Heat-illnesses are a leading cause of weather-related deaths in US cities. This is aggravated by the increasing frequency of heat waves during the past decade compounding existing health and socio-economic disparities. During the Spring of 2020 I worked with NASA DEVELOP on mapping heat vulnerability in Philadelphia, PA, using  socioeconomic, health, and satellite data. The project extended and updated the city's existing heat vulnerability index which identifies neigbourhoods where individuals are particularly vulnerable to heat related illnesses and death. Our analysis included remotely sensed day and nighttime land surface temperature (LST), normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), normalized difference water index (NDWI), and normalized difference built-up index (NDBI) to predict which neighbourhoods will be hottest during a heat wave. The resulting index will be used to identify priority areas for cooling and air quality improvement initiatives in Philadelphia. Results will be used to guide decision-making regarding initiatives aimed at reducing the risks of heat-related illnesses. Read the full story map here.

Philadelphia Heat Vulnerability Index