Featured Projects

Heat-Health and Pregnancy

• Lisa K. Zottarelli, ICCR Founding Member, College of Social Work, University of Tennessee, Knoxville 
• Thankam Sunil, Department of Public Health, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
• Robyn Stassen, Department of Public Health, University of Texas at San Antonio
• Shamshad Khan, Department of Communications, University of Texas at San Antonio
• Andrea Shields, School of Medicine, University of Connecticut  

Extreme heat is dangerous and can lead to heat exhaustion, heat stroke, and even death. Pregnancy increases vulnerability to extreme heat. Exposure to high temperatures during pregnancy is associated with a variety of adverse pregnancy-related health outcomes including maternal morbidity, preterm birth, low birth weight, cardiac birth defects, neural tube defects, stillbirth, and placental abruption. Despite growing academic and clinical awareness of the health threats posed by extreme heat, information focused on extreme heat and pregnancy has not been readily available to the public. Our NOAA-funded project aims to identify how weather information is used during pregnancy as a cue to engage in heat-health protective actions. 

Heat-health protective actions are undertaken to reduce adverse health outcomes. These actions can include limiting exposure to high temperatures through spending time in air-conditioned spaces and avoiding or restricting time in the sun. Reducing digestion-related heat generation by staying hydrated and eating light, healthy meals is important. Clothing choices, such as wearing a wide-brimmed hat and loose, lightweight clothing, can reduce skin exposure to the sun and promote sweat evaporation. A buddy system can be a way to watch for signs of heat-related illness with others. Finally, checking the weather matters. Pregnant women trust meteorologists and want to hear about how to stay safe during extreme heat from weather forecasts and meteorologists. 

In support of ICCR’s mission to build climate-resilient communities, we are moving forward with our work by developing and testing a Pregnancy and Heat-Health media toolkit.    

Overnight Convective Hazards

• Kelsey Ellis, ICCR Director
• Jen First, School of Social Work, University of Missouri
• Brian Houston, Department of Communications, University of Missouri

Extreme heat is dangerous and can lead to heat exhaustion, heat stroke, and even death. Pregnancy increases vulnerability to extreme heat. Exposure to high temperatures during pregnancy is associated with a variety of adverse pregnancy-related health outcomes including maternal morbidity, preterm birth, low birth weight, cardiac birth defects, neural tube defects, stillbirth, and placental abruption. Despite growing academic and clinical awareness of the health threats posed by extreme heat, information focused on extreme heat and pregnancy has not been readily available to the public. Our NOAA-funded project aims to identify how weather information is used during pregnancy as a cue to engage in heat-health protective actions. 

Heat-health protective actions are undertaken to reduce adverse health outcomes. These actions can include limiting exposure to high temperatures through spending time in air-conditioned spaces and avoiding or restricting time in the sun. Reducing digestion-related heat generation by staying hydrated and eating light, healthy meals is important. Clothing choices, such as wearing a wide-brimmed hat and loose, lightweight clothing, can reduce skin exposure to the sun and promote sweat evaporation. A buddy system can be a way to watch for signs of heat-related illness with others. Finally, checking the weather matters. Pregnant women trust meteorologists and want to hear about how to stay safe during extreme heat from weather forecasts and meteorologists. 

In support of ICCR’s mission to build climate-resilient communities, we are moving forward with our work by developing and testing a Pregnancy and Heat-Health media toolkit.    

Flood Impacts on Farm Soil and Water

Flooding poses an outsized challenge for rural Appalachian communities, where surface waters are widely used for irrigation and recovery resources can be limited following extreme events. After major floods, producers are often left navigating urgent uncertainties about soil safety, water quality, and the long-term impacts of flood deposits on their land. After extreme flooding events, such as those caused by Hurricane Helene, farmers are often left with urgent questions: Is my soil still safe to use? Can I irrigate from nearby streams? What do flood deposits mean for future crops? This project aims to provide clear, science-based answers to those questions, helping communities make informed decisions during recovery and beyond.

Led by Eminé Fidan and in partnership with UTK scientists, Extension agents, students, and local producers, this project combines field sampling of flooded fields, soils, sediments, and nearby streams with close collaboration with affected communities. Early results show that flood impacts are highly uneven across the landscape: fields only short distances apart can experience very different conditions depending on upstream land use and flood pathways. These findings highlight why one-size-fits-all guidance is often insufficient after flooding and why place-based information is critical. Ongoing work emphasizes sharing results back with farmers and Extension partners in clear, usable formats to inform decisions about irrigation, soil management, and recovery timing. By pairing environmental data with local knowledge, this project supports ICCR’s mission to build climate-resilient communities through science that is responsive, practical, and grounded in community needs.

Gravel Tree Stormwater Systems: Affordable Green Infrastructure for Underserved Communities

Jon Hathaway, PhD, PE
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
In partnership with the Tennessee Water Resources Research Center, Socially Equal Energy Efficient Development (SEEED), and the City of Knoxville

Flooding poses an outsized challenge for rural Appalachian communities, where surface waters are widely used for irrigation and recovery resources can be limited following extreme events. After major floods, producers are often left navigating urgent uncertainties about soil safety, water quality, and the long-term impacts of flood deposits on their land. After extreme flooding events, such as those caused by Hurricane Helene, farmers are often left with urgent questions: Is my soil still safe to use? Can I irrigate from nearby streams? What do flood deposits mean for future crops? This project aims to provide clear, science-based answers to those questions, helping communities make informed decisions during recovery and beyond.

Led by Eminé Fidan and in partnership with UTK scientists, Extension agents, students, and local producers, this project combines field sampling of flooded fields, soils, sediments, and nearby streams with close collaboration with affected communities. Early results show that flood impacts are highly uneven across the landscape: fields only short distances apart can experience very different conditions depending on upstream land use and flood pathways. These findings highlight why one-size-fits-all guidance is often insufficient after flooding and why place-based information is critical. Ongoing work emphasizes sharing results back with farmers and Extension partners in clear, usable formats to inform decisions about irrigation, soil management, and recovery timing. By pairing environmental data with local knowledge, this project supports ICCR’s mission to build climate-resilient communities through science that is responsive, practical, and grounded in community needs.