Primary Submission Category: Environmental factors
Mapping the Silent Killer: Characterizing Humid Heat Waves in Mississippi
Authors: Salit Chakma, Mohammad Al-Hamdan, Lauren S. Pongetti, Md Minhazul Abedin, Tasnim Tabassum, Benjamin Walker, Fazlay Faruque,
Presenting Author: Salit Chakma*
Heat waves affect human health in ways that often are gradual and without visible warnings, earning them the designation “silent killer”. Humid heat waves, which combine high temperatures with humidity, are more detrimental than heat waves based on dry-bulb air temperature, as the presence of high humidity amplifies apparent temperature and affects the human body’s thermoregulation, worsening underlying illnesses. Therefore, it is imperative to characterize humid heat waves to discern their adverse impacts on human health. This study uses the heat index, a widely used measure of apparent temperature. A dataset comprising 1,232 days of downscaled (1-kilometer) North American Land Data Assimilation System (NLDAS) daily heat index data from warm seasons (May – September) between 2015 and 2022 was used in characterizing heat waves in Mississippi. Heat waves were defined as periods of ≥3 consecutive days with a heat index exceeding 90 ℉. The nonparametric Mann-Kendall test was used for trend analysis, and Theil-Sen’s slope was used to calculate the change rates of frequency, duration, and intensity of events. Emerging hotspot analysis identified persistent and emerging zones of humid heat wave activity. This study improves past research by using high resolution temperature data accounting for atmospheric humidity. These improvements will allow the delineation of zones needing precautionary measures to minimize the impacts of the extreme humid heat on human health. Additional analyses will examine the relationship between humid heatwave characteristics and population health, with the goal of refining risk assessment models and improving targeted public health interventions.