Extreme Heat
Heat is the number one weather-related killer. It's estimated that the average number of excess deaths (number of deaths above average) during times of extreme heat are 600 annually in Miami-Dade County alone. Heat related deaths begin to rise at a heat index of 86°F and rise steadily with each additional degree. In 2024, we experienced an unprecedented 60 days with a heat index at or over 105°F. The annual economic impact of heat on labor productivity in South Florida alone is $10 Billion.
To protect the health and lives of our residents, Miami-Dade County activates a Heat Season protocol during the period of chronic high heat and humidity from May 1- Oct. 31. The benefits to public health and our economy have been tangible: in recent years, Miami-Dade had the lowest rates of heat-related ER visits of any county in FL.
Learn how Miami-Dade County has prepared for the 2025 Heat Season.
As temperatures rise, so do the risks of heat-related illnesses and injuries, posing significant threats to worker safety and productivity.
When it’s hot, the number of people in Miami-Dade County with serious health problems like heat exhaustion, heat stroke, and heart attacks rises. Learn who is at risk.
Heat-related illnesses are preventable. Learn the symptoms and what to do if you or a loved one shows signs of having a heat-related illness. Follow the CDC guidelines.
Since 1970, Miami-Dade County has had an average increase of days above 90°F from 84 to now 133 days per year, which will continue to rise. Here are some no & low-cost energy-saving tips you can do all year round to keep your home cool.
Miami-Dade Heat Actions
Miami-Dade County is taking bold action against extreme heat. The Extreme Heat Action Plan provides a community-wide roadmap to reduce the health and economic impacts of rapidly rising temperatures.
The goal of the toolkit is to provide a high-level briefing of various policy and project options identified by our community to adapt to and mitigate extreme heat.
Miami-Dade County in collaboration with The Miami Foundation has created a multilingual communications campaign to help inform the public about the health risks of extreme heat.
Office of Environmental Risk and Resilience
Loren Parra
Stephen P. Clark Center
111 NW 1st Street,
29th Floor
Miami, FL 33128
305-375-5593 | [email protected]
