How Vulnerable Is Medford To Climate Change?

MEDFORD, MA — The city marked Earth Day by releasing its inaugural Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment. The study was conducted to better understand how climate change will impact the city, both now and in the future, and to identify vulnerabilities to its people, natural environment, infrastructure and economy.

The city identified three major hazards caused by climate change as rising temperatures, increased precipitation intensity and rising sea levels. It expects these hazards to bring more extreme heat, flooding, insect-borne diseases and stress to the city.

Some groups that are especially vulnerable to these hazards are adults over 64 years of age, children under 5, people with limited English proficiency, people of color, people of low and moderately-low income, people living with disabilities and people without at least a high school education, according to the assessment.

• Heat: Longer heat waves can lead to illnesses such as heat exhaustion and heat stroke, and can exacerbate existing conditions such as asthma, heart disease and diabetes. Extreme heat can even cause death.

• Flooding: In addition to damaging personal property and causing financial strain, increased flooding can interrupt transportation throughout the City. It can also lead to chemical leaks and sewage backups, which may lead to water contamination and associated health risks.

• Vector-borne disease: With more flooding and increased temperatures, populations of insects that thrive in warmer, wetter weather such as ticks and mosquitoes will also increase, leading to increased incidences of diseases that are transmitted by these insects, such as Lyme disease and Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE).

City staff will next compile a Climate Adaptation and Resiliency Plan for Medford, which will work to address vulnerabilities outlined in the report and examine ways to make the city more climate-resilient.

Click here to read the full assessment.