How can we protect our communities from extreme heat?
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Missoula might not always be top of mind when we think of "extreme heat", but it is one of the top 5 extreme weather hazards for our county and the number one weather-related killer across the nation. The science shows us that, given climate change, our number of hot and humid days above 90 degrees will continue to increase every year.
Communities that are resilient to extreme heat are those that have a robust emergency response combined with tools for building long-term adaptation for community health, ecosystems, and infrastructure. Missoula County, Climate Smart Missoula, and the City of Missoula worked together with institutional community partners to develop strategies for building resilience to heat, identify existing resources for folks, and create education and outreach materials. |
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Here's what we foundTake a look through our StoryMap!
This resource tells the story of extreme heat in our communities, looks at heat trends over time, and provides ways to beat the heat alongside information on how to support resiliency in our ecosystems and infrastructure. Click either the button below or the image on the left to view the StoryMap. |
Extreme Heat Toolkit
This toolkit aims to aid community partners in preparing for and responding to extreme heat events across Missoula County.
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Beginning in Fall 2023 project leaders from Missoula County, Climate Smart Missoula, and the City of Missoula conducted a series of interviews and focus group discussions with stakeholders from 18 organizations representing government agencies, nonprofit organizations, University of Montana departments, and healthcare facilities in or surrounding Missoula County. As a result of our stakeholder engagement, we developed an extreme heat toolkit complete with sector-specific strategies and resources for implementation.
This toolkit serves as a strategic implementation plan for heat-related goals and strategies identified in Climate Ready Missoula. This is a collaborative effort and the documents provided will continue to be updated as new data, information, stakeholders, and projects are identified. Click directly on the images below to access downloadable pdfs of these resources.
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EXTERNAL RESOURCES
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Spotlight: 2025 Heat Mapping
Thank you to our citizen scientists who joined us in collecting heat data! Heat Watch was a one-day campaign where 33 volunteers drove 12 pre-determined routes throughout Missoula County with a simple data collection device attached to their vehicle. The data will play a critical role in building our understanding of where the hotspots are in our community and how we can target outreach and resources to those who need it most. This campaign was made possible by the Center for Collaborative Heat Monitoring and CAPA Strategies. |
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THANK YOU to our community partners!
As stakeholders in the process, these entities played a crucial role in helping us understand the existing resources and gaps in extreme heat preparedness and response, and we'll keep working together:
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All Nations Health Center
Clark Fork Coalition City of Missoula Houseless Program City of Missoula Parks & Recreation City of Missoula Strategic Implementation Team on Climate Missoula Aging Services |
Missoula County Lands, Culture, and Recreation
Missoula County Office of Emergency Management Missoula County Planning, Development, & Sustainability Missoula Public Health Missoula Public Health Climate & Health Subcommittee |
University of Montana
Partnership Health Center Providence Providence St. Joseph Hospital Providence St. Patrick Hospital Rural Institute for Inclusive Communities Climate Ready Wildfire Smoke, Heat, & Human Health Working Group |
Project leads (L-R): Susan Teitelman, Leigh Ratterman, Alli Kane
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