CHARM Roadmap: Data and Monitoring

Effective emergency planning and response for climate-driven events—like wildfires, extreme heat, and floods—depends on having timely, accurate, and locally relevant data. Monitoring systems help communities understand vulnerability and risks, track real-time conditions, and evaluate the impact of past events. This information is essential for making informed decisions, directing limited resources where they’re needed most, and protecting the health and safety of residents—especially those most vulnerable to climate extremes.

Key issues and strategies:

1. Information about vulnerable individuals

2. Improved data on medical cases related to CDEs

3. Integrated cyanobacterial bloom monitoring and data use

Issues in Lake County

• Lack of comprehensive data on vulnerable residents – There is no centralized, up-to-date list of where people with high vulnerability—such as users of durable medical equipment (DME), individuals with disabilities, those who are homebound, or unhoused residents—are located. This makes it difficult to plan for evacuations, deliver emergency notifications, or prioritize support during climate-driven emergencies like wildfires, PSPS events, or extreme heat.

• Durable Medical Equipment (DME) users – Health systems (such as Adventist Health) or in-home care agencies may maintain patient lists internally, but this information is not readily shared across agencies or with emergency response teams. This leaves gaps in knowing who will need electricity or backup power during an outage.

• Unhoused residents – While Point-in-Time (PIT) counts are conducted annually, they offer limited information on exact locations or needs during emergencies. Informal encampments are often not mapped, making it difficult to provide timely evacuation support during wildfires or smoke events.

• People who are homebound or disabled – There is no county-wide registry of residents who would require transportation assistance, medical support, or specialized evacuation help. Many caregivers rely on informal networks.

• Mobile home parks – Many residents in mobile home communities experience heightened vulnerability due to structural risks during severe weather and limited access to cooling or clean air. Yet, data on the locations and occupancy status of mobile home parks is scattered or outdated.

Strategies Identified

A. Identify and prioritize data and information gaps that impede planning and response

• Conduct an audit of existing data sources held by agencies, healthcare providers, and community organizations to assess overlap and gaps.
• Collaborate with emergency management and public health departments to identify the most critical data needs.

B. Build local registries of individuals needing support during emergencies

• Encourage voluntary opt-in registries for residents who rely on DME, are homebound, or need evacuation assistance.
• Ensure registries are secure, regularly updated, and integrated with emergency response planning.

C. Support outreach and data collection through trusted community partners

• Engage Tribal Health, senior services, shelters, and community health workers to help identify and map needs.
• Provide small grants or contracts to these partners for localized data gathering.

D. Improve data on mobile home residents

• Update and verify county-level maps of mobile home parks and occupancy.
• Work with park managers, residents, and advocacy groups to understand structural vulnerabilities and emergency needs.

E. Ensure data use is ethical, privacy-protective, and equity-focused

• Develop data-sharing agreements that balance utility with protection of individual and community privacy.
• Include disability and equity advocates in conversations about how data is collected, stored, and used.

Issues in Lake County

• Undercounting of climate-related health outcomes- Symptoms linked to climate-driven events (like heat-related illness or cyanobacterial exposure) are often not recognized or recorded as such by healthcare providers, leading to underreporting.
• Limited access to Tribal health data- Data from Tribal clinics is often not easily accessed by Tribes, making it difficult to assess the impact of CDEs on Tribal members. Tribal clinics are also used by non-native residents, creating significant gaps in understanding community-wide health impacts.
• Impacts on planning and funding- Without accurate and comprehensive data, it’s difficult to plan effectively for future climate emergencies, apply for funding, or evaluate the success of response strategies.

Strategies identified

A. Increase awareness and training for healthcare providers

• Provide guidance to physicians and clinics on how to identify and report climate-related health conditions, especially cyanobacterial blooms.
• Incorporate climate-related health impacts into continuing education and training.

B. Strengthen collaboration between Tribal and non-Tribal partners

• Support respectful, trust-based partnerships to explore data-sharing agreements that protect Tribal sovereignty and patient privacy.
• Establish clear protocols and mutual benefits for shared access to aggregated, non-identifiable data.
• Acknowledge that even Tribal governments often face barriers in accessing data from their own health centers due to federal or administrative restrictions.

C. Develop community-based data collection tools

• Use surveys, focus groups, and community health worker input to supplement official data, especially in underserved or hard-to-reach populations.
• Partner with trusted community organizations and Tribal programs to gather localized insights.

D. Invest in data infrastructure and access

• Support funding for local data systems that can integrate climate and health information.

• Use, build, and disseminate a resource hub like the one created by CHARM that draws together climate and health data and tools specific to Lake County for public use

• Provide technical assistance to help clinics, Tribes, and small organizations analyze and use their own data for planning and advocacy.

E. Use proxy indicators when direct data is unavailable

• Track things like ER visits during heatwaves or pharmacy sales of inhalers during smoke events to estimate climate health impacts.
• Combine public health data with environmental monitoring (e.g., air quality, temperature) to identify patterns.

F. Advocate for inclusive and transparent state and federal reporting systems

• Work to ensure state-level climate and health surveillance systems include rural and Tribal areas.
• Encourage systems that allow for secure, aggregated data sharing while respecting privacy and sovereignty.

Issues in Lake County

• Persistent and year-round blooms – Lake County is one of few places in the state that experiences repeated and extended cyanobacterial blooms throughout the year. Clear Lake is both a popular recreational water body and a major source of drinking water, drawn from public water systems as well as individual household sources.
• CDEs driving increased exposure – Prolonged and extreme heat, drought, and water drawdowns contribute to the presence of cyanobacteria and cyanotoxins, and may increase the likelihood of human exposure through recreational use.
• Multiple exposure pathways with health risks – Ongoing monitoring confirms that blooms pose a risk to human and animal health through ingestion, skin contact, or inhalation of aerosolized toxins—each with distinct symptoms and health effects.
• Need for greater public and clinical awareness – Given the scale of impact to Clear Lake and the robust monitoring already in place, increasing awareness among both local residents and healthcare providers would improve understanding and recognition of cyanobacterial and cyanotoxin-related illness.

Strategies identified

A. Provide targeted alerts and communication for self-supplied water users

• Consider targeted alerts to residences with self-supplied water systems when high levels of cyanobacteria or cyanotoxins are detected nearby.
• Use existing tools and maps—such as those developed through Big Valley and Tracking California’s CalWATCH project—to identify households at risk.

B. Strengthen population-level surveillance for health impacts

• Explore opportunities to use existing health data to monitor trends in illnesses potentially linked to harmful algal blooms (HABs), such as asthma exacerbations, gastrointestinal illness, or skin irritation.
• Collaborate with local health departments and clinics to flag possible HAB-related cases in existing surveillance systems.

C. Engage healthcare providers, veterinarians, and the public

• Provide continued outreach and training to healthcare providers and veterinarians on how to recognize, document, and prevent HAB-related exposures.
• Encourage timely reporting of suspected human and animal health impacts due to HAB exposure.

D. Deliver consistent public messaging at high-risk exposure sites

• Ensure clear, consistent communication about HAB risks and prevention—especially at beaches, recreational areas, and locations where residents draw drinking water directly from Clear Lake or feeder creeks.
• Use a mix of on-site signage and broader public service announcements to maximize reach.

E. Increase public awareness about causes and prevention of HABs

• Conduct community education campaigns on the environmental drivers of harmful algal blooms—such as prolonged heat and drought—and steps individuals can take to reduce exposure and support water health.

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