At a glance
Each region of the United States experiences climate change and its impacts on health differently. Read about success stories in the Midwest
Marquette County Health Department, Michigan
In addition to collaborating with the CDC-funded Michigan Climate and Health Adaptation Program (MICHAP), Marquette County also received a mini-grant from the CDC and the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) in 2019 to support local adaptation efforts. The Marquette County Health Department developed a “Public Health Response to Flooding Disasters” plan to protect their community from increasing extreme rain events. This plan is intended to be a step-by-step guide regarding activities conducted by MCHD staff during a flood event. Additionally, local decision-makers are using the resource to assess climate impacts on their communities’ health and using built environment design concepts to incorporate health adaptations into community planning.
Minnesota Department of Health
Extreme rainfall can wash contaminants into drinking water resources. This is particularly concerning for Minnesota as one in five Minnesotans use private wells and must maintain water quality themselves. Through multi-agency collaboration, MDPH was able to convey the climate risks to the water quality of private wells so to improve and enhance private well water testing. This was the first time climate knowledge was institutionalized into drinking water programs in the state, and it established new and continuing collaborations. Simultaneously, growing wildfire frequency means more exposure to smoke and other air pollutants. The Minnesota Climate and Health Program engaged in an interagency initiative to launch a new air quality forecast and alert program to ensure consistent messaging and that information reaches those most at-risk and key stakeholders. They also established an ongoing multi-agency relationship to develop climate-related health messaging to protect health and engage new audiences and those sensitive to poor air quality. This work has not only been supported by the CDC’s Climate-Ready States & Cities Initiative (CRSCI) but also through a 2019 mini-grant via the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA).
Michigan Department of Health and Human Services
An important climate driver of negative health outcomes in Michigan is extreme precipitation. Extreme rainfall overwhelms sewer systems, impacts drinking water, and causes power outages. The Michigan Climate and Health Adaptation Program (MICHAP) identified risks in rural and urban communities and integrated climate adaptations into community planning. By preparing the built environment now, Michigan residents will be better equipped to face their changing environment in the future.
University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health and Illinois Department of Public Health
Illinois experiences increased heat-related illnesses, infectious disease risk related to flooding, and mental health challenges. Despite these clear emerging health challenges, there are gaps in climate and health literacy among health professionals. To help close this knowledge gap, BRACE-Illinois developed climate and health educational materials for physicians and public health professionals. These included a heat toolkit, webinars targeted to family physicians and pediatricians, and graduate courses for public health students. As a result, Illinois has better informed medical and public health professionals who are better prepared for the health impacts of climate change and to discuss risks with their patients.
Wisconsin Division of Public Health
The Wisconsin Climate and Health Program addresses the health effects related to extreme heat, extreme cold, flooding, and vector-borne diseases. One of the adaptation activities that the Wisconsin Heat Health Network is developing is an early warning system in the urban southeastern part of the state and providing heat-health messaging to reduce the health impacts of heat-related illness. The heat health warning system will increase community climate resilience by allowing local decision-makers to implement informed interventions.
Additionally, Wisconsin developed the Flood Resilience Scorecard (FRS) to help local officials identify critical infrastructure risks and social vulnerabilities to improve flood-related health outcomes. This scorecard is a comprehensive checklist that assesses social, institutional, and environmental variables so that local municipalities can better assess their risks of flooding events. It also allows local municipalities to better plan for future flooding events by using the tool's recommendations based on their individual scores. Already, sixteen communities have completed scorecards, considered recommendations, and brought together sectors for collaboration and implementation.
Calhoun County Health Department, Illinois
Climate-driven seasonal flooding disrupts travel, farming, and other daily activities in the community. Supported by a 2022 mini-grant from the CDC via the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO), the Calhoun County Health Department (CCHD) developed a flood model to understand the speed and scale at which floods can sweep through the area. Utilizing booklets, the flooding information was shared with community members. By raising awareness on the issue, the CCHD aims to give residents the knowledge they need to adapt to their changing environment.
Franklin County Public Health, Ohio
Local health departments often do not have the resources or staff to manage climate change adaptation or mitigation programs. Using several mini-grant funds from the CDC via the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO), Franklin County established a health educator position to focus on developing climate change adaptation and mitigation projects, community outreach, and data gathering. Additionally, Franklin County developed indicators for climate health surveillance and is analyzing their metrics with climate science experts from Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center. Ultimately, they intend to provide their county climate health data to the public on their existing website.