California will soon rank heat waves like hurricanes – By Eric Ting (SFGATE) / Sept 12, 2022
Heat waves in California will soon be ranked by severity in a manner similar to hurricanes and other extreme weather events.
On Friday, after one of the worst heat waves in recent memory, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill authored by Assemblywoman Luz Rivas that would require the state to devise a “a statewide extreme heat ranking system” no later than Jan. 1, 2025. The bill’s text says the system — which would be the first in the nation for heat waves — should be modeled after “red flag” warnings for wildfires, as well as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s naming and ranking system for hurricanes and tropical storms.
“Ranking heat waves will be a powerful new tool to protect all Californians alongside Governor Gavin Newsom’s Extreme Heat Action Plan,” Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara said in a statement. “I applaud the Governor’s and the bill’s joint authors’ continued leadership on these necessary extreme heat investments and policies that will save lives and close the protection gap for our most at-risk communities as we face more heat waves in the years ahead.”
