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Impacts of Climate Change on Redwood City Impacts in San Mateo County Following are some of the key climate impacts that San Mateo County has already seen and will likely see in the future. Rising Temperatures The Bay Area's average annual maximum temperature increased by 1.7°F (0.95°C) from 1950 to 2005. Even with significant efforts to mitigate climate Impact of Heat on People change, the Bay Area will likely see annual mean warming of approximately 3.3°F by mid-century and as much as 4.4°F under the high -emissions scenario. By the end of the century, temperatures could rise by 4.2°F to 7.2°F.22 In a heat wave, the most dangerous Extreme heat events occur when air temperatures reach or exceed 100°F. places can be the ones where people Across San Mateo County, air temperatures are expected to increase by an spend the most time: inside houses and average of 5°F between 1995 and 2070 due to climate change. In the apartments. In poorly insulated baseline year of 1995, approximately nine percent of the people in buildings, heat can build up and not vulnerable communities in the county were at risk from the impacts of more even dissipate at night. In 2018, a KQEDinvestigation found that bay area homes than two high heat days per year. By 2030, nearly three times as many without air conditioning were as much as people will be at risk. By 2070, four times as many will be at risk. The greatest 15 to 20 degrees hotter inside than increases in the number of high heat days from 1995 to 2070 are projected outside overnight.21 to occur in Atherton, East Palo Alto, Foster City, Menlo Park, North Fair Oaks, and Redwood City. These risks are compounded for low- income communities. A September 2017 The Climate Ready SMC Web Visualization Tool is an interactive website bay area heat wave overwhelmed the designed to provide an enhanced understanding of how a changing climate protective and social infrastructure in will impact our community(https://www.smcsustainability.org/climate- San Francisco, resulting in 6 deaths and 38 hospitalizations. Members of socially ready). The maps below demonstrate how the tool can be used to identify vulnerable communities may not be able how projected high heat events in 2030 and 2070 could impact areas in to afford to cool their work or living Redwood City. spaces or may be forced to choose between air conditioning and paying for basic necessities (e.g., food and rent). City of Redwood City Climate Action Plan