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Extreme heat is defined as a period of high heat and humidity with temperatures above 90°F for at least two to three days. Extreme heat is responsible for the highest number of annual deaths among all weather-related hazards.

Exposure to extreme heat creates both direct health effects (heat stroke, reduced labor productivity) and indirect consequences (promoting air pollution, increasing asthma attacks, overloading power grids requiring rolling blackouts). Extreme heat can also trigger other natural disasters such as drought and wildfires, while harming livestock and crop production.

General Resources

Heat.gov is the web portal for the National Integrated Heat Health Information System (NIHHIS). It offers preparation materials for excessive heat events, guidance during heat waves, and information about heat-related health dangers. Resources include educational materials, games for children, and Spanish-language outreach materials.

• What to do during an excessive heat event — NWS
• Health dangers of heat — NWS
• Games and activities to educate children about heat — NWS
• Spanish-language heat outreach materials — NWS

Text SHELTER + your ZIP code to 43362 (4FEMA) to find the nearest shelter in your area.

Outdoor and Workplace Safety

Working in hot conditions is taxing on the body. Learn more at OSHA Heat Illness Prevention.

• Heat Illness: Prevent Heat Illness at Work Poster (PDF, English)
• Heat Illness Prevention Poster (PDF, Español)

Livestock, Crops, and Pets

• Heat Stress and Beef Cattle — Penn State Extension
• Animal Handling During Heat Stress (Dairy) — UW-Madison Extension
• Heat Stress in Small Ruminants — SDSU Extension
• Heat Stress in Swine — University of Minnesota Extension
• Preventing Heat Stress in Poultry — University of Minnesota Extension
• Heat Safety on the Farm — Penn State Extension
• Blue-Green Algae and Livestock — NDSU Extension (drinking water from stagnant ponds during hot weather can cause sudden death in animals)