OMSI selected for national heat monitoring project amid ‘growing health hazard’
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry has been selected to track local temperatures to support a nationwide heat resiliency project, Oregon Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley announced Wednesday.
The Portland museum was selected by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to serve as the Pacific Northwest research hub for the Center for Collaborative Heat Monitoring — based at the Museum of Life and Science in Durham, N.C.
Researchers will track extreme heat to help communities mitigate heat risks at a local scale for community members, policymakers, and researchers at the Center for Collaborative Heat Monitoring. The project also aims to reduce the amount of heat mortality across the United States.
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“Heat is a growing health hazard around the world; tracking local heat data will be key for communities to advance their resilience strategies. Through this project, OMSI will work with at least nine groups, both urban and rural, to collect heat data to inform local, regional, and federal climate action. This effort leverages OMSI as a convener, so communities in the Pacific Northwest and nationwide can combine assets toward healthier, more equitable futures,” said Marcie Benne, OMSI Director of Engagement Research and Advancement.
“As the climate crisis worsens, heat is becoming an even more grave concern for vulnerable Oregonians without air conditioning as well as farmers dealing with drought and communities facing wildfires,” Sen. Wyden said. “We need solid, local data that help inform solutions. Ensuring accurate, real-time information from Oregon’s vital ecosystems and climates are included will give a broader picture of what we are challenged with as a state, region and nation.”
Sen. Merkley highlighted the importance of preparing for extreme heat “as climate chaos intensifies,” adding, “The data that OMSI and their research partners collect will allow us to see the full picture of how severe heat impacts our communities, ecosystems, and infrastructure. Equipped with local data produced by this project, we can continue to protect Oregonians from the dangerous consequences of soaring temperatures and build resilience in our communities.”
In addition to OMSI, sites in other regions will track heat at the Arizona Science Center and the Museum of Science in Boston.
The project comes after Oregon saw more than 100 deaths caused by heat during the summer of 2021, including 102 deaths occurring during the June heat dome event, and six deaths during a heatwave in August, according to the Oregon Health Authority’s Climate and Health in Oregon 2021-2022 Report.
In 2022, Oregon saw 14 heat-related deaths, OHA said, noting data for heat deaths in 2023 will be released later in 2024.
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