First U.S. Caribbean Extreme Heat Summit

The first U.S. Caribbean Extreme Heat Summit occurred on February 27-28, 2023. Credit: Pablo Méndez Lázaro

The Caribbean Climate Adaptation Network (CCAN), a NOAA CAP/RISA team, organized the First US Caribbean Extreme Heat Summit on February 27-28, 2023 at the University of Puerto Rico-Medical Sciences Campus. Warm temperatures are common in Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, but rising global temperatures are stressing excessive heat at hazardous levels than those locals are accustomed to. While local government and community members are more aware of the importance of managing heat risk than ever before, there are few US Caribbean targeted initiatives/funding for heat risk mitigation.

The first day of the meeting focused on the local challenges of the US Caribbean in adapting to extreme heat events, and the second day focused on extreme heat and learning environments in both the US Caribbean Territories and continental area.