Extreme
Heat
Imperial County sees extremely high summer temperatures — in a typical year there are about 123 days with temperatures above 95°F (35°C). During August and early September, it’s common for temperatures to exceed 110°F (43°C). It is considered one of the most heat-prone counties in California, especially due to its geography, housing stock (many older mobile homes or trailers), and high agricultural and outdoor workloads.
Extreme heat can strain the body’s ability to cool itself and can trigger or worsen health problems. Magnified by local conditions (older housing, outdoor work, poverty), the risks are heightened. Heat-related illnesses range from heat rash or cramps, through heat exhaustion, to serious heat stroke and even death.
According to 2022 data, the rate of heat-related emergency department visits in Imperial County was “more than 100 per 100,000 residents” — the highest in the state. Imperial County also shows a high risk of heat exacerbating existing respiratory and cardiovascular illness, especially with the added compounding factor of local air-quality issues linked to dust, agriculture, burning, etc. The combination of many extremely hot days, vulnerable housing and populations, and a high rate of outdoor work make heat not just a discomfort but a serious health risk — particularly for seniors, children and entire families in the Imperial Valley. CCV’s extreme heat initiatives take preventive steps (in the home and in the community) to reduce the likelihood of heat-related illness.
For questions or to learn more, please contact us at contact@ccvhealth.org .
Taking on the Heat
Taking on the Heat is a CCV program developed in partnership with San Diego State University’s Imperial Valley Prevention Research Center, modeled after Phoenix’s Heat Action Plan, to reduce the health impacts of extreme heat among vulnerable populations in the Imperial Valley.
The program uses a community-based participatory research approach, guided by a local Community Advisory Board, to adapt evidence-based heat mitigation and adaptation strategies to local conditions, evaluate their short- and long-term health impacts, and build lasting community capacity.
Through community engagement, data-driven targeting, and training of local leaders and health workers, the program focuses on improving living conditions, changing behaviors, and strengthening long-term resilience in a region facing increasing heat exposure and significant environmental and health inequities.