Transcript:

As the climate warms, summer in San Antonio, Texas, is getting excruciatingly hot.

Jaceldo: “Growing up in Texas, you always know summers are hot, but over the past several years it’s become a different kind of hot.”

Kate Jaceldo, the city’s climate adaptation manager, says in 2023, San Antonio experienced 75 days over 100 degrees.

This heat makes it expensive to run air conditioners and puts people at risk of serious health issues like heat stroke.

And underinvested neighborhoods, with less tree cover and more concrete, face higher risks.

Jaceldo: “In those neighborhoods, it is significantly hotter, not just outside but even in the homes.”

The city’s Cool Neighborhoods program is now working to lower the temperature in some of the most heat-stressed areas.

They’re covering streets with coatings that limit heat absorption, planting trees, and building bus shelters to create more shade.

They’re also helping residents make their homes more energy efficient through weatherization projects.

And the city is offering grants to help people cover their roofs in materials that reflect heat from the sun.

As climate change brings more extreme heat to San Antonio, these efforts will help keep people cool and safe.

Reporting credit: Ethan Freedman / ChavoBart Digital Media