An upcoming free community webinar, in English and Spanish, will address the dangers of extreme heat and how people can protect themselves and their neighbors.

Ventura County is warming faster than any other county in the contiguous U.S., with neighboring Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties not far behind, the Community Environmental Council (CEC) reports.

Higher temperatures put the health and well-being of the most vulnerable — including agricultural workers, youth, and the elderly — in jeopardy.

On Thursday June 1, the CEC will bring together local and national experts who are on the frontlines of developing solutions to safeguard community members when temperatures soar.

The webinar, which runs 5:30-7 p.m., will be hosted by CEC’s executive director Sigrid Wright, and moderated by Em Johnson, CEC’s director of climate resilience.

Additional panelists include Fabiola Gomez, community organizer at the Central Coast Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy (CAUSE), and Kurt Shickman, director of the Extreme Heat Initiative for Arsht-Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center.

In 2021, Ventura County experienced 20 extreme heat events, more than in any previously recorded years. This year, experts predict that Venura County will experience approximately 28 “health caution” days where temperatures surpass 90 degrees F. and put vulnerable communities at risk, the CDC said.

Within the next 30 years, the number of “health caution” days is expected to increase to 41 days per year.

Webinar speakers will discuss how rising temperatures on the California Central Coast impact those on the frontlines of heat, and what has been learned locally and nationally about how communities can address this issue.

Participants will learn how individuals can mobilize to protect those most at risk, and hear about broader solutions in the works that knit a tighter social fabric, such as neighborhood-based resilience hubs where people can get the help they need when extreme heat hits.

“Extreme heat kills more people per year than any other climate disaster and negatively affects nearly every human activity and society worldwide,” said Shickman, whose Atlantic Council-based organization has pledged to provide resilience solutions to 1 billion people by 2030.

”The magnitude of the danger cannot be overstated and the number of people exposed to extreme heat only rises as the world urbanizes,” he said.

“That’s why we have to work together to mobilize innovative and replicable solutions that build resilience to extreme heat,” he said. “The actions we take to build heat resilience can have benefits that are as broad as the dangers that heat poses.”

One action already underway is the establishment of community climate resilience hubs that provide centralized disaster services, support, and education to residents who are most vulnerable or at high risk during disasters.

The Santa Barbara Regional Climate Collaborative, in partnership with CEC, received a grant to plan and design a network of these resilience hubs.

In an effort to build greater community resilience to extreme climate events, the CEC is partnering with Santa Barbara County and several area nonprofits to establish the first three Community Resilience Hubs in the area. The initial hubs will be in Carpinteria, Cuyama and Santa Barbara.

The Hubs are designed and operated by the communities they serve. Individuals and organizations are working together to design and plan what services will be offered at these Hubs, and making plans for how to operate during climate disruptions.

“Resilience Hubs, designed for the community, by the community, in key locations provide a powerful way to safeguard our communities,” CEC’s Johnson said.

“When disasters occur, these strategically placed Hubs ensure a plan is already in place so residents know where to go for help,” she said. “The Hubs will also enable communities to recover, adapt, and continue to thrive in the wake of disasters.”

To register for the interactive online event, visit https://cec.pub/heatrelease.