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<span style="mso-bookmark:x__Hlk532890118"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk62717647"><b><span style="font-size:48.0pt;font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif;color:#201F1E;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in">NEWS RELEASE</span></b></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark:x__Hlk532890118"></span><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk62717647"><span style="font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif;color:#201F1E"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
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<span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk62717647"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif;color:#201F1E;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in">For Immediate Release Date: 01/31/22</span></b></span><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk62717647"><span style="font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif;color:#201F1E"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
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<span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk62717647"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif;color:#201F1E;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in">Contact: Public Information Office Phone: (919) 560-0000/Fax: (919)
560-0020</span></b></span><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk62717647"><span style="font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif;color:#201F1E"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
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<span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk62717647"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif;color:#201F1E;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in">E-mail: </span></b></span><a href="mailto:publicinformationoffice@dconc.gov" target="_blank"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk62717647"><span style="font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in">publicinformationoffice@dconc.gov</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk62717647"></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk62717647"><span style="font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif;color:#201F1E"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
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<span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk62717647"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif;color:#201F1E;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in"> </span></b></span><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk62717647"><span style="font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif;color:#201F1E"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
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<span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk62717647"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif;color:#201F1E;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in">Durham County and Raleigh Urban Heat Island Webinar on Feb. 3</span></b></span><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk62717647"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif;color:#201F1E;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p>
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<span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk62717647"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif;color:#201F1E;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in">Urban Heat Island mapping data from summer collection to be released</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk62717647"><span style="font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif;color:#201F1E"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:8.25pt"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk62717647"><b><span style="font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif;color:#201F1E;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in">Durham, N.C. – </span></b></span><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk62717647"><span style="font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif">According
to the National Weather Service and the CDC, extreme heat </span></span><a href="https://www.weather.gov/hazstat/"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk62717647"><span style="font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif">causes the most weather-related deaths in the
United States</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk62717647"></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk62717647"><span style="font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif">. In the South, we are used to hot summers, but we are likely to see more hot days,
more heat waves, and more warm nights as the effects of climate change are increasingly felt in our region.
</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk62717647"><span style="font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:8.25pt"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk62717647"><span style="font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif">In order to better understand urban heat and how it affects the Triangle, in July 2021 over 150 community volunteers in Raleigh
and Durham County spent a day collecting data for the </span></span><a href="https://climate.ncsu.edu/research/uhi/"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk62717647"><span style="font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif">Urban Heat Island Temperature Mapping Campaign</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk62717647"></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk62717647"><span style="font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif">,
a citizen science project to generate maps showing the areas’ urban heat islands (UHI).
</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk62717647"><span style="font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:8.25pt"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk62717647"><span style="font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif">On February 3, 2022 at 6.p.m, project partners will host the
</span></span><a href="https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_WcPMXh56QXOgFo2I-ey9bQ"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk62717647"><span style="font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif">Raleigh/Durham HeatWatch UHI Data Release</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk62717647"></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk62717647"><span style="font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif">,
a public webinar to introduce these maps to the community. At this webinar, representatives from the North Carolina State Climate Office, Museum of Life and Science, City of Raleigh, Durham County and CAPA strategies will present the data and discuss efforts
to mitigate heat islands. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:8.25pt"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk62717647"><span style="font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif">Register for the webinar
</span></span><a href="https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_WcPMXh56QXOgFo2I-ey9bQ"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk62717647"><span style="font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif">here</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk62717647"></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk62717647"><span style="font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif">.</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk62717647"><span style="font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:8.25pt"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk62717647"><span style="font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif">On hot days, there can be large temperature differences between different neighborhoods of a city. Factors like tree cover and
amount of impervious surface can determine how different areas experience heat. The UHI Mapping project helps project partners and communities understand where heat islands are located, so that heat mitigation strategies can be identified and deployed, and
residents who are most vulnerable to heat impacts can be connected to services. <o:p>
</o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:8.25pt"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk62717647"><span style="font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif">“Having detailed maps showing what areas of Durham are more affected by extreme heat will make it easier for local government to
work with the neighborhoods to design solutions that make sense at the local level,” said Tobin Freid, Sustainability Manager for Durham County. “We need to find ways to reduce the heat islands and increase people’s ability to avoid and combat the stresses
brought on by extreme heat.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:8.25pt"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk62717647"><span style="font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif">Tackling the issue of urban heat islands fits within Durham County Strategic Goal 2 of Health and Well-being for all and Goal 4
of Environmental Stewardship. For the first time, the Durham County </span></span><a href="https://healthydurham.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/2020-CHA-FINAL.pdf"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk62717647"><span style="font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif">Community
Health Assessment</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk62717647"></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk62717647"><span style="font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif"> from the Partnership for a Healthy Durham includes a
</span></span><a href="https://www.dconc.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/36068"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk62717647"><span style="font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif">section</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk62717647"></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk62717647"><span style="font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif">
on climate change, with a section dedicated to the impact of extreme heat on our community. This section highlights eight census tracts that have higher risks and exposure to climate impacts due to historic racism that resulted in fewer trees and green spaces,
higher percentages of impervious surfaces that retain heat, and higher percentages of people living in poverty without health insurance. Those tracts have 20 percent higher percentage of people of color than the County as a whole.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:8.25pt"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk62717647"><span style="font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif">The Urban Heat Island Mapping Project was a part of the 2021 National Integrated Heat Health Information System (NIHHIS) and Climate
Adaptation Planning Analytics (CAPA) </span></span><a href="https://nihhis.cpo.noaa.gov/Urban-Heat-Islands/Mapping-Campaigns/Campaign-Cities"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk62717647"><span style="font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif">HeatWatch Campaign</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk62717647"></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk62717647"><span style="font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif">.
Raleigh and Durham were among 13 locations around the country selected to participate. The local project partners were
</span></span><a href="https://www.dconc.gov/county-departments/departments-a-e/engineering-and-environmental-services/sustainability-office/climate-resilience/extreme-heat/-fsiteid-1#!/"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk62717647"><span style="font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif">Durham
County</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk62717647"></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk62717647"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif">, the
</span></span></span><a href="https://raleighnc.gov/services/sustainability/mapping-urban-heat-islands"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk62717647"><span style="font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif">City of Raleigh</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk62717647"></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk62717647"><span style="font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif">,
, the </span></span><a href="https://naturalsciences.org/"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk62717647"><span style="font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif">NC Museum of Natural Sciences</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk62717647"></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk62717647"><span style="font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif">,
</span></span><a href="https://www.lifeandscience.org/"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk62717647"><span style="font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif">Museum of Life and Science</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk62717647"></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk62717647"><span style="font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif">,
</span></span><a href="https://activategood.org/"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk62717647"><span style="font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif">Activate Good</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk62717647"></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk62717647"><span style="font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif">,
</span></span><a href="https://climate.ncsu.edu/research/uhi/"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk62717647"><span style="font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif">NC State Climate Office</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk62717647"></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk62717647"><span style="font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif">,
the </span></span><a href="https://nihhis.cpo.noaa.gov/Urban-Heat-Islands/Understand-Urban-Heat-Islands"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk62717647"><span style="font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif">National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk62717647"></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk62717647"><span style="font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif">,
the </span></span><a href="https://www.weather.gov/bgm/heat"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk62717647"><span style="font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif">National Weather Service</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk62717647"></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk62717647"><span style="font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif">,
and </span></span><a href="https://www.capastrategies.com/"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk62717647"><span style="font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif">CAPA Strategies</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk62717647"></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk62717647"><span style="font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif">.
The data collected through this project was analyzed by CAPA Strategies in Portland, Oregon, which developed the maps.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:8.25pt"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk62717647"><span style="font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif">For more information, contact Durham County Sustainability Manager Tobin Freid at 919-560-7999 or email to
</span></span><a href="mailto:tfreid@dconc.gov"><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk62717647"><span style="font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif">tfreid@dconc.gov</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk62717647"></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk62717647"><span style="font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif">.
</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk62717647"><span style="font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0in;text-align:center;line-height:normal;background:white">
<span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk62717647"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif;color:#201F1E;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in">###</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark:_Hlk62717647"></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Avenir Next LT Pro",sans-serif;color:#201F1E"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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