“Today, on National Heat Awareness Day, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is launching a new tool to help communities prepare for extreme heat and prevent heat-related illness, especially among those most at risk. The Heat and Health Index (HHI) is the first nationwide tool to provide heat-health outcome information at the ZIP code level. The HHI will help state and local officials identify communities, at the zip code level, most likely to experience negative health outcomes from heat, ensure that outreach and medical aid reach the people who need it most, and help decision-makers prioritize community resilience investments. As all seasons, especially summer, continue to get hotter due to the climate crisis, stronger public health protections are needed. Heat is already the deadliest weather-related hazard – CDC estimates that at least 1,220 people in the U.S. are killed by heat events each year. The HHI is the latest step by the Biden-Harris Administration to provide communities with the support and resources they need to stay safe from the worsening effects of climate change, including extreme heat…”