California Governor Gavin Newsom Makes Big Announcement

Governor Gavin Newsom recently launched a new campaign to protect Californians from extreme heat...

Photo byGage Skidmore via Wikimedia Commons

Governor Gavin Newsom recently launched Heat Ready CA - a campaign designed to keep Californians safe during periods of extreme heat.

“The impacts of climate change have never been more clear," Gavin Newsom said in a statement. "The hots continue to get hotter in our state and across the West putting millions of Californians at risk. California is launching Heat Ready CA as another tool in the state’s arsenal to protect people from extreme heat. We’re asking everyone to stay alert to changing weather and take the necessary steps to keep themselves and their families safer from deadly heatwaves.”

The two-year, $20 million campaign focuses on the most vulnerable heat-sensitive groups, per a press release. The campaign is also part of the Governor's Extreme Heat Action Plan, which has over $400 million in funding and is intended to guide the state's response to heatwaves by ensuring that California reaches vulnerable communities.

The launch of Heat Ready CA coincides with the National Weather Service's prediction that much of California and the southwestern United States will experience extreme heat that will "rival some of the worst heat waves this area has ever seen."

“Heat-related illnesses such as dehydration, heat exhaustion and heat stroke, as well as respiratory problems, are among the potentially dangerous effects of extreme heat,” said California Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly. “But as with earthquakes, floods or other natural weather events, Californians can better protect themselves and others with a few simple tips.”

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