FEMA's Overlooked Disasters: Extreme Heat and Wildfire Smoke Threaten Millions, Call for Change

Phoenix, Arizona United States of America
Center for Biological Diversity and over thirty other organizations have filed a rule-making petition with FEMA to include extreme heat and wildfire smoke in its regulations.
Cities like Phoenix are preparing for summer by identifying new locations for homeless individuals during extreme heat.
Extreme heat and wildfire smoke are not recognized as major disasters by FEMA despite their impact on millions of Americans.
Maricopa County, Arizona recorded 645 heat-related deaths in 2022, an increase of over 780% compared to the number of deaths in 2013.
FEMA's Overlooked Disasters: Extreme Heat and Wildfire Smoke Threaten Millions, Call for Change

In recent years, extreme heat and wildfire smoke have emerged as significant threats to public health and safety in the United States. However, these hazards are not recognized as major disasters by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), despite their increasing impact on millions of Americans. This oversight has prompted a call for change from environmental organizations, healthcare groups, and trade unions.

According to FEMA's official definition, a major disaster is an incident that causes widespread damage, destruction or loss of life. Extreme heat and wildfire smoke do not fit neatly into this category due to procedural practices such as governors not requesting a disaster declaration from the US president.

However, extreme heat can be just as devastating as other disasters in areas where people and infrastructure are not adapted to such conditions. For instance, Maricopa County in Arizona recorded 645 heat-related deaths in 2022, an increase of over 780% compared to the number of deaths in 2013.

To address this issue, the Center for Biological Diversity and over thirty other organizations have filed a rule-making petition with FEMA to amend the Stafford Act – FEMA's animating statute – and include extreme heat and wildfire smoke in its regulations. This change would unlock crucial disaster relief funding for local governments to invest in cooling centers, air filtration systems, and resilient energy solutions.

Meanwhile, cities like Phoenix have started preparing for the summer early this year by identifying new locations for homeless individuals to stay during extreme heat. Maricopa County's emergency repair programme has helped about 700 people since 2021 with HVAC repairs and replacements.

Despite these efforts, it is crucial to remain skeptical of all information provided and consider the potential biases that may influence the story. The mainstream media, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Today, and others, have their own agendas and may not present a complete or unbiased picture of the situation.


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Confidence

85%

Doubts
  • The article mentions the number of heat-related deaths in Maricopa County, but it does not provide a source for this information.
  • The article states that cities like Phoenix are preparing for summer by identifying new locations for homeless individuals during extreme heat. It would be important to verify if this is an ongoing effort or a one-time event.

Sources

95%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Free air con? US cities look at new ways to prevent heat deaths

BBC News Site: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-68702081, About Us URL: https://www.bbc.com/aboutthebbc/ Ana Faguy Wednesday, 19 June 2024 20:55
  • Unique Points
    • Mary Carter, a resident of Phoenix, survived for a month without air conditioning during last summer’s extreme heat.
    • Maricopa County recorded 645 heat-related deaths in 2022, an increase of over 780% compared to the number of deaths in 2013.
  • Accuracy
    No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (90%)
    The article contains a few instances of appeals to authority and inflammatory rhetoric, but overall it is well-researched and presents factual information about the rise in heat-related deaths and the measures cities are taking to prevent them. There are no clear examples of formal or informal fallacies in the content attributed directly to Ana Faguy.
    • Extreme heat killed more than 1,500 people in the US in 2022, and half of those people were homeless, according to an Associated Press report
    • The world hit 12 straight months of record-high temperatures, the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service said earlier this month.
    • As the heat gets worse, communities are searching for solutions in hopes of avoiding potentially deadly consequences.
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

92%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

What to Know about the NYC Heat Wave

The Name Of The NZ Prefix. I PWA NZI.P.Was Dropped. Shayla Colon, Monday, 17 June 2024 19:30
  • Unique Points
    • Temperatures in New York City will reach the high 90s starting on Tuesday.
    • Heat emergency plan will be activated in New York City on Tuesday.
    • Forecast shows potential peak temperature of 96 degrees on Friday.
  • Accuracy
    • ]The temperatures in New York City will reach the high 90s starting on Tuesday.[
    • A change in language in the Stafford Act could potentially allow FEMA to respond to extreme heat emergencies if a circumstance exceeds state and local capacity.
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

99%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Are extreme heat and wildfire smoke major disasters?

The Los Angeles Times Hayley Smith Monday, 17 June 2024 11:00
  • Unique Points
    • FEMA's official definition of a 'major disaster' does not include extreme heat and wildfire smoke despite their increasing harm to millions of Americans.
    • The Center for Biological Diversity and over 30 environmental organizations, healthcare groups, and trade unions have filed a rule-making petition to amend the Stafford Act, FEMA’s animating statute, to include extreme heat and wildfire smoke in its regulations.
    • Including these threats in the Stafford Act would unlock crucial disaster relief funding for local governments to invest in cooling centers, air filtration systems, and resilient energy solutions.
  • Accuracy
    No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (95%)
    No fallacies found in the author's statements. However, there is a potential informal fallacy of 'appeal to authority' with the quote from the Stafford Act. The author also makes an inflammatory statement about FEMA's historical hesitancy to provide aid in situations where property damage and other material outcomes can be harder.
    • ]The nation’s top emergency response agency has long been a lifeline for cities and states struggling with disaster. When hurricanes strike, earthquakes rattle, and tornadoes carve paths of destruction, the Federal Emergency Management Agency moves in to provide critical resources and aid. Yet for all its assistance, FEMA’s official definition of a “major disaster” does not include two threats that are increasingly posing harm to millions of Americans: extreme heat and wildfire smoke.
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

99%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Free air con? US cities look at new ways to prevent heat deaths

BBC News Website Ana Faguy Wednesday, 19 June 2024 20:59
  • Unique Points
    • Mary Carter, a resident of Phoenix, survived for a month without air conditioning during last summer’s extreme heat.
    • Maricopa County recorded 645 heat-related deaths in 2022, an increase of over 780% compared to the number of deaths in 2013.
    • Phoenix started preparations for the summer early this year and identified new locations for homeless individuals to stay during extreme heat.
    • Maricopa County’s emergency repair programme has helped about 700 people since 2021 with HVAC repairs and replacements.
  • Accuracy
    No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (95%)
    The article contains some instances of appeals to authority and inflammatory rhetoric, but no formal or blatant logical fallacies were found. The author quotes experts and officials warning about the rising number of heat-related deaths and the need for cities to take extra steps to help their most vulnerable populations survive extreme heat. The article also includes statistics from Maricopa County on the increasing number of heat-related deaths in recent years, which serves as evidence supporting the authors claims.
    • ][The world hit 12 straight months of record-high temperatures][/], [][The number of deaths in the county, external has risen each year. In 2013, there were 76 heat-related deaths recorded. Ten years later, the 645 deaths marked a jarring 784% increase.[/]
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

97%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Why isn’t extreme heat considered a disaster in the U.S.?

National Public Radio (NPR) Tuesday, 18 June 2024 00:00
  • Unique Points
    • Historically, FEMA has not responded to extreme heat due to procedural practices such as governors not requesting a disaster declaration from the US president.
    • Extreme heat can be more impactful and even disastrous in areas where people and infrastructure are not adapted to such conditions, like Wisconsin compared to Gainesville, Florida.
  • Accuracy
    No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (0%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication