Learning from Heat Waves: How a Social Autopsy can Help to Prevent Future Disasters

1. Learning from Heat Waves: How a Social Autopsy can Help to Prevent Future Disasters Eric Klinenberg New York University ek52@nyu.edu

2. Age of Spectacular Disasters • World Trade Center • Space shuttles (Columbia, Challenger) • Hurricanes (Hugo) • These catastrophes capture our attention. But they are not the most deadly. • Much of US disaster policy is based on insuring property or preventing property damage. How can we use disaster policy to prevent deaths?

3. Heat Waves • In the United States, heat waves kill more people than all of the so-called “natural disasters” combined. In Chicago, more than 700 people died during one week of 1995. • This summer, Europe suffered around 20,000 deaths during a long heat wave. • What can we learn from these events?

4. Disasters help to reveal conditions that are always present but difficult to perceive • By studying disasters sociologically, we can better understand the source of our vulnerability. • “The Social Autopsy” – Opens up the city and examines the social and political organs that break down in a crisis. We explain causes of death in order to protect life.

5. Emerging Conditions Revealed in Recent Heat Waves • Rise of population that is living and dying alone • Social deprivation as an everyday condition • Certain neighborhood conditions foster isolation and insecurity • What can governments do to assist vulnerable people who are living alone? • Compile official lists to identify the isolated • Offer special outreach and assistance in crises • Connect with service providers

6. Emerging Conditions Revealed in Recent Heat Waves • Problems with urban infrastructure and energy • Power outages are common during heat waves • More efficient air conditioners? More reliable energy sources? • Everyday energy crisis: Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program funds are insufficient to meet demand in cities

7. Emerging Conditions Revealed in Recent Heat Waves • Problems with policy responses: • Role of paramedics inside fire department. Do they have authority to call in back-up? • Links between emergency rooms and health department. Who is monitoring? • How should community police officers help? • Coordinating functions of mayor’s offices – danger that public relations response can get in the way of disaster response

8. Preventing Heat Deaths • Work with meteorologists to detect dangerous weather and with media to issue public warnings • Reach out to isolated people and vulnerable areas • Coordinate muliti-agency disaster response • Monitor hospitals and cooperate with medical examiner • After crisis, openly examine what went wrong. Share what we learn as widely as possible.

9. Eric Klinenberg • Heat Wave: A Social Autopsy of Disaster in Chicago • Department of Sociology • New York University • ek52@nyu.edu