Following record-breaking temperatures in Nevada, Senator Jacky Rosen has introduced legislation, the ‘Extreme Heat Emergency Act,’ that would allow extreme heat to qualify as a major disaster under the Stafford Act which recognizes fires, floods, explosions, and natural catastrophes such as hurricanes, tornadoes, and earthquakes as disasters eligible for a Major Disaster Declaration from the President.

The legislation would expand access to resources and federal funding to address the damages and losses resulting from extreme heat, particularly in communities like Las Vegas and Reno, which are reportedly the fastest warming cities in the United States.

In 2022, Reno was named the fastest-warming city in the United States from the Climate Center. Alaska was named the fastest-warming state. According to their study, the average temperature in the city of Reno increased by 7.8 degrees Fahrenheit from 1970 to 2022.

Due to the designation, the city of Reno was awarded a $500,000 grant to grow and plant trees along the corridor of the Reno-Tahoe International Airport, the warmest part of town according to the study.

The National Weather Service recorded a new all-time high of 120 degrees last month at Harry Reid International Airport and the monthly average temperature was 99.9 degrees, a record for the monthly average in July.

“The extreme heat waves this summer have brought record-breaking temperatures to our state, putting communities and people at risk,” said Senator Rosen in a released statement. “I’m introducing legislation to ensure more funding and resources are available to states like Nevada for damages related to extreme heat events. I’ll always work to ensure our state gets the fair share of federal resources we need to keep Nevadans safe.”