At a glance
The Climate Burden Module (CBM) contains environmental indicators that are or have been influenced by climate change, such as extreme heat and wildfires. The CBM contains indicators relating to heat, wildfires, and extreme events.
Heat
Extreme heat days
What are extreme heat days?
Extreme heat days refer to periods of exceptionally high temperatures that are higher than the average or normal temperatures for a given area. Extreme heat days are days when the temperature reaches levels that can pose significant risks to human health, infrastructure, and nature.
Why are extreme heat days included in the EJI?
High temperatures can cause heat-related illness, death, and can worsen pre-existing health conditions (e.g., cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, asthma), particularly in areas where people are unable to cool off quickly, afford access to air conditioning, or open their windows to get fresh air due to air pollution in their community.
How are extreme heat days calculated for the EJI?
The EJI uses data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Environmental Public Health Tracking Network to represent the annual mean number of extreme heat days, using data from 2018-2022.
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Wildfire
Wildfire smoke
What is wildfire smoke?
Wildfire smoke refers to the particles and gas in the air that is released during a wildfire. Wildfire smoke typically contains a mixture of various pollutants, including carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon monoxide (CO), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), nitrogen oxides (NOx), particulate matter (PM), and other chemicals.
Why is wildfire smoke included in the EJI?
Exposure to pollutants in wildfire smoke can lead to respiratory problems (e.g., asthma), cardiovascular issues (including heart failure), and can make other pre-existing health conditions worse. Several populations are particularly vulnerable to the effects of wildfire smoke, including the very young, pregnant women, older adults, and those with pre-existing health conditions.
How is wildfire smoke calculated for the EJI?
The EJI uses data from the U.S. National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration's Hazard Mapping System to represent the average frequency of smoky days from 2013-2022.
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Wildfire proximity
What are wildfires?
Wildfires, also known as forest fires, are uncontrolled fires that occur in natural areas, such as forest, grasslands, or shrublands. These fires can spread rapidly and can cause significant damage to nature, wildlife, property, and human lives.
Why are wildfires included in the EJI?
Certain populations, including low-income populations, may be more vulnerable to wildfires, as they may be less able to evacuate, protect themselves during a wildfire, or recover from wildfires that may have destroyed their homes.
How are wildfires calculated for the EJI?
The EJI uses data from the U.S. Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity Data (MTBS) to represent the annualized average of area burned by wildfires from 2013-2022.
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Extreme Events
Coastal flooding
What is coastal flooding?
Coastal flooding refers to flooding along the coastlines due to the rise in sea level, storm surges, or a combination of these factors.
Why is coastal flooding included in the EJI?
Coastal flooding can cause injury and increase drowning risk in high waters, such as when people try to drive or walk through water to access resources or support. Flood water can also carry and spread bacteria, causing increased illness, such as gastrointestinal disease. Flooding can also increase mold growth, which can cause asthma and other respiratory symptoms to get worse. Chemical spills from nearby industrial facilities during flooding events also tend to impact low-income households more, as they are more likely to be located near these facilities.
How is coastal flooding calculated for the EJI?
The EJI uses data from the Federal Emergency Management Association's National Risk Index to represent the number of recorded coastal floods occurring each year from 1996-2019.
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Drought
What is drought?
Drought is a prolonged period of abnormally dry weather conditions that results in a shortage of water supply for human activities and natural ecosystems. Drought occurs when there is a significant lack of precipitation over an extended period of time, leading to reduced soil moisture, depleted water sources, and the limited availability of water resources.
Why is drought included in the EJI?
Drought can cause asthma and allergies to get worse, as the drier conditions increase dust in the air. Research has shown that drought can also reduce water quality in communities in drought regions and can also make wildfires more likely to occur. The dry conditions associated with droughts can also fuel wildfires so that they spread further and last longer than they would otherwise.
How is drought calculated for the EJI?
The EJI uses data from the Federal Emergency Management Association's National Risk Index to represent the number of recorded droughts occurring each year from 2000-2021.
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Riverine flooding
What is riverine flooding?
Riverine flooding, also known as river flooding, occurs when the volume of water in a river exceeds its capacity and spills over its banks, flooding the surrounding areas. Riverine flooding can occur from heavy rainfall, snowmelt, dam releases, or a combination of these factors.
Why is riverine flooding included in the EJI?
Riverine flooding can cause traumatic injury and can increase drowning risk in high waters, such as when people try to drive or walk through water. Flooding can also increase mold growth, which can cause asthma and other respiratory symptoms to get worse. When riverine flooding covers roads, it also can limit access to needed resources, including emergency resources and healthcare.
How is riverine flooding calculated for the EJI?
The EJI uses data from the Federal Emergency Management Association's National Risk Index to represent the number of riverine floods occurring each year from 1996-2019.
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Hurricanes
What are hurricanes?
Hurricanes are large, powerful storm systems that are characterized by strong winds and heavy rainfall. They form over warm ocean waters near the equator and are fueled by the evaporation of the warm ocean water.
Why are hurricanes included in the EJI?
Communities may not all have the same level of resources to prepare for and recover from hurricanes. The winds and floods that hurricanes bring can damage infrastructure and prevent people from accessing resources and support for recovery. The winds and floods from hurricanes can also lead to the worsening of health conditions (e.g., worsening asthma due to mold exposure), injury, and even death (e.g., carbon monoxide poisoning from improper use of generators).
How are hurricanes calculated for the EJI?
The EJI uses data from the Federal Emergency Management Association's National Risk Index to represent the number of recorded hurricanes occurring each year from 1851-2020.
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Tornado
What are tornadoes?
Tornadoes are powerful and destructive weather phenomena that typically appear as a visible funnel-shaped cloud extending from the base of a thunderstorm to the ground. Tornadoes typically form during severe thunderstorms and are known for their violent winds that can reach speeds exceeding 200 miles per hour.
Why are tornadoes included in the EJI?
The strong winds and airborne debris from tornadoes can cause injury, property damage, and death. Tornadoes can also prevent access to essential items and services, including access to medicine, healthcare, and drinkable water.
How are tornadoes calculated for the EJI?
The EJI uses data from the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention's National Environmental Health Tracking Network to represent the average annual number of tornadoes from 1986-2024.
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Strong winds
What are strong winds?
Strong winds are air that is moving at a high velocity or speed. Strong wind is characterized by a significant force exerted by the moving air, which can have various impacts on the environment and human activities.
Why are strong winds included in the EJI?
Strong winds can cause infrastructure damage, physical impalement, traumatic injury (e.g., electrocution and burns from fires), and death. Damaged infrastructure can also cause power loss, which can prevent people from accessing needed care and resources and can increase the risk of carbon monoxide related poisoning and death from generator use.
How are strong winds calculated for the EJI?
The EJI uses data from the Federal Emergency Management Association's National Risk Index to represent the number of recorded strong wind occurring each year from 1986-2019.
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