Overview

• Chicago introduced the Heat Vulnerability Index developed with Northwestern University and the Defusing Disasters Working Group to identify areas most at risk from extreme heat.
• Officials reported that only 30 percent of single-family homes in Chicago have central air conditioning compared with the 76 percent national average.
• The Our Roots Chicago program has planted more than 64,000 trees in historically undercanopied South and West Side neighborhoods to help lower temperatures.
• A public survey open through the end of summer is gathering resident input on heat policy priorities to inform future preparedness measures.
• On July 17, the city will hold a full military honors ceremony and install a proper headstone for World War II veteran Emilio Aguirre at Homewood Memorial Gardens.