The Southern Medical Journal (SMJ) is the official, peer-reviewed journal of the Southern Medical Association. It has a multidisciplinary and inter-professional focus that covers a broad range of topics relevant to physicians and other healthcare specialists.

SMJ // Article

Letter to the Editor

A Call for Revising Handicapped Parking Permits Categories to Include Extreme Weather Conditions

Authors: Meghana Dumpa, BS, Aseret Medina Vargas, MD, Suzanne Minor, MD

Abstract

Per the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, summer 2024 was the hottest on record since 1880,1 rising more than 1.5ºC (34.7ºF) from preindustrial levels. As we start to experience unprecedented heat waves globally and instances of snow in northern Florida, physicians need to consider how these previously uncommon weather patterns can affect some of our chronically ill patients and how we can mitigate these sequelae.

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References

1. Younger S. NASA finds summer 2024 hottest to date. Accessed April 18, 2025. https://www.nasa.gov/earth/nasa-finds-summer-2024-hottest-to-date/.
 
2. Blaustein JR, Quisel MJ, Hamburg NM, et al. Environmental impacts on cardiovascular health and biology: an overview. Circ Res 2024;134:1048–1060.
 
3. Khraishah H, Alahmad B, Ostergard RL, et al. Climate change and cardiovascular disease: implications for global health. Nat Rev Cardiol 2022;19:798–812.
 
4. Lin YK, Lin CH, Chan CC, et al. Investigating wet-bulb globe temperature on heat-related illness in general population for alerting heat exposure: a time-stratified case-crossover study. Urban Clim 2025;59: 102322.