(The Center Square) – Gov. Katie Hobbs Friday declared a heat emergency for Coconino, Maricopa and Pinal counties she says would support local heat relief efforts.
The governor said in a news release that the declaration, in addition to an executive order coordinating a governmental response, will build on the state’s “holistic heat response.”
“Extreme heat threatens our health. It can lead to illness, emergency room visits, and even loss of life,” Hobbs said. “Arizonans deserve action. I’ll use every resource at my disposal to help keep Arizonans safe as we recover from the heat wave and prepare for future events to ensure our state has the tools to continue growing and thriving.”
The heat emergency declaration allows counties to bill the state for heat-related mitigation.
The action comes a day after Hobbs said an emergency declaration “hasn’t been necessary,” but the option remained on the table.
“The state of emergency is an option if we need to free up additional resources,” Hobbs told Arizona’s Family television news at a press conference.
The move comes after 30 consecutive days of excessive heat warnings in Coconino, Maricopa and Pinal counties.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a heat emergency in 2021 in anticipation of a coming heatwave and put the state under a “power-rationing alert” to stave off blackouts.
The executive order Hobbs signed will open two new cooling centers and heat relief facilities on Capitol Mall grounds, centralize networks for cooling centers and heat relief coordination around the state, as well as direct lawmakers to introduce future solutions.
