TAMPA, Fla. — Extreme weather events are becoming more common across the country, so being ready to face any emergency is essential on a federal, state and local level.
"Trust for America's Health" puts out a report each year grading states on their readiness for severe weather and public health threats.
Florida fared pretty well in the report, listing in the high tier, along with 20 other states and DC.
It's no surprise Florida ranked high since the sunshine state is used to dealing with severe weather and extreme heat. The report even had a special section about the health risks from extreme heat, since the state is seeing higher temperatures for longer periods of time.
Heat is actually the number one cause of weather related deaths. The big concern is for people living in under-resourced communities, without air conditioning, working outdoors or who have chronic diseases.
While Florida does well in being ready to handle these weather emergencies, there is still room for improvement.
"The thing is that heat illness and deaths are preventable and so it's important that jurisdictions, and public health has a great role and important role to play to develop these types of heat response plans to prepare for, get messages out and actually help communities to prepare for and be able to respond to extreme heat," said Dr. Nadine Gracia, the President and CEO of Trust For America's Health.
One area where Florida particularly fell short in the website's report was health-related issues. Vaccination rates for the flu are at about 42%, while the national goal is 70% of the residents vaccinated.
The report also pointed out making sure that workers have paid time off or job protected leave and that they use it, since it has a direct effect on public health.