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2024 Hennepin County All -Jurisdiction Hazard Mitigation Plan <br />Volume 2 — Hazard Inventory <br />The most recent heat wave occurred in 2013 specifically August 251h through August 271h. A large ridge of <br />high pressure built across the central part of the United States during the last week of August. Heat and <br />humidity increased across the Upper Midwest starting the weekend of August 25th and lasted until the <br />latter part of the week with a string of 90+ afternoon temperatures, combined with dew points in the 70s, <br />caused heat indices to rise above 100 degrees from Sunday, through Tuesday, August 27th. In the Twin <br />Cities metro area, heat indices remained above 80 degrees overnight, and afternoon heat indices <br />continued above 100 degrees through Thursday afternoon, August 29th. The Minnesota State Fair was <br />going on during the time. 216 people required treatment at medical stations at the fair for heat related <br />illnesses, 10 of whom were transported to local area hospitals. In addition, several record high <br />temperatures were observed, and a dew point temperature of 77 degrees on August 27th at 3:00 PM tied <br />the MSP high dew point temperature record set on August 27, 1990. It also tied the record for highest <br />dew point ever during the State Fair (77 degrees - August 28, 1955, and August 27, 1990). Minneapolis <br />schools canceled all outdoor after -school athletics practices during this period. The August 26th high of <br />96 degrees in the Twin Cities broke the 94-degree record set in 1948. In Hennepin County, from the 25th <br />through the 29th, there were 28 people who were treated for heat related illnesses, either as walk-ins at <br />emergency rooms, or transported by ambulance to hospitals. <br />There have been no other incidents that are within the scope of this plan. <br />4.3.7.8. Future Trends Ble <br />Numerous studies have documented that human -induced climate change has increased the frequency <br />and severity of heat waves across the globe. While natural variability continues to play a key role in <br />extreme weather, climate change has shifted the odds and changed the natural limits, making heat waves <br />more frequent and more intense. In an unchanging climate both new record highs and new record lows <br />are set regularly, even while the total number of new records set each year may decrease as time goes <br />on. Sixty years ago in the continental United States, the number of new record high temperatures <br />recorded around the country each year was roughly equal to the number of new record lows. Over the <br />past decade, however, the number of new record highs recorded each year has been twice the number <br />of new record lows, a signature of a changing climate, and a clear example of its impact on extreme <br />weather. <br />135 <br />