Extreme heat and flooding are top climate vulnerability in LA

LOS ANGELES Los Angeles faces increasing climate hazards due to extreme heat, flooding, wildfires, and other factors.

The LA County Climate Vulnerability Assessment has revealed that extreme heat events are expected to increase tenfold by 2025, while wildfires will become more common and more destructive by the middle of the century.  

The assessment also predicts an increased risk of flooding in the inland with more dry summers and wetter springs, as a result of small increases in sea levels.

The effects of climate change are rapidly increasing, according to former California Senator Fran Pavley, who was also the current Schwarzenegger Environmental Institute Director. We can now feel, see and breathe the climate in LA County, unlike 20 years ago when California’s first climate bill was passed to reduce vehicle emissions. We are literally racing against the clock.

Gary Gero, LA County Chief Sustainability Officer, defines vulnerability as the extent and nature of a system or subpopulation being exposed to significant variations and the degree to that system or population is affected, and the subsequent inability to mitigate potential damages or deal with the consequences.

The most serious climate hazards facing the county include heat, drought and wildfire. To assess the vulnerability of the population, the assessment used data from census tracts. Assessments were made based on social factors like age, gender and education, mobility, race, and physical vulnerabilities of the area’s infrastructure systems, such as communications, energy transportation, water, and housing.

Gero stated that once you have identified the people or things most vulnerable to the climate impacts you expect and where they are likely to occur then government and policy makers will be able to start designing programs to protect our communities.

Gero stated that extreme heat is one the most serious impacts of climate changes on LA County. The assessment predicts that by 2050, the number of extreme heat events will rise tenfold. Extreme heat events are those where temperatures exceed the 98th percentile for more than four days. They occur about once every two years, but they can increase to twice per year in three decades.

The assessment found that the most vulnerable populations to extreme heat are those with pre-existing medical conditions, outdoor workers and children as well as older adults. Gero said that extreme heat can cause severe heart attacks or asthma and can also reduce cognitive function. Gero added that there are higher accident rates and more workforce absenteism during heatwaves.

The assessment found that Reseda and Winnetka communities are particularly vulnerable to extreme temperatures due to the health conditions of many of its residents. Santa Clarita is also susceptible to extreme heat because of its high number of older adults.

People of color are particularly affected. Latinx residents make up 49% of the LA County population, but 67% of those living in areas with high heat vulnerability are made up of Latinx. Black Angelenos are more susceptible to extreme environmental conditions because they are more likely than others to work outdoors.

Gero stated that 40 years ago, when we broke any kind of heat or weather-related record it was for 40 years. Because extreme heat and extreme weather are accelerating, our records are now valid for two to three more years.

Low-income households and mobile homes are the most vulnerable to coastal flooding. San Pedro and Long Beach are particularly at risk from extreme flooding caused by sea level rise. Many low-income properties in these areas are in flood zones.

Ricardo Lara, California’s Insurance Commissioner, said that nearly 20% of LA County properties are at risk of flooding due to a large storm. He said that every California county has been declared a federal flood zone at least once since 1992.

Lara stated that historically, low-income communities of color have been marginalized and will be disproportionately affected by climate impacts including rising sea levels, flooding, and said that his office is investigating ways to address climate change at the state and local level.

Housing that is constantly in flames is not affordable. A house that floods frequently is not possible to afford. He said that extreme heat and increased health risk are not affordable. Insurance is a tool to encourage prevention and promote full, equitable recovery. I am committed to making our communities and businesses more resilient to these climate-related risks.

Already, Laras’ office supports AB2238, a bill introduced in California legislature in February. It would create a statewide rank and warning system for extreme heat wave to help protect vulnerable communities, and reduce hospitalizations. His office launched the Safer from Wildfires program last year that provided guidelines for home- and business owners on how to reduce wildfire risk.

The LA County Climate Vulnerability Assessment is two years after the Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a sustainability program. The board will use the new vulnerability assessment as a springboard for policies and actions to address the impacts it has outlined.

Holly Mitchell, Chair of LA County Board of Supervisors, said that the pandemic brought home the reality that everyone’s fate is shared. How we protect the most vulnerable and poorest in our community will determine how resilient we are. The pandemic revealed the grave inequalities that have led to vulnerability and risk being assigned to Black, Latinx, and other ethnic peoples, as well as working-class and poor communities. These communities are also impacted by climate changes.

The question is, how will the county move from here?

Now, it’s time for the hard part: implementation, Pavley stated. We still have much work ahead.