Richmond, IN Heat Watch Campaign

Across the country,  extreme heat events are rising in occurrence  ,  and with an increase in extreme heat events, comes an increase in heat-related illness and death. While heat can be assumed an everyday occurrence as the seasons change,  extreme heat is the deadliest weather hazard facing the United States , causing more harm than any other extreme weather event.

The Heat Watch Campaign is a mapping campaign created by  The National Integrated Heat Health Information System (NIHHIS)  and  CAPA (Climate Adaptation Planning Analytics) Strategies . The campaign is a citizen-science endeavor to gather temperature data to be aggregated and analyzed for the creation of temperature maps. Richmond's Heat Watch Campaign took place as a part of the City's broader  "Beat the Heat"  Program.

On Monday, August 23rd, 13 volunteers drove/biked around the City of Richmond with temperature sensors affixed to their vehicles. The volunteers traversed the city three times throughout the day (6 - 7 am, 3 - 4 pm, and 7 - 8 pm), collecting data as they drove or biked. An example section of one of the volunteer routes can be seen to the left.

Urban areas, such as Richmond's city center, suffer from extreme heat more than their rural landscape counterparts.  This is due to the fact that urban areas have more buildings, roads, and built infrastructure than natural/rural areas . These types of infrastructure  absorb and emit heat much easier than natural/rural areas , causing those in the city's more developed regions to experience temperature differently.

Increased temperatures in urban areas are caused by the urban heat island effect. In places where green space is limited, the urban heat island effect can make daytime temperatures trend  1-7°F hotter than outlying areas. 

Shown below are maps including the temperature data collected by volunteers during the Heat Watch Campaign. Some of the maps include additional data to help depict the relationship that near-surface temperature can have with factors like land cover type and social vulnerability.

Interact with the maps below to find places around the City you're familiar with and share your thoughts/questions in the feedback form at the bottom of this page.

The map below depicts the average near-surface temperature across the City of Richmond on August 23rd, 2021. The temperature differences are a reflection of a variety of factors including, but not limited to, tree abundance, land cover type, and level of urbanization. All of these factors contribute to the urban heat island effect, which can be seen most prevalently in the central and east-central parts of the city. This map depicts temperatures across the city ranging from 76.8°F - 84°F at the same point in time.

The map below shows a comparison between land cover type and average near-surface temperature. As previously mentioned, the land cover type can contribute to the urban heat island effect and warm some areas more than others due to increased absorption and re-emission of heat.

To view the map legend, click the button in the bottom left-hand corner.

Use the map and spyglass below to locate your residence. Either navigate on the map using your cursor or use the address search box at the top right. This tool can help you better understand why temperatures may get hotter/cooler when you leave your residence and travel to other places around the city.

Throughout the Spring and Summer of 2022, the City of Richmond drafted its first Heat Management Plan. While still in its draft form, we invite you to review the plan and develop any thoughts you may have about how the City can improve it before being finalized. This plan includes 24 strategies that aim to lower air temperature in Richmond and help better prepare the community for high summer temperatures. The plan outlines strategies for implementation during the duration of the Beat the Heat program (until Spring 2023) and beyond.

To check out the plan, click  here !

Use Indiana University's Environmental Resilience Insititute "Green City Mapper" application below to explore more Indiana-wide social and climate vulnerability data.

To compare the data on the platform with Richmond's Heat Watch Data, click on the layer menu and scroll to find the "CAPA Heat Watch" layers to view the Richmond heat maps. Consider selecting some of the layers listed below to see how they overlap with the heat maps:

• CDC Social Vulnerability Index 2018 - Tracts
• Food Deserts by Census Tract
• Composite Socioeconomic Indices 2019

Use this feedback form to share what you learned, what surprised you, or any questions you have about the maps.