<div class="fa-stack" style="vertical-align: top;">
<i class="fas fa-circle fa-stack-1x"></i>
<a href="#story"><i class="fas fa-chevron-circle-down fa-stack-1x fa-inverse" style="color:#F23030 !important"></i></a>
</div>
</div>
</div> <!-- END Hero Container -->
<!-- START Main Story Container -->
<div class="story-container">
<a name="story"><div class="container"></a><br>
<p class="caption">(Top photo by Amina Lampkin | University of Maryland photographer)</p>
<!-- Back button-->
<div class="back-button">
<a href="index.html"><i class="far fa-arrow-alt-circle-left"> Home</i></a>
</div><br><br>
<div id="social-icons-story">
<span class="icon-facebook"></span>
<span class="icon-twitter"></span><br><br>
</div><br><br><br>
<!-- Headline and Byline-->
<p class="text-title"><b>Health risks rise with the temperature</b></p><br>
<p class="text-author">STORY BY: IAN ROUND, JAZMIN CONNER, JERMAINE ROWLEY AND JOHN FAIRHALL</p>
<p class="dateline">September 3, 2019</p><br>
<!-- Image and caption --> <!-- Can be repeated -->
<img src="images/couple.jpg" class="image" alt="photo of Michael Thomas and Alberta Wilkerson">
<p class="photo-caption">Michael Thomas and Alberta Wilkerson, whose home in the Broadway East neighborhood of Baltimore has no air conditioning, both have health conditions that are made worse by the heat. (Photo by Amina Lampkin | University of Maryland)</p><br>
<!-- START Chapter -->
<p class="opening-letter"><b class="first-words">As the temperature in their rowhouse apartment rose </b> to a humid 96 degrees Fahrenheit during a summer heat wave, Michael Thomas and Alberta Wilkerson sat on their bed, in front of fans, wiping sweat and drinking water, trying to keep their minds off the heat.</p><br>
<p>Thomas, 61, played solitaire and Candy Crush Saga on the computer and kept an eye on the TV. Despite the heat, Wilkerson had an appetite, so she boiled a hot dog and ate it while she watched “Criminal Minds.” </p><br>
<p>“I just keep my mind right there,” Wilkerson, 49, said, pointing at the TV. “I just wipe sweat all day.”</p><br>
<p>The couple decided to stay in their unairconditioned, second-floor home in Broadway East in East Baltimore during the scorching 11-day stretch in July. It was a risky decision.</p><br>
<p>The heat wave included two days when outdoor temperatures hit 100 degrees and sparked a Code Red heat emergency, which city officials declare when the temperature reaches dangerous levels.</p><br>
<p>The heat index, which takes into account temperature and humidity, describes how hot the air feels. At 10:30 p.m. on July 18, the heat index in their living quarters reached a high of 116 degrees, according to a sensor they allowed reporters from the University of Maryland’s Howard Center for Investigative Journalism and Capital News Service to place in their home for several weeks. That was 22 degrees hotter than the heat index outdoors.</p><br>
<p>As heat and humidity increase, it becomes harder for sweat to evaporate and the human body to cool off.</p><br>
<!-- START Graphic container-->
<hr>
<div class="embed-container">
<p class="chart-title"><b>Heat index measures how temperature and humidity feel to the body</b></p>
<div class="chart-description">Ever wonder why it feels hotter than the thermometer reads? Heat index is a value measuring apparent temperature, how hot it actually feels to the human body. Air temperature and relative humidity are used to calculate the heat index. With little humidity, the temperature the body feels isn’t much different from the air temperature. But as temperatures rise, even small amounts of humidity can pose a threat and increase the likelihood of heat disorders and illnesses.</div><br>
<p class="chart-author"> BY AMINA LAMPKIN</p>
<img src="images/heat-index-graphic.png" class="humdity-graphic" alt="heat index graphic">
<p class= "chart-source"><em>**Heat index values were formulated from shady locations with light winds. According to the National Weather Service, direct sunlight can increase the heat index by 15° F. </em><br> Source: National Weather Service</p>
</div><hr><br>
<!-- END Graphic container-->
<p>Between them, Thomas and Wilkerson take about 20 medications for ailments that include lung disease and high blood pressure for Thomas, and lung disease, mental illness and heart disease for his wife.</p><br>
<p>Their problems rank high on the list of those that exposure to high heat and humidity can worsen — sometimes dangerously so. Public health experts warn that danger will only increase as the climate warms.</p><br>
<p>Heat waves will increase in number and intensity, according to scientists. They are especially perilous because consecutive days with the <a class ="underline-effect" href="https://www.weather.gov/ama/heatindex" style="color: #F23030;"><b>heat index</b></a> at 103 degrees or above greatly increase risks for older people, children, pregnant women and anyone with heat-affected chronic disease.</p><br>
<!-- START Motion graphic container-->
<hr>
<div class="embed-container">
<p class="chart-title"><b>HOW EXTREME HEAT AFFECTS PEOPLE WITH CHRONIC HEALTH CONDITIONS</b></p>
<div class="chart-description">Extreme heat places considerable strain on the body’s vital organs and systems, making people with chronic health conditions more vulnerable to rising temperatures. </div>
<br>
<div class="embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9">
<iframe class="embed-responsive-item" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/352317086"></iframe>
</div>
<p class="caption"> (Motion graphic by Camila Velloso)</p>
</div>
<hr><br>
<!-- END Motion graphic container-->
<p>Under physical and mental stress from extreme heat, humidity and dehydration, people may struggle to maintain core organs and systems: their cardiovascular system, lungs, kidneys and brain.</p><br>
<p>The body’s alarm bells begin to ring. The heart pumps faster to cool the body when its sweating mechanism fails and its core temperature soars toward the red zone of 104 degrees and beyond — and likely death without fast medical intervention.</p><br>
<p>That helps explain why, during the summer in Baltimore, emergency medical calls for dehydration, respiratory distress, kidney disease, diabetes complications, heart attacks and heart failure spiked when the heat index rose above 103 degrees, according to a Howard Center data analysis. </p><br>
<!-- Image and caption --> <!-- Can be repeated -->
<img src="images/MathewLevy.jpg" class="image" alt="photo of Dr. Matthew Levy">
<p class="photo-caption">Dr. Matthew Levy, who works in the emergency medicine department at The Johns Hopkins Hospital, says staff members have observed and data has shown that patients need to be hospitalized longer when temperatures soar. (Photo by Amina Lampkin | University of Maryland)</p><br>
<p>“Heat affects the body in a number of different ways,” Dr. Matthew J. Levy says, resting on a chair after a “very busy” night in the emergency room of The Johns Hopkins Hospital in East Baltimore, where he has worked for 14 years. It was the morning of July 19, and the outdoor temperature would rise to 98 degrees.</p><br>
<p>Successive days of high temperatures and humidity make it “harder on the human body to maintain homeostasis,” including normal body temperature, he says. Patients may arrive at the ER with such symptoms as shortness of breath, pain, exhaustion, dizziness, mental confusion and a high temperature. Untangling the causes isn’t always easy.</p><br>
<p>To understand what’s going on, Levy and other emergency room staff do a thorough assessment. Some medications taken for chronic heart or lung disease, for example, can place people at greater risk for heat illness, he says.</p><br>
<p>Diuretics used to reduce fluid buildup in the body make it harder to stay hydrated. So do inhalers prescribed to make it easier to breathe when the air is hot, humid and polluted. <a class="underline-effect" href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-pressure/in-depth/beta-blockers/art-20044522" style="color: #F23030;"><b>Beta blocker medications</b></a> slow the heart rate, diminishing the body’s ability to pump blood to the skin where heat is expelled.</p><br>
<!-- START Pullquote div -->
<div class="pullquote">
<div class="pullquote-top">“Exposure to extreme heat has been associated with increased use of alcohol to cope with stress, increases in hospital and emergency room admissions ... and increase in suicide.”</div>
<div class="pullquote-bottom">- American Psychiatric Association</div>
</div><br><br><!-- END Pullquote div -->
<p>Medications may need to be adjusted, and fluids restored. For those with temperatures too high, staff apply ice packs and use other cooling techniques. No one is sent home until they’re stable. Even then, medical staff and social workers may delay discharge if it appears a patient — such as an older person living alone in an unairconditioned house — would be unsafe.</p><br>
<p>Public health officials in Baltimore emphasize the need to check in on aging relatives and friends during a heat wave. Compared to younger people, the elderly are less able to control their temperature, have weaker immune systems and suffer from more chronic diseases. Cognitive issues, limited mobility and social isolation often add to their vulnerability.</p><br>
<p>Audrey DeWitt is 67 and suffers from Type 2 diabetes, asthma she says is triggered by seasonal changes, high blood pressure and peripheral vascular disease, which causes fatigue and leg pain so severe she says it makes her feel like she’s “frying in grease.”</p><br>
<!-- START Graphic container-->
<div class="left-inline-img">
<img src="images/street-view.jpg" class="image img-fluid" alt="Many blocks in McElderry Park have long stretches with no shade" />
<p class="photo-caption"> Telephone poles and power lines cast the only shadows across this treeless section of North Rose Street in the McElderry Park neighborhood of East Baltimore during a late July heat wave that saw temperatures hit triple digits. (Photo by Justice Georgie | Wide Angle Youth Media)</p>
</div>
<!-- END Graphic container-->
<p>Her breath becomes short in the heat and humidity, which causes airways in her lungs to become inflamed and constricted. Pollution makes breathing even harder. Ozone, an atmospheric gas, increases during the summer and, according to the <a class="underline-effect" href="https://www.epa.gov/ground-level-ozone-pollution/ground-level-ozone-basics" style="color: #F23030;"><b>Environmental Protection Agency</b></a>, “is most likely to reach unhealthy levels on hot sunny days in urban environments.” </p><br>
<p>Air conditioning is an effective tool to tame the harmful effects of extreme heat. DeWitt has two units, one on the first floor near where she sleeps and another upstairs, but they don’t cool the entire house, she says. Despite the units, a sensor placed on the first floor by University of Maryland journalists recorded a heat index of 92 degrees at 6 a.m. on July 20. That was two degrees hotter than the heat index outdoors.</p><br>
<p>A resident of the McElderry Park neighborhood for about 40 years, she once was very active in the community, mentoring young girls. She taught them to cook and sew, and took them on field trips to restaurants and hotels where they learned etiquette and manners. “I wanted to show them a better way of life,” DeWitt says.</p><br>
<p>She said her health problems began in 2005, limiting her activities. She blames diabetes and years of on-her-feet manual labor for the nerve damage that she says makes her legs numb and requires her to use a cane to avoid falling. For her asthma, she uses an inhaler twice daily to combat the wheezing, sweating and breathing difficulties that she says are worsened by the humidity.</p><br>
<p>Some complications of diabetes, including damage to blood vessels, can affect sweat glands, limiting the body’s ability to cool, which can bring on heat exhaustion and heat stroke, according to the <a class="underline-effect" href="https://www.cdc.gov/features/diabetesheattravel/index.html" style="color: #F23030;"><b>U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.</b></a></p><br>
<p>The cardiovascular system is especially stressed by extreme heat. To counter a rise in body temperature the heart pumps faster, sending more blood to the skin to reduce heat. While that works to cool a body, the resulting sweat also may lower levels of crucial minerals like potassium and sodium. Someone with <a class="underline-effect" href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/heat-is-hard-on-the-heart-simple-precautions-can-ease-the-strain-201107223180" style="color: #F23030;"><b>heart failure</b></a> may experience a drop in blood pressure, causing dizziness.</p><br>
<!-- Image and caption --> <!-- Can be repeated -->
<img src="images/Dewitt_bucky.jpg" class="image" alt="photo of Audrey DeWitt and her dog Buckie">
<p class="photo-caption">It feels like “frying grease” says Audrey DeWitt of her fatigue and leg pain. She says it is triggered by peripheral vascular disease. (Photo by Amina Lampkin | University of Maryland)</p><br>
<p>Young children are also vulnerable in the heat, the <a class="underline-effect" href="https://www.aap.org/en-us/advocacy-and-policy/aap-health-initiatives/Children-and-Disasters/Pages/Extreme-Temperatures-Heat-and-Cold.aspx" style="color: #F23030;"><b>American Academy of Pediatrics</b></a> warns. The problems they may experience on very hot days track many of those of adults — among them dehydration, heat exhaustion, cramps, heat stroke, nausea and fever. And they may not recognize the warning signs. </p><br>
<!-- START Graphic container-->
<div class="embed-container" id="leaflet-maps"> <hr>
<div class="row">
<div class="col-12">
<p class="chart-title"><b>In the hottest areas in Baltimore, low-income patients have higher rates of chronic disease affected by heat</b></p>
<div class="chart-description">In Baltimore, the urban heat island effect means some parts of the city are hotter than others. And in the hottest parts of the city, it’s an unfortunate truth that low-income people have higher rates of chronic health conditions affected by heat, when compared with low-income people who live in cooler parts of the city.
<br><br>The first (left) map shows afternoon temperature variations by ZIP code in August 2018, as measured by climate researchers. The right (second) map shows the prevalence of selected health conditions among Medicaid patients who were admitted to the hospital between 2013 and 2018.</div><br>
<p class="chart-author">BY ADAM MARTON</p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="row">
<div class="col-12 col-md-6">
<p class="chart-subtitle"><strong>Temperature by ZIP Code</strong><br>
<em>Click an area for median afternoon temperature on August 29, 2018.</em></p>
<!-- temperature map-->
<div id="mapid1"></div>
</div>
<div class="col-12 col-md-6">
<p class="chart-subtitle"><strong>Health conditions by ZIP Code</strong><br>
<em>Select a health condition from dropdown to change the map</em></p>
<!-- health map-->
<div id="mapid2"></div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="row">
<div class="col-12">
<br><p class= "chart-source">Sources: Urban heat island assesssment of Baltimore on August 29, 2018 by researchers at Portland State University in Oregon and the Science Museum of Virginia. Hospital admissions data from the Maryland Health Services Cost Review Commission. Data analysis by Xander Ready, Sean Mussenden and Jake Gluck.</p>
</div>
</div>
<br><hr><br>
</div>
<!-- END Graphic container-->
<p>Asthma rates in low-income areas like McElderry Park and Broadway East are higher than in more affluent areas. Stephanie Pingley, 31, who lives in McElderry Park, Baltimore’s hottest neighborhood, has three young sons with the disease. Two of the boys live with her full time, along with a niece who doesn’t have asthma.</p><br>
<p>They regularly see a doctor and take medication as needed. Her youngest son, who’s 7, has the worst case. Now he keeps the disease under control with an albuterol inhaler that relaxes muscles in his airways and increases the flow of air to his lungs, and a second inhaler that tamps down inflammation.</p><br>
<!-- START Pullquote div -->
<div class="pullquote">
<div class="pullquote-top">“If we ever move from here, I want a house with central air.”</div>
<div class="pullquote-bottom">- Stephanie Pingley, McElderry Park resident</div>
</div><br><br><!-- END Pullquote div -->
<p>Air conditioning helps keep asthma under control, and Pingley says the family has one unit upstairs in the master bedroom and another in a first-floor kitchen window protected by bars to keep out intruders. Her niece and one of her sons share a bedroom with a powerful fan but no AC.</p><br>
<p>Pingley says that room can get as “hot as Hades,” which is reflected in readings of a sensor placed there. The heat index in that room climbed as high as 118 degrees and never dropped below 88 degrees over a seven-day stretch.</p><br>
<p>“If we ever move from here,” she says, “I want a house with central air.”</p><br>
<!-- Image and caption --> <!-- Can be repeated -->
<div class="align">
<div class="table-images">
<img src="images/StephaniePingley2.jpg" class="image" alt="photo of Stephanie Pingley">
</div>
<div class="table-images">
<img src="images/StephaniePingley.jpg" class="image" alt="photo of Stephanie Pingley and her kids">
</div>
</div>
<p class="photo-caption">Stephanie Pingley, left, and Pingley with two of her sons and her niece, right, in front of the Amazing Port Street commons at Amazing Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church in McElderry Park. (Photo by Amina Lampkin | University of Maryland)</p><br>
<p>The threat of climate change is driving more medical research into the problems extreme heat cause, not just physical maladies but also psychological ones, such as stress and anxiety.</p><br>
<p>“Exposure to extreme heat,” the <a class="underline-effect" href="https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/climate-change-and-mental-health-connections/affects-on-mental-health" style="color: #F23030;"><b>American Psychiatric Association</b></a> reports, “has been associated with increased use of alcohol to cope with stress, increases in hospital and emergency room admissions for people with mental health or psychiatric conditions, and increase in suicide.”</p><br>
<p>In Baltimore, the rate of emergency medical calls for psychiatric disorders and drug and alcohol overdoses increased dramatically when the heat index hit 103 degrees, the Howard Center data analysis found.</p><br>
<p>Even fetuses can be harmed by extreme heat, as can pregnant mothers-to-be, a <a class="underline-effect" href="https://www.heart.org/en/news/2019/07/01/summer-heat-brings-special-health-risks-for-pregnant-women" style="color: #F23030;"><b>recent article</b></a> by the American Heart Association explained.</p><br>
<p>Heat and the body’s response to it can stress the already stressed system of a pregnant woman. And when a pregnant woman’s temperature rises above 102.2 degrees, she’s at greater risk for heat exhaustion, heat stroke and dehydration — conditions that may result in dizziness and falls.</p><br>
<p>A study published this year in the <a class="underline-effect" href="https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/JAHA.118.010995" style="color: #F23030;"><b><i>Journal of the American Heart Association</i></b></a> suggested higher temperatures from global climate change may increase the number of infants born with heart defects between 2025 and 2035. Researchers looked at the association between congenital heart defects and maternal heat exposure during early pregnancy in spring and summer, then factored in anticipated increases in the number of very hot days.</p><br>
<p>The American Lung Association announced in June plans for a study that will follow young adults over six years to examine how lung function changes over time. Additionally, researchers hope to determine whether factors such as air pollution result in lower lung function.</p><br>
</div><!-- END 'Container' div-->
</div><br><br><!-- END 'Story Container' div to open wider container -->
<div id="thomas-scrolly">
<!-- START Responsive Scrollytelling -->
<!-- sticky container-->
<section class="image-scrolly-section">
<!-- sticky element-->
<figure>
<img src="images/thomas-wilkerson4.jpg" class="sticky" alt="photo of Michael Thomas and Alberta Wilkerson">
</figure>
<!-- floating child elements-->
<article>
<div class="annotations-1">"You can't let it stress you." <br><br> <b>- MICHAEL THOMAS</b></div>
<div class="annotations-1">“They (doctors) just say to be cautious of what you’re doing.”<br><br> <b>- MICHAEL THOMAS</b></div>
<div class="annotations-1">“I just keep my mind right there. I just wipe sweat all day.”<br><br> <b>- ALBERTA WILKERSON, pointing at the TV</b>
</div>
</article>
<!-- /end sticky container-->
</section>
<br><p class="caption"> (Photo by Amina Lampkin | University of Maryland)</p><br>
</div>
<!-- END Responsive Scrollytelling -->
<!-- START 'Container' div again -->
<div class="story-container">
<div class="container">
<p>Michael Thomas and Alberta Wilkerson are still without air conditioning as the summer winds down.</p><br>
<p>Without “a lot of cool air around me” Wilkerson says she feels lightheaded and worries about passing out. “This is hard,” she says, “really hard.”</p><br>
<p class="additional-credits"><i>Additional reporting by Jake Gluck, Jane Gerard, Xander Ready, Theresa Diffendal and Sean Mussenden.</i></p>
</div><!-- END 'Container' div-->
</div><br><br><!-- END 'Story Container' div to open wider container -->
<!-- START Table of Contents -->
<div class="table-of-contents">
<div class="more-stories">
<div class="container">
<!--Red Line-->
<hr style="border: 1px solid #F23030;" width="100%" /><br>
<!--Table of Contents title-->
<div class="small-head">
<a href="index.html"><b>CODE <span class="red">RED:</span></b> Baltimore's Climate Divide</a>
</div><br>
</div>
<div class="row">
<div class="col-xs-12 col-sm-6 col-md-6 col-lg-3 table-contents-box">
<div class="hover-box" onclick="window.location='introduction.html';">
<div class="hover-img" style="background-image: url('images/toc-comp-lead-small.jpg');">
<div class="over-layer">
<h2><b>INTRODUCTION</b></h2>
<h3>CODE RED</h3>
<div class="hover-info">
<p class="hover-text">How the climate crisis affects Baltimore’s hottest neighborhoods. </p>
<div class="plus-sign">
<a href="introduction.html"><i class="fas fa-plus-circle fa-2x" style="color:#F23030"></i></a></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="col-xs-12 col-sm-6 col-md-6 col-lg-3 table-contents-box">
<div class="hover-box" onclick="window.location='neighborhood-heat-inequality.html';">
<div class="hover-img" style="background-image: url('images/toc-comp-neighborhood-small.jpg');">
<div class="over-layer">
<h2><b>PART ONE</b></h2>
<h3>Heat & Inequality</h3>
<div class="hover-info">
<p class="hover-text">In Baltimore, the burden of rising temperatures isn’t shared.</p>
<div class="plus-sign">
<a href="neighborhood-heat-inequality.html"><i class="fas fa-plus-circle fa-2x" style="color:#F23030"></i></a></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="col-xs-12 col-sm-6 col-md-6 col-lg-3 table-contents-box">
<div class="hover-box" onclick="window.location='role-of-trees.html';">
<div class="hover-img" style="background-image: url('images/toc-comp-trees-small.jpg');">
<div class="over-layer">
<h2><b>PART THREE</b></h2>
<h3>The Role of Trees</h3>
<div class="hover-info">
<p class="hover-text">Poor neighborhoods in Baltimore have far less tree canopy than wealthier neighborhoods.</p>
<a href="role-of-trees.html"><div class="plus-sign"><i class="fas fa-plus-circle fa-2x" style="color:#F23030"></i></div></a>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="col-xs-12 col-sm-6 col-md-6 col-lg-3 table-contents-box">
<div class="hover-box" onclick="window.location='city-climate-future.html';">
<div class="hover-img" style="background-image: url('images/toc-comp-future-small.jpg');">
<div class="over-layer">
<h2><b>PART FOUR</b></h2>
<h3>Seeking solutions</h3>
<div class="hover-info">
<p class="hover-text">Are government leaders and residents ready to act?<a href="city-climate-future.html"><div class="plus-sign"><i class="fas fa-plus-circle fa-2x" style="color:#F23030"></i></div></a>
</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div><!-- END 'row' div-->
</div><br><!-- END 'more-stories' div to open wider container -->
<!--END Table of Contents-->
<!-- START Table of Contents for Computer Screens -->
<div class="more-stories-bottom">
<div class="row">
<div class="col-xs-12 col-sm-6 col-md-6 col-lg-3 table-contents-box">
<div class="hover-box" onclick="window.location='https://www.npr.org/2019/09/03/754044732/as-rising-heat-bakes-u-s-cities-the-poor-often-feel-it-most';">
<div class="hover-img" style="background-image: url('images/toc-comp-npr-small.jpg');">
<div class="over-layer">
<h2><b>NPR</b></h2>
<h3>Heat and Income</h3>
<div class="hover-info">
<p class="hover-text">As Rising Heat Bakes U.S. Cities, The Poor Often Feel It Most</p>
<a href="https://www.npr.org/2019/09/03/754044732/as-rising-heat-bakes-u-s-cities-the-poor-often-feel-it-most"><div class="plus-sign"><i class="fas fa-plus-circle fa-2x" style="color:#F23030"></i></div></a>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="col-xs-12 col-sm-6 col-md-6 col-lg-3 table-contents-box">
<div class="hover-box" onclick="window.location='https://www.npr.org/2019/09/04/755349748/trees-are-key-to-fighting-urban-heat-but-cities-keep-losing-them';">
<div class="hover-img" style="background-image: url('images/toc-comp-npr2-small.jpg');">
<div class="over-layer">
<h2><b>NPR</b></h2>
<h3>Heat and Trees</h3>
<div class="hover-info">
<p class="hover-text">Trees Are Key To Fighting Urban Heat — But Cities Keep Losing Them</p>
<a href="https://www.npr.org/2019/09/04/755349748/trees-are-key-to-fighting-urban-heat-but-cities-keep-losing-them"><div class="plus-sign"><i class="fas fa-plus-circle fa-2x" style="color:#F23030"></i></div></a>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="col-xs-12 col-sm-6 col-md-6 col-lg-3 table-contents-box">
<div class="hover-box" onclick="window.location='https://www.npr.org/2019/09/04/757034136/how-high-heat-can-impact-mental-health';">
<div class="hover-img" style="background-image: url('images/toc-comp-npr3-small.jpg');">
<div class="over-layer">
<h2><b>NPR</b></h2>
<h3>Heat and Mental Health</h3>
<div class="hover-info">
<p class="hover-text">How High Heat Can Impact Mental Health</p>
<a href="https://www.npr.org/2019/09/04/757034136/how-high-heat-can-impact-mental-health"><div class="plus-sign"><i class="fas fa-plus-circle fa-2x" style="color:#F23030"></i></div></a>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="col-xs-12 col-sm-6 col-md-6 col-lg-3 table-contents-box">
<div class="hover-box" onclick="window.location='behind-scenes.html';">
<div class="hover-img" style="background-image: url('images/toc-comp-bts-small.jpg');">
<div class="over-layer">
<h2><b>ABOUT THE PROJECT</b></h2>
<h3>BEHIND THE SCENES</h3>
<div class="hover-info">
<p class="hover-text">A look at how and why we reported the series</p>
<a href="behind-scenes.html"><div class="plus-sign">
<i class="fas fa-plus-circle fa-2x" style="color:#F23030"></i></div></a>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div><!-- END 'row' div-->
<div class="container">
<hr style="border: 1px solid #F23030;" width="100%" /><br>
</div>
</div><br><br><!-- END 'more-stories' div to open wider container -->
</div><!--END Table of Contents-->
<!-- START Table of Contents for Tablet and Mobile -->
<div class="tablet-mobile">
<div class="container">
<hr style="border: 1px solid #F23030;" width="100%" /><br>
<div class="small-head">
<b>CODE <span class="red">RED:</span></b> Baltimore's Climate Divide
</div><br>
</div>
<div class="app">
<ul class="card-container">
<li>
<div class="card" style="width: 18rem;" onclick="window.location='introduction.html';">
<img class="card-img-top" src="images/toc-mobile-lead.jpg" alt="Introduction table of contents image">
<div class="card-body">
<h5 class="card-title"><b>INTRODUCTION</b></h5>
<h6 class="card-subtitle">CODE RED</h6>
<p class="card-text">How the climate crisis affects Baltimore’s hottest neighborhoods. </p>
<a href="introduction.html" class="btn btn-primary">Read more</a>
</div>
</div>
</li>
<li>
<div class="card" style="width: 18rem;" onclick="window.location='neighborhood-heat-inequality.html';">
<img class="card-img-top" src="images/toc-mobile-neighborhood.jpg" alt="Heat and Inequality table of contents image">
<div class="card-body">
<h5 class="card-title"><b>PART ONE</b></h5>
<h6 class="card-subtitle">HEAT & INEQUALITY</h6>
<p class="card-text">In Baltimore, the burden of rising temperatures isn’t shared.</p>
<a href="neighborhood-heat-inequality.html" class="btn btn-primary">Read more</a>
</div>
</div>
</li>
<li>
<div class="card" style="width: 18rem;" onclick="window.location='role-of-trees.html';">
<img class="card-img-top" src="images/toc-mobile-trees.jpg" alt="Role of Trees table of contents image">
<div class="card-body">
<h5 class="card-title"><b>PART THREE</b></h5>
<h6 class="card-subtitle">THE ROLE OF TREES</h6>
<p class="card-text">Poor neighborhoods in Baltimore have far less tree canopy than wealthier neighborhoods.</p>
<a href="role-of-trees.html" class="btn btn-primary">Read more</a>
</div>
</div>
</li>
<li>
<div class="card" style="width: 18rem;" onclick="window.location='city-climate-future.html';">
<img class="card-img-top" src="images/toc-mobile-future.jpg" alt="Looking Forward table of contents image">
<div class="card-body">
<h5 class="card-title"><b>PART FOUR</b></h5>
<h6 class="card-subtitle">Seeking solutions</h6>
<p class="card-text">Are government leaders and residents ready to act?</p>
<a href="city-climate-future.html" class="btn btn-primary">Read more</a>
</div>
</div>
</li>
<li>
<div class="card" style="width: 18rem;" onclick="window.location='https://www.npr.org/2019/09/03/754044732/as-rising-heat-bakes-u-s-cities-the-poor-often-feel-it-most';">
<img class="card-img-top" src="images/toc-mobile-npr.jpg" alt="NPR article table of contents image">
<div class="card-body">
<h5 class="card-title"><b>NPR</b></h5>
<h6 class="card-subtitle">Heat and income</h6>
<p class="card-text">As Rising Heat Bakes U.S. Cities, The Poor Often Feel It Most.</p>
<a href="https://www.npr.org/2019/09/03/754044732/as-rising-heat-bakes-u-s-cities-the-poor-often-feel-it-most" class="btn btn-primary">Read more</a>
</div>
</div>
</li>
<li>
<div class="card" style="width: 18rem;" onclick="window.location='https://www.npr.org/2019/09/04/755349748/trees-are-key-to-fighting-urban-heat-but-cities-keep-losing-them';">
<img class="card-img-top" src="images/toc-mobile-npr2.jpg" alt="NPR article table of contents image">
<div class="card-body">
<h5 class="card-title"><b>NPR</b></h5>
<h6 class="card-subtitle">Heat and Trees</h6>
<p class="card-text">Trees Are Key To Fighting Urban Heat — But Cities Keep Losing Them</p>
<a href="https://www.npr.org/2019/09/04/755349748/trees-are-key-to-fighting-urban-heat-but-cities-keep-losing-them" class="btn btn-primary">Read more</a>
</div>
</div>
</li>
<li>
<div class="card" style="width: 18rem;" onclick="window.location='https://www.npr.org/2019/09/04/757034136/how-high-heat-can-impact-mental-health';">
<img class="card-img-top" src="images/toc-mobile-npr3.jpg" alt="NPR article table of contents image">
<div class="card-body">
<h5 class="card-title"><b>NPR</b></h5>
<h6 class="card-subtitle">Heat and Mental Health</h6>
<p class="card-text">How High Heat Can Impact Mental Health</p>
<a href="https://www.npr.org/2019/09/04/757034136/how-high-heat-can-impact-mental-health" class="btn btn-primary">Read more</a>
</div>
</div>
</li>
<li>
<div class="card" style="width: 18rem;" onclick="window.location='behind-scenes.html';">
<img class="card-img-top" src="images/toc-mobile-bts.jpg" alt="Behind the Scenes table of contents image">
<div class="card-body">
<h5 class="card-title"><b>ABOUT THE PROJECT</b></h5>
<h6 class="card-subtitle">BEHIND THE SCENES</h6>
<p class="card-text">A look at how and why we reported the series</p>
<a href="behind-scenes.html" class="btn btn-primary">Read more</a>
</div>
</div>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="container">
<br><div class="scroll-more"> Swipe to see more stories <i class="fas fa-angle-double-right"></i></div>
<hr style="border: 1px solid #F23030;" width="100%" /><br>
</div>
</div><!--END Table of Contents-->
<!--START Partnerships message in main container-->
<div class="container">
<p id="credit"><b class="red">ABOUT THIS PROJECT:</b> This work is a collaboration between the University of Maryland's Howard Center for Investigative Journalism and Capital News Service, NPR, Wide Angle Youth Media in Baltimore and WMAR television. Learn more about the reporting behind the stories <a class ="underline-effect" href="behind-scenes.html" style="color:black"><b>here</b></a>. Read the first installment of this investigation into the effects of climate change on public health in Baltimore, "<a class ="underline-effect" href="https://cnsmaryland.org/interactives/spring-2019/bitter-cold/" style="color:black"><b>Bitter Cold.</b></a>"
<br><br>
<b class="red">FUNDING FOR THE PROJECT:</b> Support for this project comes from generous grants from the Scripps Howard Foundation, the Park Foundation, the Online News Association, the Annie E. Casey Foundation and the Philip Merrill College of Journalism. </p><br><br>
</div><br> <!--CLOSE Partnership message and main container-->
<!-- JavaScript calls -->
<!-- scripts for charts-->
<!-- Custom js for graphic-->
<script src="js/health-leaflet-map.js"></script>
<script src="js/scatterplot-script.js"></script>
<!-- Bootstrap js-->
<script src="https://code.jquery.com/jquery-3.3.1.slim.min.js" integrity="sha384-q8i/X+965DzO0rT7abK41JStQIAqVgRVzpbzo5smXKp4YfRvH+8abtTE1Pi6jizo" crossorigin="anonymous"></script>
<script src="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/popper.js/1.14.7/umd/popper.min.js" integrity="sha384-UO2eT0CpHqdSJQ6hJty5KVphtPhzWj9WO1clHTMGa3JDZwrnQq4sF86dIHNDz0W1" crossorigin="anonymous"></script>
<script src="https://stackpath.bootstrapcdn.com/bootstrap/4.3.1/js/bootstrap.min.js" integrity="sha384-JjSmVgyd0p3pXB1rRibZUAYoIIy6OrQ6VrjIEaFf/nJGzIxFDsf4x0xIM+B07jRM" crossorigin="anonymous"></script>
<!-- Our custom Javascript -->
<script src="js/javascript.js"></script>
<script type = "text/javascript">
var chart = c3.generate(
{
data: { x: 'x',
columns: [
['x', 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019],
['data1', 13, 2, 3, 1, 5, 0, 13],
['data2', 46, 17, 8, 6, 17, 5, 28]
],
names: {
data1: 'City of Baltimore',
data2: 'Maryland'
},
type: 'bar'
},
color: {
pattern: ['#ffa70d', '#F23030']
},
bar: {
width: {
ratio: 0.75
}
}
});
</script>
<!-- Variables for social media icon popups -->
<script type="text/javascript">
//Twitter variables
var tweet = "Code Red: Baltimore’s Climate Divide. Health risks rise with the temperature."; //Tweet text
var url = "https://cnsmaryland.org/interactives/summer-2019/code-red/heat-health.html"; //Interactive URL
//Facebook variables
var picture = "https://cnsmaryland.org/interactives/summer-2019/code-red/images/fb-thumb-health.png"; //Picture URL
var title = "Code Red: Baltimore’s Climate Divide"; //Post title
var description = "Health risks rise with the temperature."; //Post description
var url = "https://cnsmaryland.org/interactives/summer-2019/code-red/heat-health.html"; //Interactive URL
</script>
<!-- METRICS -->
<!-- START Parse.ly Include: Standard -->
<script id="parsely-cfg" src="//cdn.parsely.com/keys/cnsmaryland.org/p.js"></script>
<!-- END Parse.ly Include: Standard -->
<!-- BaltimoreSun METRICS -->
<script>
$(function() {
if(document.referrer.split('/')[2]=='www.baltimoresun.com'){
((((window.trb || (window.trb = {})).data || (trb.data = {})).metrics || (trb.data.metrics = {})).thirdparty = {
pageName: 'bs:dataproject:news:maryland:code-red-urban-heat-islands:dataproject.',
channel: 'news:maryland',
server: 'data.baltimoresun.com',
hier1: 'baltimoresun:news:maryland',
hier2: 'news:maryland',
prop1: 'D=pageName',
prop2: 'news',
prop38: 'dataproject',
prop57: 'D=c38',
eVar20: 'baltimoresun',
eVar21: 'D=c38',
eVar34: 'D=ch',
eVar35: 'D=pageName',
events:''
});
}
});
</script>
<script src="https://www.baltimoresun.com/thirdpartyservice?disablenav=true" async></script>
</body>
</html>