Miami Heat — ED KASHI
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Farm workers picking cherry tomatoes on leased farmland in Redland, Florida on May 1, 2024. Most of them are from Guatemala.
Farm workers picking cherry tomatoes on leased farmland in Redland, Florida on May 1, 2024. Most of them are from Guatemala.
A farmworker, 41, who is employed by one of the largest nurseries in the country poses for an incognito portrait.
Hundreds of mostly Latino workers march for improved working conditions and more protections from the intense heat on Workers Memorial Day.
Portraits of Samuel Nada, 47, a landscape worker who has felt first-hand the negative effects of increasing temperatures in Homestead, Florida on April 28, 2024.
Construction workers at a site in Doral, Florida on May 2, 2024
Workers putting a new protective coat on a massive open tank at the Central District Wastewater Plant in Miami, Florida on May 2, 2024.
Workers putting a new protective coat on a massive open tank at the Central District Wastewater Plant in Miami, Florida on May 2, 2024.
Portraits of Chief Heat Officer of the city of Miami,Jane Gilbert, in downtown Miami, Florida on April 30, 2024.
Lifeguard Robert Reddick, 72 years old, giving swimming lessons and exercises at the Arcola Lake Seniors Center in Miami, Florida on April 29, 2024.
Older adults swim and stay cool at the Arcola Lake Seniors Center in Miami, Florida on April 29, 2024.
Lifeguard Robert Reddick, 72 years old, giving swimming lessons and exercises at the Arcola Lake Seniors Center in Miami, Florida on April 29, 2024.
Lifeguards with the Miami-Dade Fire and Rescue Department face on duty at Haulover Beach, Miami, Florida on May 3, 2024.
Lifeguards with the Miami-Dade Fire and Rescue Department face on duty at Haulover Beach, Miami, Florida on May 3, 2024.
More than one hundred Girl Scouts along with Heat Officer Jane Gilbert take part in a tree planting on Camp Mahachee, a Girl Scout camp in Coral Gables, Florida on May 5, 2024.
Tree planting and families enjoying the Underline in Miami, Florida on May 4, 2024.
Tree planting and families enjoying the Underline in Miami, Florida on May 4, 2024.
Kids cool down at the Oasis Splash Pad at the Zoo Miami, in Miami-Dade County on May 5, 2024.
Police officer trainees complete morning exercises, where they are required to carry a gallon jug of water due to the heat, at the Miami-Dade Officer Training Bureau in Miami, Florida on May 7, 2024.
Police officer trainees doing morning exercises, where they are required to carry a gallon jug of water due to the heat, at the Miami-Dade Officer Training Bureau in Miami, Florida on May 7, 2024.
Dr. Cheryl Holder, with Florida Clinicians for Climate Action, giving a presentation on avoiding heat stress, at the Borinquen Medical Center in downtown Miami, Florida on May 6, 2024.
Tiffany White, 41, with her 21 year old son, Ronald Kelly, and her 6 year old granddaughter Harmony, keep cool in their apartment with an air conditioner that was provided by Miami-Dade County, in Miami, Florida on May 4, 2024.
Sunset over downtown Miami, Florida on May 3, 2024.
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Farm workers picking cherry tomatoes on leased farmland in Redland, Florida on May 1, 2024. Most of them are from Guatemala.

Farm workers picking cherry tomatoes on leased farmland in Redland, Florida on May 1, 2024. Most of them are from Guatemala.

A farmworker, 41, who is employed by one of the largest nurseries in the country poses for an incognito portrait.

Hundreds of mostly Latino workers march for improved working conditions and more protections from the intense heat on Workers Memorial Day.

Portraits of Samuel Nada, 47, a landscape worker who has felt first-hand the negative effects of increasing temperatures in Homestead, Florida on April 28, 2024.

Construction workers at a site in Doral, Florida on May 2, 2024

Workers putting a new protective coat on a massive open tank at the Central District Wastewater Plant in Miami, Florida on May 2, 2024.

Workers putting a new protective coat on a massive open tank at the Central District Wastewater Plant in Miami, Florida on May 2, 2024.

Portraits of Chief Heat Officer of the city of Miami,Jane Gilbert, in downtown Miami, Florida on April 30, 2024.

Lifeguard Robert Reddick, 72 years old, giving swimming lessons and exercises at the Arcola Lake Seniors Center in Miami, Florida on April 29, 2024.

Older adults swim and stay cool at the Arcola Lake Seniors Center in Miami, Florida on April 29, 2024.

Lifeguard Robert Reddick, 72 years old, giving swimming lessons and exercises at the Arcola Lake Seniors Center in Miami, Florida on April 29, 2024.

Lifeguards with the Miami-Dade Fire and Rescue Department face on duty at Haulover Beach, Miami, Florida on May 3, 2024.

Lifeguards with the Miami-Dade Fire and Rescue Department face on duty at Haulover Beach, Miami, Florida on May 3, 2024.

More than one hundred Girl Scouts along with Heat Officer Jane Gilbert take part in a tree planting on Camp Mahachee, a Girl Scout camp in Coral Gables, Florida on May 5, 2024.

Tree planting and families enjoying the Underline in Miami, Florida on May 4, 2024.

Tree planting and families enjoying the Underline in Miami, Florida on May 4, 2024.

Kids cool down at the Oasis Splash Pad at the Zoo Miami, in Miami-Dade County on May 5, 2024.

Police officer trainees complete morning exercises, where they are required to carry a gallon jug of water due to the heat, at the Miami-Dade Officer Training Bureau in Miami, Florida on May 7, 2024.

Police officer trainees doing morning exercises, where they are required to carry a gallon jug of water due to the heat, at the Miami-Dade Officer Training Bureau in Miami, Florida on May 7, 2024.

Dr. Cheryl Holder, with Florida Clinicians for Climate Action, giving a presentation on avoiding heat stress, at the Borinquen Medical Center in downtown Miami, Florida on May 6, 2024.

Tiffany White, 41, with her 21 year old son, Ronald Kelly, and her 6 year old granddaughter Harmony, keep cool in their apartment with an air conditioner that was provided by Miami-Dade County, in Miami, Florida on May 4, 2024.

Sunset over downtown Miami, Florida on May 3, 2024.

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Miami Heat: The Future is Now

Miami, FL | 2024 - ongoing

In the United States, heat stress sends more than 65,000 people to the emergency room each year and has led to over 700 deaths. Extreme heat, fueled by climate change, is only getting worse, with record-breaking temperatures leading to more hospitalizations, illnesses, and death. Florida is considered ground zero for this crisis, with temperatures reaching triple digits on an average of 25 days a year. By 2050, its projected that the state will experience 130 dangerous heat days each year, more than any other state. Miami-Dade County, which has the most outdoor workers in all of Florida, is seeing considerable traction in combating heat stress, from a growing movement led by workers to the appointment of the world’s first Chief Heat Officer.

With writer Julie Winokur, we went to Miami to learn more about the great work Jane Gilbert and the city are doing to mitigate and address the threats of climate-related heat stress. The images in this gallery show the impact of a hotter climate in a major city and capture some of the solutions being deployed by Miami-Dade County. We see the efforts of Miami as a cautionary tale but also as a lesson in how government and local organizations can work together to address this imminent threat to our health and safety.