Assessing Salem’s vulnerability to climate change was a key piece of the Climate Action Plan. This helped to identify potential hazards and was completed with help from the Oregon Climate Change Research Institute at Oregon State University. Chapter 6 Appendix 4 from the Salem Climate Action Plan provide more detail about Salem’s climate change vulnerability.

Through this process, it was determined that Salem’s projected climate impacts will fall into three main categories: warming temperatures, changes in precipitation patterns, and increased risk of wildfires.

Warming Temperatures

Salem’s average annual temperatures and the number of extreme heat days (days where the temperature exceeds 90º) are expected to increase in the coming decades. These temperatures can have serious health consequences such as heat exhaustion, heat cramps, and heat stroke.

Urban Heat Islands

People who live in urban areas with little to no tree canopy are at risk of experiencing urban heat islands, areas where heat intensifies due to the absorption and re-emitting of the sun’s heat by buildings and roads.

Changes in Precipitation Patterns

Warming temperatures mean that the type and timing of precipitation in Salem is likely to shift. One change will be a shift from mountain snow to rain in the winter.  Another change is a likely increase in unpredictable cloudburst events, in which an extreme amount of rain falls in a short amount of time. These events could lead to increases in flash flooding events.

Another important risk for Salem will be an increase in prolonged periods of drought. In recent years, Oregon has many of the impacts of drought, including stress to crops, reduced snowpack, and larger wildfires.

Increased Risk of Wildfire

Hotter and drier conditions will lead to increased fire risk in forested areas outside of Salem. This can lead to an increased risk of fire damage to public and private properties, an increase in health risks due to poor or hazardous air quality, increased emergency operations and evacuations, and reductions in revenue and employment in the tourism industry.

Preparing for the Future

Many of the strategies in the Salem Climate Action Plan are designed to help the community adapt to these impacts and build resiliency for the future. These strategies seek to do the following:

• Expand the urban tree canopy and access to green spaces
• Create a climate related education and outreach program
• Create a network of indoor gathering places that can serve as community centers during times of need
• Engage underserved populations in co-creating resilient solutions
• Strengthen the local economy