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Severe Weather may not be able to operate without power. Lightning can cause severe damage and injury. Physical damage to homes and facilities can be caused by wind or flooding. Extreme Heat Extreme heat can be dangerous to anyone without proper hydration or cooling, and can trigger health conditions, such as heat exhaustion, heat stroke and respiratory problems. One reason for this is that higher temperatures contribute to the build-up of harmful air pollutants. The impacts of heat are higher for vulnerable populations, including elderly, children, pregnant women, people with disabilities, outdoor and agricultural workers, and homeless people. Extreme heat has disproportionate impacts on socially vulnerable communities, on individuals who do not live or work in climate-controlled conditions (i.e., farm and outdoor workers), who rely on public or multi-modal means of transportation like walking or biking, or that have pre-existing medical conditions or disabilities. Extreme heat can adversely impact transportation infrastructure, such as causing the softening and expansion of asphalt surfaces, resulting in buckling, potholed and rutted roads. Impacts on roadways and rail lines can lead to closures and travel delays in the short term and accelerate the breaking down of infrastructure in the long term. Sustained temperatures above 100°F may cause train tracks to expand, resulting in the buckling of rail li nes and the derailing of trains. Several factors determine whether speed restrictions will be placed on a commuter railway during an extreme heat event, including the duration of high air temperatures, the resulting temperature of the metal tracks, the exposure of the tracks to direct sun, and the compression of the tracks by running trains. BART and Caltrain cannot operate at full capacity during high heat events due to risks such as the buckling of railway networks that may result in train derailment or the malfunction of track and signal sensors, resulting in route closures or delays. The reduced quality of roadways may impact bus routes, while the duration riders can wait at bus stops may increase by extreme heat, increasing exposure of commuters to high temperatures. Extreme heat can impact resident’s ability to bike to work, causing increased pressure on public transportation. Fog While fog is not likely to damage property or lead to large impacts on the population within the planning area, reduced visibility caused by fog can impact transportation in the planning area. Highway accidents involving fog are often chain-reaction collisions involving dozens or even hundreds of vehicles, frequently accompanied by high casualty figures. Windstorms Windstorms can be a frequent problem in the planning area and have been known to cause damage to utilities. The predicted wind speed given in wind warnings issued by the National Weather Service (NWS) is for a one- minute average; gusts may be 25 to 30 percent higher. Lower wind speeds typical in the lower valleys are still high enough to knock down trees and power lines and cause other property damage. Higher elevations in the County can experience much higher winds under more varied conditions. Tornadoes Tornadoes are potentially the most dangerous of local storms, but they are not common in the planning area. If a major tornado were to strike within the populated areas of the County, damage could be widespread. Businesses could be forced to close for an extended period or permanently, fatalities could be high, many people could be 14-15