ABSTRACT
In July 1995, a heat wave struck the City of Chicago causing 739 heat-related deaths in few days. This paper provides a comprehensive analysis of the outdoor and indoor environmental conditions that occurred in July of 1995. We selected three sites in which two residents have perished which represent different architectural and urban conditions. Site climate data were synthesized using microclimate simulation. The generated climate data is then used to estimate the internal conditions. Estimated interior conditions have shown a two-day time lag between the outdoor and indoor peak heat stress. This research established that heat-related fatalities are likely to occur in extreme heat episodes if the air-conditioning fails and the residents were frail, unable, or unwilling to spend the nights elsewhere. The results also demonstrated that trees and vegetation may reduce the impact of Urban Heat Island (UHI), but will not negate the extraordinary conditions created by a heat wave.
