Climate and Health Data for Census Tract 166.13

Census Tract 166.13 is new

The US Census Bureau first created Census Tract 166.13 after the 2020 census. Census Tract 166.04 split into this census tract and Census Tract 166.14.

Before 2020

After 2020

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Overview

What is climate change?

Climate change refers to long-term changes in the average weather patterns in an area. This can include changes in average temperatures, rainfall patterns, and more. Some of these changes, such as higher summer temperatures and more extreme storms, can put people's health at risk. Visit DNREC's Climate Change Basics page to learn more about climate change and its causes.

The effects of climate change are already notable in Delaware, and more impacts are expected in the future. In this dashboard, we highlight different risk factors that can make areas more vulnerable to climate change and its effects.

Photo credit:Eric Crossan

Report Sections
Climate and Health Outcomes
Tick-Borne Illnesses
Climate Projections
Climate Vulnerability & Risk
Additional Information

Climate and Health Outcomes

Census Tract 166.13

Climate and Health Outcomes

Climate change impacts human health by putting people at risk of injury, disease, and death from exposure to intense heat waves or extreme heat events and other extreme weather. Extreme weather puts stress on the body, especially among older adults and individuals with pre-existing conditions and chronic illnesses. Extreme heat can affect people directly in the form of heat stroke or heat exhaustion, but it can also worsen heart and lung conditions, which can lead to hospitalizations associated with myocardial infarction and asthma exacerbation. Dehydration associated with extreme heat can also worsen kidney conditions.

When fossil fuels are burned, in addition to greenhouse gases, air pollutants such as sulfur dioxide, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, and more are released into the air. These are often called co-pollutants, because they are released at the same time as carbon dioxide. Co-pollutants can also affect human health. Exhaust from car traffic, for instance, can trigger asthma attacks. Below are a sample of health metrics related to extreme weather and co-pollutants.

Heat Related Illness

Insights from a 2019-2024 Study on Heat Related Illnesses in DelawareDate published: March 2025

Explore DPH's first report published on heat-related illnesses. The findings in this five-year report show the burden of heat-related illnesses on the Delaware population and identify those most at risk.

Read the data story

Tick-Borne Illness

Census Tract 166.13

Understanding tick-borne illnesses

Changes in the environment can impact the vectors (e.g, ticks) that spread tick-borne diseases such as Lyme disease. According to the CDC, the reproduction and survival of ticks, their animal hosts (e.g., deer), and the bacterium that causes Lyme disease are influenced by climatic factors such as temperature, precipitation, and humidity. Mild winters, early springs, warmer summers, and fewer days of frost allow ticks more time to reproduce, spread disease, and expand their habitats. Increases in the tick population may increase the risk of Lyme disease in areas where Lyme disease already exists. For more information on Lyme disease and the impacts of a changing climate, visit CDC: Climate Change and Infectious Disease.

Images of Blacklegged Tick in different phases of life and how their sizes compare to a dime

Photo credit:CDC

Climate Projections

Census Tract 166.13

Understanding Climate Projections

With increased concern regarding climate change and its effects on local environments, the State of Delaware's Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) conducted a climate projections study for Delaware. The DNREC study provides predictions of changes in Delaware climate throughout the 21st century. This page shows some of the climate projections from the DNREC study, including the number of nights annually with a temperature above 80º F; the number of days annually with temperature above 90º F, 95º F, and 100º F; and the average daily high temperature projections.

The State of Delaware's Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) worked with leading climate scientists to create climate projections for Delaware. To create the climate projections, researchers coupled over 100 years of Delaware weather station observations with climate model simulations of projected future climate conditions through the end of the 21st century.

Not all communities feel the impacts of climate change equally. Low-income communities, for instance, may struggle with high energy bills during the hottest parts of the summer, while elderly and disabled individuals are more vulnerable to the health effects of extreme heat waves. The Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) is a resource created by the CDC to identify communities that may need greater support.

More information about the data presented in this section can be found at the Climate Projections Portal.

Dewey Beach, looking north where houses line the shore

Photo credit:Kej605 (Wikimedia Commons)

Projected Temperature Increases

Climate Vulnerability & Risk

Census Tract 166.13

Flood Zones

Land Cover

Additional Information

Climate and Health in Census Tract 166.13

Resources

DNREC's Climate Action Plan

Delaware's Climate Action Plan, which is the result of a year-long process involving residents, businesses and technical experts, is a roadmap for how the state can prepare for climate change in the decades ahead.

Delaware Climate Office website

Office which houses the State Climatologist

Delaware Climate + Health Report (PDF)

Summary Report from the 2017 Delaware Climate Health Conference.

DNREC Air Quality Forecast

DNREC Tick Program

Includes a form for reporting tick interactions.

DNREC page on Climate Impacts

EPA page on climate change and human health

CDC page on flooding

Learn how to prepare for a flood, stay safe during a flood, and protect your health when you return home after a flood.

CDC page on extreme heat

This website provides helpful tips, information, and resources to help you stay safe in the extreme heat this summer.

FEMA National Risk Index

Discover the landscape of natural hazard risk in the United States.

Data Sources

Delaware Climate Change Projections

Citation: Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC). Delaware Climate Predictions Portal. Retrieved from http://cema.udel.edu/applications/declimateprojections/about/

View or download this dataset

Hospital Discharge Data

Citation: Delaware Health and Social Services. 2015-2022. Hospital Discharge Data.

View or download this dataset

Lyme Incidence

Citation: Delaware Department of Health and Social Services. https://myhealthycommunity.dhss.delaware.gov/

View or download this dataset

Mortality

Citation: Delaware Department of Health and Social Services, Division of Public Health, Delaware Health Statistics Center.

View or download this dataset

National Land Cover Database

Citation: Dewitz, J., and U.S. Geological Survey, 2021, National Land Cover Database (NLCD) 2019 Products (ver. 2.0, June 2021): U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P9KZCM54

View or download this dataset

US Buildings in Flood Zones

Citation: Bing Maps Team. Computer Generated Building Footprints for the United States. 2018. Retrieved from https://github.com/microsoft/USBuildingFootprints and Federal Emergency Management Administration. Flood Map Service Center, 2022. Retrieved from: https://msc.fema.gov/portal/advanceSearch#searchresultsanchor

View or download this dataset

US Geological Survey Science Data Catalog

Citation: Falcone, J.A., 2016, U.S. block-level population density rasters for 1990, 2000, and 2010: U.S. Geological Survey data release, http://dx.doi.org/10.5066/F74J0C6M.

View or download this dataset

Privacy

In releasing this information, Delaware aims to provide information that can be helpful to local communities as they work to improve public health. However, the protection of the confidentiality of our citizens is of paramount importance. To that end, counts of less than 11 are not presented. An outside expert has reviewed the platform to ensure it complies with the HIPAA privacy rule (45 CFR 164.§514(b)).

Climate and Health Outcomes

Heat Related Illness

Insights from a 2019-2024 Study on Heat Related Illnesses in DelawareDate published: March 2025

Read the data story

249.8

Number of Delaware residents

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11.0

Number of people

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Hospitalizations Indicator	Census Tract 166.13	% Change	Trendline	State	Target
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Hospitalizations age-adjusted rate per 100,000 people	0.0 (2016)			3.1
Heat Stress Hospitalizations age-adjusted rate per 100,000 people	0.0 (2016)			3.1

Hospitalizations Indicator	Census Tract 166.13	% Change	Trendline	State	Target
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Hospitalizations age-adjusted rate per 100,000 people	0.0 (2016)			3.1
Heat Stress Hospitalizations age-adjusted rate per 100,000 people	0.0 (2016)			3.1

Census Tract 166.13 is new

Census Tract 166.13 is new

What is climate change?

Climate and Health Outcomes

Understanding tick-borne illnesses

Understanding Climate Projections

Projected Temperature Increases

Flood Zones

Land Cover

Resources

Data Sources

Privacy

What is climate change?

Climate and Health Outcomes

Hospitalizations

Understanding tick-borne illnesses

Understanding Climate Projections

Projected Temperature Increases

Flood Zones

Changing the map

Land Cover

Changing the map

Resources

Data Sources

Privacy

Changing the map

Changing the map

Hospitalizations