The City of Columbia’s Office of Sustainability is looking for volunteers to help with the Show Me the Relief program. Show Me the Relief aims to provide residents with the means to become more heat resilient in the face of an increasingly hotter climate. To learn more about the Show Me the Relief program, please visit comoclimateaction.org and Columbia’s Climate Action and Adaptability Plan.
Columbia is no stranger to high heat and humidity, but extreme heat events in the U.S. have been steadily increasing in frequency over the last several decades. Extreme heat is major leading cause of weather-related illness, including heat rash, heat exhaustion, heat stroke, and even death. Hotter and more frequent above-average temperature days pose a public health issue for everyone, and these heat impacts are greater in cities due to the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect. Urban areas that lack considerable tree canopy and vegetation are consistently hotter than cities with at least 40% canopy cover. In the midst of hotter, more humid, and denser cities, it’s important to recognize the signs of heat-related illnesses and work towards heat mitigation policies. If you are outside this summer and are in need of an accessible spot to beat the heat, visit the Show Me the Relief Map where you can find cooling stations and water fountains around Columbia.
Currently, Show Me the Relief is in need of data to better develop heat relief solutions around Columbia. From July 28th to September 12th, teams of volunteer canvassers will go door-to-door asking residents to share their experiences with extreme heat. Canvassing efforts will take place on Mondays and Fridays, from 9 am to 11 am. Light snacks, water, and training will be provided, and volunteers can participate in as many canvassing days as they want. To sign-up, email Community Resilience Organizer, Nina Thomas, at [email protected] or call 573.441.5520.
