Analyzing changes to U.S. municipal heat response plans during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Extreme heat events are the deadliest weather-related event in the United States. Cities throughout the United States have worked to develop heat adaptation strategies to limit the impact of extreme heat on vulnerable populations. However, the COVID-19 pandemic presented unprecedented challenges to local governments. This paper provides a preliminary review of strategies and interventions used to manage compound COVID-19-extreme heat events in the 25 most populous cities of the United States. Heat adaptation strategies employed prior to the COVID-19 pandemic were not adequate to meet during the co-occurring compound hazard of COVID-19-EHE. Long-term climate-adaptation strategies will require leveraging physical, financial, and community resources across multiple city departments to meet the needs of compound hazards, such as COVID-19 and extreme heat. • Cities faced compound crises of COVID-19 and extreme heat in 2020. • 2020 heat response plans analyzed for 25 largest US cities. • Public health and financial limitations significantly reduced cooling access. • Record breaking temperatures left many vulnerable to heat illness and death. • Adaptation and mitigation strategies are needed to manage compound heat events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]