Floods

Flooding can cause mold growth on water-damaged items which can trigger respiratory distress, especially in children with pre-existing conditions. Flooding can also contaminate tap water and take out power.

Extreme Heat

Due to their smaller bodies and higher fluid loss, children are at greater risk of dehydration and heat exhaustion. Signs of heat exhaustion include flushed skin, dizziness, fatigue, and muscle cramps.

Wildfires and Smoke Events

Children's developing lungs are especially sensitive to smoke and ash. Symptoms of exposure include coughing, chest pain, and difficulty breathing.

1. A toddler who is struggling with stress after his home is flooded and the steps that can be taken to mitigate the risks associated with flooding. 
2. A teenager who is dealing with extreme heat during practice and what the teenager can do to stay healthy. 
3. A pregnant woman who is exposed to wildfire smoke in her area and what resources she can use to keep herself and her baby safe. 

View all these stories and more at the Kids and Climate Health Zone.

Climate Change and Children’s Health Report

This national-scale, multi-sector report quantifies projected health effects associated with extreme heat, air quality, changing seasons, flooding, and infectious diseases. Where possible, it also considers the extent to which these risks disproportionately fall on children from overburdened populations. 

Read the report and report summaries.

Schools as Cleaner Air and Cooling Centers Factsheets

Schools across the United States are facing the impacts of climate change, including severe health consequences from disasters like heat waves and wildfires. These factsheets, also available in Spanish, can help guide important school partners on how to make schools safer during these increasingly frequent and more severe climate change impacts.

Get the factsheets.