Health & Safety

Across all sectors, storms/flooding and extreme heat emerged as the climate stressors of greatest concern. Key vulnerabilities that were very similar across multiple sectors included

• Increased risk of damage or losses to infrastructure due to flooding
• Shifts in the size and location of floodplains and the loss of areas suitable for certain uses (see flood plain map below)
• Key population vulnerabilities within La Crosse include extreme heat and air quality impacts, power /infrastructure failure risk, and food insecurity

Adaptation efforts that effectively address these key vulnerabilities will not only reduce the negative impacts of climate change on La Crosse but also have the potential to address underlying stressors and inequities that have long been an issue in the community. With careful attention and community willingness to invest time and resources into adaptation as well as mitigation efforts, La Crosse can become more resilient and continue to grow and thrive over the coming decades.

The recommended actions in the CAP are:

1. Advocate for the inclusion of a climate preparedness element in public health programs aimed at vulnerable populations.
2. Advocate for increased funding to meet greater demand for public health services for at-risk populations.
3. Deploy point-in-time alert systems (e.g., Rave Alert, Nixle) to notify people of extreme weather events, periods of dangerous heat/cold, poor air or water quality, and other public health concerns, and refer them to resources on symptoms and prevention of climate-related illness.
4. Incorporate climate change and CAP goals into the Community Health Improvement Plan and Health Impact Assessments.
5. Include climate changes health impacts and risks in Health Impact Assessments and annual re- porting.
6. Ensure there are specific procedures in emergency response and recovery plans that address citizens most vulnerable to weather-related emergencies. These citizens may include those who require mobility assistance; are disproportionately affected by extended power outages, flooding, etc.; and are non-English speakers and readers.
7. Create an Emergency Response Toolkit offering tips and suggestions for residents to increase their emergency preparedness and make it widely available to City residents.
8. Develop a City-based program to support individuals and families who cannot afford to purchase supplies for household emergency preparedness kits.
9. Collaborate with community residents to co-create educational materials and activities that in- crease awareness of climate change impacts and emphasize the need for household and neighborhood preparation.
10. Educate citizens about the hazards of air pollution (including indoor air quality) and steps to take to reduce exposure to those hazards.
11. Assist residents in signing up for state utility and heating bill assistance programs and home weatherization programs.
12. Adapt public facilities and develop new ones to serve as resiliency hubs (community centers that can provide resources before, during, and after climate disasters and emergencies) following guidance from the Urban Sustainability Directors Network(USDN).
13. Conduct targeted outreach to ensure that vulnerable populations are signed up for alert systems that notify them of dangerous conditions and where/how to seek shelter or other resources.
14. Aid populations vulnerable to financial strain caused by climate hazards (e.g., low-income populations, communities of color, older adults and people with disabilities), including helping with and reducing utility costs.
15. Organize a Mobility as a Service program to ensure equitable access to necessities and services for vulnerable populations and those without sufficient access to transportation.
16. Incentivize building owners to increase the resilience of existing and new buildings, such as elevating HVAC and electrical equipment off basement floor, installing backflow preventers, maintaining shade trees, installing permeable pavement, conserving energy, generating renewable energy onsite, and building safe rooms. Ensure that incentive programs prioritize multi-family dwellings and improvements that benefit vulnerable populations.
17. Incentivize the use of strategies that improve air quality by reducing commercial emissions, particulate matter emissions, or other harmful pollutants. Within this incentive program, prioritize neighborhoods or census blocks with high percent of low-income and minority populations.
18. Nurture community-lead initiatives for equitable climate action that reduce resident's carbon footprint and increase climate resilience, such as transportation without cars (biking, walking, transit), tree planting, and climate friendly yards.
19. Establish cooling centers in air-conditioned public facilities (e.g., senior centers, libraries), with an emphasis on locations that maximize accessibility by vulnerable populations (i.e., those with limited mobility or lack of access to private vehicles).
20. Ensure that vulnerable residents are aware of and able to access the City's cooling centers during periods of extreme heat.

Climate-related hazards pose a direct risk to facilities and personnel. Extreme weather events can cause critical facilities like hospitals to lose primary and backup power or incur damage that requires them to evacuate patients or even close for an extended period of time. Key infrastructure like telecommunications and power systems can be damaged or disrupted by extreme temperatures, resulting in challenges to emergency communications or availability of cybersecurity systems.

The recommended actions in the CAP are:

1. Create a map of key infrastructure that is vulnerable to climate change.
2. Plan and establish alternative / on-site power supply with capacity to operate during grid failure.
3. Ensure that facilities that serve vulnerable populations (e.g., senior centers, libraries, hospitals and clinics) are resilient to climate hazards and have established best practices for responding to emergencies such as flooding, power outages, and extreme heat.

Studies suggest that social networks are important in times of stress. These connections help to facilitate collective action as well as communication. Connected communities have a better chance of acting on climate risk management strategies, coping with severe weather events and seeking out potential benefits from altered conditions. In fact, some research indicates that people helping people may be as important, if not more so, than emergency services. Based on this, the City of La Crosse can help lesson community vulnerabilities to climate impacts through supporting improved social connectivity.

The recommended actions in the CAP are:

1. Support existing community networks and connections led by and/or geared towards populations vulnerable to extreme weather events, including people who are elderly, homebound, disabled, isolated, or those likely to need financial assistance.
2. Make grants available to community organizations for assistance reaching, communicating with, and supporting vulnerable community members - particularly in association with extreme weather events.
3. Advocate for including climate change mitigation and adaptation in science curricula in grade schools.
4. Support the creation of call trees and block networks to check on neighbors during/after extreme weather events, particularly when they involve grid disruption.
5. Collaborate to form and maintain a public health and climate change working group, with a focus on networks for community support, adaptation, and education.
6. Enhance the coordination between local natural resource agencies and vector control programs to ensure populations of mosquitos, ticks, rodents, and other potential disease vectors are managed in a way that protects human health and ensures ecological integrity and vitality.

There is a strong relationship between human health and environmental health. From the air we breathe to the water we drink and use, life here on Earth depends on the natural resources and the environment around us. Changes in climate, such as higher average temperatures and increased storm frequency and intensity, can intensify public health stressors. Climate change also increase risks and impacts to public mental health including mild stress and distress, high-risk coping behavior such as increased alcohol use and, occasionally, mental disorders such as depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress. These impacts endanger public health and safety by affecting the air we breathe, the weather we experience, our food and water sources, and our interactions with the built and natural environments. As the climate continues to change, the risks to human health continue to grow.

In the same way local governments and the health care industry pro- mote healthy behaviors such as eating right and exercising, agencies should recognize the relationship between climate action, environmental stewardship, and community health since the health of our environment affects public health.

• Emergency, health, and safety resources or services may be affected by changing conditions, particularly those in high-risk areas
• Changes in patterns of demand for emergency and health care services as a result of climate change, including changes in the type, frequency, or location of emergency services required
• Impacts of extreme events that prevent emergency personnel from quickly and safely reaching those in need, or limit operation of emergency systems
• Potential ways that climate change could impact the type of public health programming or outreach/education that is required to meet the needs of the community