Heatwave - Chicago 1995 Flashcards
Was there any warning?
The National Weather predicted it but didn’t give out a warning until the last day of the heatwave.
What was the highest temperature reached?
On the 13th July temperatures reached 41C. Night time temperatures were around 26C.
What type of people died from the heatwave?
People who died often lived alone, were elderly, were black and lived in poverty.
Why didn’t people open their windows and use air conditioning?
Many people lived in rough neighbourhoods and those who lived on the ground flood couldn’t open their window due to the fear of crime.
Many people didn’t have air conditioning or couldn’t afford to lead it on for long.
What were the impacts on transport?
- Roads and rails buckled under the heat.
- This caused fright and commuter delays.
What was included in the response plan made after the heatwave?
- Brochures on “wellbeing” were distributed to those who knew elderly people or had existing health problems.
- Cooling centres opened
- Monitoring of nursing homes
- Strategies for A+E to deal with it
How many cooling centres were opened?
65.
- The city also provided free bus services to get people there
Why were the police criticised?
For focusing on stopping people using fire hydrants rather than checking on vulnerable people.
What was significant about the deaths in Chicago?
- The deaths matched the map of poverty in Chicago.
- Mostly back people died.
- Few Hispanics died, this was reported to be due to close communities checking on the vulnerable.
