Turning up the dial on Extreme Heat Awareness within the University of Oklahoma Student Population.

Extreme heat is consistently the deadliest weather hazard in the U.S., with over 2,000 heat-related deaths in 2023. Given the danger imposed by extreme heat, the National Weather Service (NWS) issues numerous products (Heat Advisories, Excessive Heat Warnings, etc.) to communicate these hazards, incorporating data such as heat indices and wet bulb globe temperature. Located in the southern Great Plains, the University of Oklahoma is no stranger to heat and extreme weather. But how well do students understand and interpret heat-related products? The University of Oklahoma’s Student Chapter of the American Meteorological Society and National Weather Association (OU SCAN) seeks to gauge understanding of this question by using a survey. This survey solicits questions regarding students’ knowledge of extreme heat advisory products (i.e. issuance criteria, protective actions to mitigate heat-related injuries, and source of products) along with students’ existing exposure and impact from extreme heat. Using the results of this survey, OU SCAN seeks to produce a concise, informative flier that accurately communicates heat safety and the criteria for advisory products. By raising awareness to heat-related products and safety, this will aid OU SCAN in its goal of fostering a weather-ready student population.