Dallas volunteers wanted for urban heat island mapping

Dallas - Dallas has broken new ground in combating urban heat by partnering with a federal government project to develop an all-encompassing urban heat island map.

The mission behind this cooperative venture is to equip the city with potent data and forecasting tools, a strategic move to counter the burgeoning issue of rising heat in the decades to come. For this program, the organizers need volunteers, Dallas Metro News reported.

For further details on the program and to understand how you can volunteer, click on this link.

“Extreme heat kills more people in the U.S. than any other weather event. Part of the goal is to realize a more resilient and sustainable city,” Dallas Environmental Quality Director Carlos Evans said.

Urban areas with substantial hardened surfaces but lacking tree cover are bearing the brunt of increased temperatures. These sweltering locations, known to scientists as 'Heat Islands,' are scattered across the city, each with a unique intensity level.

“The city is experiencing more extreme heat events. We know these events are even more severe in certain areas,” Evans said.

This year, Dallas, alongside the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and 18 other communities, is leading a massive data collection effort on the ground. The mission behind this is to develop a comprehensive heatmap that highlights areas with the highest risk during heatwaves.

In pursuit of this ambitious project, Dallas seeks 100 volunteers to attach a monitoring device to their vehicles. This network of data gatherers will cover a third of the city at three separate intervals: morning, midday, and evening. A third-party organization will assist in compiling and mapping this crucial data.

City officials indicate that previous attempts to map heat islands in Dallas heavily relied on satellite data.

“I think it’s a good and valuable study. It’s a really good opportunity for people who want to participate and do something about climate change,” said Kevin Overton, a senior coordinator with the Dallas Environmental Quality Department.

In a related move, the Texas Trees Foundation, a local non-profit, is using existing data to decrease heat impact by planting more trees throughout Dallas. An example of such an initiative took place at Foster Elementary School in North Dallas, where a significant number of trees were planted.

Credit: Dallas Metro News, NBC DFW, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)