Mountain View braces for extreme heat as climate change progresses

As climate change becomes a sweeping reality, Mountain View is taking steps to prepare for extreme heat events, big storms, wildfire activities and sea level rise.

Last year, the city hired Cascadia Consulting Group to assess the impacts of climate change on community groups and services in Mountain View. Now the consulting firm has come out with some preliminary findings that headline extreme heat as one of Mountain View’s fastest growing threats.

By the end of the century, Mountain View could experience 17 days a year of extreme heat with temperatures above 91 degrees, according to Celine Fujikawa, a Cascadia consultant who presented the findings to the Council Sustainability Committee on June 26.

Temperatures could feel much higher with elevated humidity levels, more like 109 degrees, Fujikawa said.

But it is not just extreme heat events that are cause for concern. Even 80-degree temperatures can be debilitating, especially if it stretches into weeks, Fujikawa said.

Historically, Mountain View has had on average 23 days a year of temperatures above 80 degrees. The number could climb to 70 days in the next 10 years, and to 124 days by the end of the century, according to the presentation.

“Under a high emission scenario, that’s over four months out of the year with temperatures above 80 degrees,” Fujikawa said.

Prolonged heat events are particularly harmful for people who work outdoors or have underlying health conditions. The elderly, young children and people who do not have air conditioning in their homes are at risk too.

“Heat isn’t just about discomfort. It’s actually a public health issue,” Fujikawa said.

In Santa Clara County, there were more than 1,800 emergency room visits for heat related illnesses between 2005 and 2020, according to the presentation.

Extreme heat events have other hidden costs too. It strains emergency response systems with more calls logged in for police, firefighting and ambulance services. Public infrastructure like roads, railways and utilities also are vulnerable to heat damage, which can lead to service disruptions and costly repairs, Fujikawa said.

Extreme heat events are tied to increases in energy demand too as more people use air conditioning at the same time. This can constrain the grid, cause blackouts and raise the cost of utilities, Fujikawa said.

Beyond identifying the problems, the presentation underscored the importance of preparing for climate change and understanding its impacts on different services and communities in Mountain View.

“The assessment is really meant to identify local climate vulnerability,” Fujikawa said, noting that the final report will inform climate strategies to support different needs in the city.

“While this document is more of a technical document, it’s meant to hopefully ensure that we can all make more smart and equitable decisions that can protect residents and services from climate impacts,” Fujikawa said.

The June 26 presentation largely focused on extreme heat events, but the consulting group plans to cover other climate change vulnerabilities in Mountain View, like major storm events, smoke and wildfire activity and sea level rise. So far, the report is 30% complete, Fujikawa said.

The final report is expected to be presented to the City Council early next year.

This story originally appeared in the Mountain View Voice. Emily Margaretten joined the Mountain View Voice in 2023 as a reporter covering City Hall.