The Health Department’s Climate Health program works to reduce health impacts from climate-related hazards. This ongoing initiative monitors hazards, evaluates health trends, and promotes emergency preparedness to build community resilience, address disparities, and protect public health.
This effort is aligned with the implementation of the county’s climate plans, which are led by the Fairfax County Office of Environmental and Energy Coordination (OEEC) and involve over 25 county agencies.
Extreme heat is the number one cause of weather-related deaths in the United States. This risk is increasing over time as temperatures rise. Fairfax County activates its heat response plan when the National Weather Service (NWS) issues a heat advisory, watch, or warning, which occurs usually about 24 hours in advance. These alerts are based on the heat index, which combines temperature and humidity to reflect how hot it actually feels outside.
Winter weather and cold temperatures increase risk of injury and illness. They can knock out heat, power, and communication services. Cold weather can also worsen existing medical conditions like heart disease and respiratory illness.
Air quality can be affected by pollen, wildfires, dust, vehicle emissions, and other pollutants. Poor air quality can contribute to more severe or frequent allergy symptoms, asthma attacks, and worsening of chronic lung disease and other existing conditions.
Severe storms can cause strong winds, heavy rain, lightning, and flooding, which can disrupt access to healthcare and emergency services, cause utility outages and property damage, and create unsafe conditions. Storms are increasing over time and can come on quickly.
Drought can occur when there is below-normal rainfall over a long period, often combined with high heat and heavy water use. This can strain water supply and affect water quality. Drought also dries out soil and vegetation, which can increase the risk of wildfires and worsen air quality.
Mosquitoes and ticks can spread diseases that make people sick. These pests are called vectors, and the illnesses they transmit are known as vector-borne diseases. Warmer, wetter climate conditions could make vectors and their diseases more common, with some being found in places where they haven’t been seen before.
Climate change can affect mental health in several ways. Extreme weather events like heat waves, floods, and severe storms can lead to stress, anxiety, or depression, especially for people who experience the loss of loved ones or property. Disruptions to routine, such as having to evacuate, stay in a shelter, or be isolated from social networks, can be stressful or traumatic and can make existing mental health conditions worse. Additionally, worrying about the future and their health can make people feel anxious, overwhelmed, or hopeless.
Everyone can be affected by climate change, but some groups are more at risk than others, including:
Vulnerability is affected by several factors, including:
While all people face risk from climate hazards, these factors cause some people to feel the effects earlier, longer, and/or more severely.
To see a detailed analysis of climate vulnerability and risk in Fairfax County, please see the Resilient Fairfax Vulnerability and Risk Assessment (VRA). For more information on the county’s efforts to address climate vulnerabilities, please see the Resilient Fairfax webpage.
To see more Fairfax County community preparedness resources, visit Ready Fairfax.