From June 25th to July 1st, 2021, a heat dome struck the province of British Columbia, Canada, causing record-high temperatures over consecutive days. The temperature peaked on June 29th, reaching a high of 49.6 Celcius. Corrinne Joseph Tendo discusses the epidemiological outcomes of this event in her case study.
The heat dome caused a total death toll of 619 individuals. Older adults over the age of 60 were the most affected population, along with patients with chronic-health issues. Indigenous populations were also significantly impacted. The heat wave also led to mental distress and climate anxiety in some individuals. Local disaster management and support were lacking since this kind of extreme heat emergency was not common in the region. There was also inadequate communication and coordination between agencies involved in addressing the disaster.
Due to global warming, heat waves are becoming more frequent and intense. There is an urgent need for improvements in disaster response coordination, community assessments and organization, training, and education.