This summer, the Johnson County Department of Health and Environment and the Unified Government Public Health Department of Wyandotte County will participate in the 2023 Urban Heat Island Mapping Campaign.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration selected communities from 14 states and one international city, Santiago, Chile. Since 2017, NOAA has collected data to help local decision-makers develop and implement strategies to reduce the health impacts of extreme heat.

Urban heat islands are areas with few trees and more pavement that absorbs heat and can be 20 degrees Fahrenheit hotter than nearby neighborhoods with more trees, grass and less black asphalt.

“The distribution of heat is not felt equally among our communities. This campaign will show us exactly where the hot spots in Johnson and Wyandotte counties are and will lead to the development of community-driven strategies to lessen the burden of extreme heat in our neighborhoods,” says Jackson Ward, JCDHE epidemiologist.

The data gathered will help local communities implement tree-planting strategies, determine the location of new public transit shelters for cooling relief, develop heat action plans and educate residents and policymakers about the distribution and dangers of heat in our communities.

The National Weather Service and NOAA will predict a week in the peak of summer to collect data that best represents our area’s urban heat island effect. While the official date is to be determined, the campaign will likely launch between mid-July and August.

Data is collected by a team of volunteer community scientists who will travel through neighborhoods in the morning, afternoon and evening on one of the hottest days of the year with sensors mounted on vehicles. To create the maps, the sensors record temperature, humidity, time and the volunteers’ location every second.

“By engaging our communities in this cross-county collaboration, we are charting a path for even more future partnerships to improve health equity and attack the gaps our residents experience. By creating these maps, local organizations and governments will be provided with another tool to combat the threats of heat in our neighborhoods. This will also provide opportunities to convene and advocate for more policy that will help our counties grow sustainably and resiliently,” adds JCDHE Director Charlie Hunt.

The data collected from the campaigns are available to view online at heat.gov.