What Can We Do About the Heat?

While high temperatures are normal for us, we must learn to live with them in a sustainable way. This means we need to continue to stay cool, but also lower the impact of doing so. The advances of the Industrial Age contributed to the temperature changes we are seeing now, and the changes we make today will contribute to the temperatures our children’s children experience in the future.

In the City of Fort Lauderdale, our aims are to:

• Protect human health from the effects of high temperature, while minimizing the energy utilized in, the greenhouse gas output from, the chemical toxicity of, and the waste from cooling our homes, business, cars and ourselves.
• Prevent wildfires, prevalent in Florida during extreme heat, which can damage life, property, natural habitat and our urban canopy.
• Encourage water conservation while preparing for increased demand on the water supply and for periods of drought.

These pages explore the effects of high temperature living, link to important safety information and guidelines, and introduce how to Green Your Cooling Routine.

• Stay Cool, Fort Lauderdale! – Tips to prepare for and get through an extreme heat and humidity event in South Florida.
• Fire Prevention and Safety– Visit the City of Fort Lauderdale Fire Department website.
• Drought Guidelines – Learn how to manage your water usage in Fort Lauderdale during periods of drought.
• Green Your Cooling Routine – Get a checklist of the most common building, vehicle and other changes that you can make to cool yourself without adding to our urban heat island effect.

Remember: Always call 911 immediately in case of emergencies, such as fire- and heat-related illness.