A recent report in the scientific journal GeoHealth detailed the number of heat-related health emergencies and the unequal impact of urban heat exposure in Richmond. Researchers found that Black residents have disproportionately experienced heat-related illnesses during warmer months, and their communities have historically seen less investment to help them stay cool.
“While human-caused climate change is driving average global temperatures to rise, some communities and neighborhoods in Richmond, Virginia experience hotter temperatures than others,” the report stated, attributing this to a pattern of government disinvestment in Black and low-income neighborhoods. “Hotter, less resourced neighborhoods experience more heat-related health emergencies like heat stroke and heat exhaustion.”
The research, using Emergency Medical Services data reported to the Virginia Department of Health, identified 492 heat-related incidents from May to September between 2016 and 2022. Of these, Black or African-American patients accounted for 306, or 62%, despite making up only 39.9% of the city’s population. White patients, who comprise 42% of the population, accounted for 32.9% of the incidents.
