The nation’s children are heading back to school. But instead of delving into homework and catching up with beloved friends, they’re grappling with school closures for extreme heat. And many are also feeling the impacts of wildfire smoke.
It’s time for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), our country’s major disaster response agency, to step up.
Tell FEMA: Protect Families From Extreme Heat and Wildfire Smoke
FEMA can help us all by classifying extreme heat and wildfire smoke as major disasters. This would unlock federal resources and funding, which is critical for resource-strapped communities.
FEMA support could help build life-saving adaptations that would immediately impact communities’ health, including cooling centers, indoor air filtration systems to keep out toxic wildfire smoke, plus rooftop and community solar systems.
The need is urgent:
- 2023 set a record for heat-related mortality in the U.S. with more than 2,300 deaths.
- 2024 is on track to be the hottest year on record.
- Millions of families are currently struggling through days too hot and smoky for children to safely play outside—or even attend school.
Children and young people are especially vulnerable to the health harms of extreme heat and toxic wildfire smoke, including respiratory distress, premature birth, low birth weight, and other heartbreaking adverse birth outcomes.
For the millions of people navigating the dangers of increasingly hot, smoky days, extreme heat and wildfire smoke are a nightmare. To protect children and their communities and break the cycle of fossil-fueled climate disasters, this is the moment for the United States to take heat and wildfire smoke seriously.
Join Moms in urging FEMA to classify extreme heat and wildfire smoke as major disasters.
Learn more about Moms’ work on extreme weather.
Tell FEMA: Protect Families From Extreme Heat and Wildfire Smoke