The paper's prior HeatRisk checklist piece argued that heat tools matter when they turn weather into health decisions, and CDC's May 6 heat-events page still sends readers to the HeatRisk Dashboard for personalized heat forecasts, local air-quality details and protective actions. [1]

On June 3, the dashboard itself returned a shorter message: "The CDC HeatRisk Dashboard and embedded visuals are currently down for planned maintenance," followed by instructions to check back later or contact Tracking Support. [2]

That is not a scandal, but it is a service gap during the season when CDC's own heat page says air conditioning is the strongest protective factor against heat-related illness and tells readers to stay in air-conditioned places, find cooling centers, wear loose clothing and drink water often. [1]

The distinction matters because public-health guidance increasingly asks ordinary people to consult dashboards before deciding whether to work outside, take a child to practice or check on an older neighbor.

When the main dashboard is down, the older instructions become the practical fallback, and the article's point is modest but real: public-health infrastructure includes the page load, not only the science behind the page or the agency link that sends people there in dangerous weather.

-- NORA WHITFIELD, Chicago