WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) – A state program that helps issue heat health alerts is at risk of closing due to federal cuts.

The Climate and Health Program from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) works to track how temperature can impact public health. The NC Climate and Health team also works to inform North Carolinians about the dangers of heat and what preventive measures can be taken to stay safe.

Most recently, the NC Climate and Health team sent out a heat health alert for Columbus, Pender and New Hanover Counties. This was the first heat alert issued for Southeastern, NC in 2025.

“We’re especially concerned about outdoor workers, infants and children, older adults and the elderly, also pregnant people, athletes, low-income individuals who may not have access to sufficient cooling, and people with underlying health conditions. There are a lot of populations that are vulnerable to heat,” said Virginia Guidry, the Head of Occupational Epidemiology at NCDHHS.

According to NCDHHS, symptoms of heat-related illness include heavy sweating, headache, and dizziness. Guidry says while heat-related illness is serious, heat stroke poses more of a threat to a person’s health. Symptoms of heat stroke include a body temperature higher than 103 degrees, hot and dry skin, and confusion. According to Guidry, there was a 20% increase in heat-related illness hospital visits from 2023 to 2024.

“We can’t necessarily say it was 100% based on temperature alone. We did see a few incidents throughout the heat season last year where the weekly average rate was higher than the historical rate, so I think that contributed to some of that spike we saw,” said Autumn Locklear, a Climate and Health Epidemiologist with NCDHHS.

NCDHHS encourages people to look out for one another during the extreme heat, especially the elderly. More information on how to sign up for the heat alerts can be found here.

Guidry noted that the Climate and Health Team is at risk of being cut due to federal funding cuts. Guidry says they are dependent on federal funds to keep the Climate and Health Program going in North Carolina.

“We know for sure that our Climate and Health Program is currently at risk and may not be funded after this summer. We are very concerned about that. We’re concerned for the health of North Carolinians because of heat, and we are concerned for our staff as well,” said Guidry.

She says without the funding, they would not be able to run the heat health alert systems. The team would also not be able to conduct as much surveillance on emergency room visits. Guidry says the funding cut would mean they could no longer send out preventive messages.

Although the future is uncertain for the program, officials ask that everyone stay alert and pay attention to alerts on the extreme heat.

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