Knowledge of cooling centers in extreme heat

Although the locations of cooling centers or indoor air-conditioned facilities such as libraries, community and senior centers, schools are published by city governments on hot days, many of the respondents report that they are not aware of where to find one. Two-thirds of respondents (67%) say they do not know the location of a cooling center they could go to in extreme heat, a figure that is statistically unchanged from last November. “Communities need to do a better job of making the public, especially the most vulnerable, aware of these centers,” said Ken Winneg, director of survey research at APPC.

More people today see the connection between extreme heat and climate change.

Compared to an APPC survey in November 2023, significantly more people now say that climate change increases the risk of heat-related illnesses, respiratory illnesses and insect-borne diseases. Two-thirds (67%) hold this view compared to just under 6 in 10 (58%) in November 2023.

More people indicate that heat waves in the United States are becoming more frequent and intense than in the past. About two-thirds (65%) believe that heat waves are becoming more frequent and intense. Fifty-eight percent (58%) felt this way in November 2023, when we last asked the question. About a quarter (24%) believe heat waves are about as frequent and intense as they’ve always been, statistically unchanged from our previous survey.

At the same time, the percentage of people who say that extreme heat has often or often affected their typical daily activities in the past year has increased significantly. Forty-three percent (43%) say extreme outdoor heat often (22%) or often (21%) has affected their daily activities, up 8 points from November 2023 (a total of 35% said either “often” or “frequently”) .

Signs of heat-related illnesses

Notably, most people also know three of the clear signs of heat-related illnesses:

• Dizziness (89% compared to 86% in August 2022)
• Nausea (83% compared to 79% in August 2022)
• Hot, red, dry or moist skin (72%, statistically unchanged from August 2022)
• Cold, pale and clammy skin (42%, statistically unchanged from August 2022).

The public understands some extreme heat hazards better than others

Looking ahead to the next 10 years, just under 6 in 10 (58%) believe people in their community will be more likely to experience heat stroke caused by extreme heat waves. This is significantly higher than in November 2023 when just over half (52%) said they thought people in their community would be more likely to experience heat stroke caused by extreme heat waves in the next 10 years.

But only 3 in 10 (30%) know that a pregnant person in the US exposed to extreme heat is more likely to deliver their baby early than a pregnant person not exposed to extreme heat. About a quarter (23%) incorrectly say that a pregnant person in the United States has either less or the same risk of giving birth early. Forty-seven percent (47%) are unsure of what is correct.

Wide awareness that heat-related deaths are most common among seniors

Two-thirds (67%) know that heat-related deaths are most common among older adults, age 65 or older, slightly but significantly higher than in August 2022 (62%).

Prevent heat-related illnesses

Almost everyone (92%) knows that drinking water is better at preventing heat-related illnesses than drinking sugary drinks.

APPC’s ASAPH survey

Survey data comes from the 20^Th wave of a nationally representative panel of 1,496 US adults, first surveyed in April 2021, conducted for the Annenberg Public Policy Center by SSRS, an independent market research firm. This wave of the Annenberg Science and Public Health Knowledge (ASAPH) survey was conducted July 11-18, 2024, and has a margin of sampling error (MOE) of ± 3.6 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. All numbers are rounded to the nearest whole number and may not add to 100%. Combined subcategories may not add to totals in the topline and text due to rounding.