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Lidia Torres, the owner of a family-owned tamale business in South Laredo, faces the toll of ever-increasing heat which has impacted her mentally, emotionally, and physically. Lidia struggles to adapt to temperatures that climb higher each year. Concrete surrounds her home business, magnifying the effect of heat.  More and more days now reach above 100°F . 

"The weather has changed," she says, her voice tinged with nostalgia and concern. "Temperatures that used to come in July now hit us in April." 

Tamales have a rich cultural history in neighboring Mexico. They come in a wide variety of flavors and even colors and are bought by the dozen. What makes this dish so appealing is its wide range of flavorful mixtures. Customized stews made with chiles and chicken, beef, pork, cheese, beans, or even sweet fillings get scooped onto corn masa that has been spread on softened corn husk leaves. Tamales are associated with indigenous and Christian holidays such as Dia de los Muertos and Christmas. Tamales are most popular during the winter but are now eaten and enjoyed year-round. Making tamales is not an easy task; it involves numerous steps and requires long hours of kneading, boiling, and steaming to get the corn husk, corn masa, and fillings just right. 

Hotter days in Laredo has forced Lidia to change her business practices and navigate around the heat. She wakes up at three in the morning to avoid even higher temperatures in her kitchen and constantly fears that the kitchen's warmth will affect her, as well as the quality of her products. 

"I hope I never reach the point of closing the business because the tamales are spoiling," she said. Heat can accelerate bacterial growth in perishable foods, shorten their shelf life and increase the risk of foodborne illnesses. The U.S Food and Drug Administration states that temperatures above 90°F rapidly increase the rate of food degradation. This can be especially true in open-air or minimally controlled environments like Lidia's kitchen. Extreme temperatures are impacting local economies with food service businesses among the hardest hit due to increased costs for cooling, spoilage prevention, and decreased foot traffic (James & James, 2010). 

In hotter months, consumer demand shifts, affecting the sales of hot foods like tamales, which decrease during peak temperatures. Lidia has cut her operational hours from 5pm to 3 pm for closing.  A decline in sales affects her revenue and her family's source of income.The heat has not only impacted her business, it has also begun to impact her physically. For example, she changes her clothes multiple times daily. Sweat clings to her skin like a second layer. "It is sticky," she laughs, describing the sensation as if she is covered in honey. When she finishes her work in the afternoon, she returns home without energy and is excessively tired. "Now, I come home and want nothing more than to lie down and rest." 

This exhaustion is more than physical; it is emotional. She longs for the days when she could play with her daughters after work, but now she is too fatigued. Workers exposed to extreme heat or working in hot environments may experience occupational heat stress, a combination of metabolic heat and environmental heat (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health [CDC], 2024).

Lidia’s story is a testament to the hidden effects of climate change on small businesses. Her story is the canary in the coal mine; it warns us of the potential impact of climate change's broader implications for other small business owners and families everywhere. The future of our local economies, traditions, and communities relies on our immediate actions today.