2024 H3AT Mapping Campaign  

HARC, the City of Houston, Harris County Public Health, Harris County Office of County Administration, Harris County Precinct 4, Student Conservation Association, and the National Weather Service (the H3AT Team) joined forces this year to launch the 2024 H3AT Mapping Campaign. Building on the work done in 2020, the H3AT team organized a one-day heat mapping campaign, very similar to the campaign in 2020. The 2024 Campaign Day took place on August 10th. 

The 2024 Campaign expanded the coverage area (69 routes versus 32 in 2020) with a particular focus on Houston's disadvantaged communities; an area where around two million people live. 

The data from the 2024 heat mapping campaign will help partners better understand what areas of Houston and Harris County are warmest and most vulnerable to the urban heat island effect. It will also be incorporated into a tree equity analysis to develop a scientific basis to guide tree plantings, prioritizing sites around public community features that have high heat, low tree canopy coverage, and a high rate of tree loss. 

This data will be made publicly available once finalized.

This campaign is being made possible through funding provided by the Inflation Reduction Act and the USDA Forest Service, Urban and Community Forestry Program. This is part of a larger initiative, called ForUsTree: Creating an Inclusive Community Canopy within Houston and Harris County, which aims to increase tree canopy, foster community resilience, and improve access to employment in underserved communities in Houston and Harris County.

Routes

The 2024 Campaign covered 69 routes across Houston and Harris County. Together, the volunteers drove a total of 3,446 miles across the three time periods (6-7 a.m., 3-4 p.m., and 7-8 p.m.). 

Over 150 volunteers drove routes along the following areas (which can also be seen in the map below):

• Area A – Tomball, Greenspoint, near IAH​

• Area B – Aldine, Magnolia Gardens, Eastex-Jensen, Northside​

• Area C – West University, Hunters Creek, Spring Branch North

• Area D – Downtown, Fifth Ward, Settegast, East Houston 

• Area E – Jacinto City, Channelview, McNair

• Area F – Pasadena, South Houston, League City

• Area G – Sunnyside, Southeast Houston, Hobby

• Area H – Meyerland, Fort Bend, Fondren Park

• Area J – Sharpstown, Alief, Mission Bend