Hot Enough, Thanks

Heat is the #1 weather-related cause of death in the US, killing 600 Americans every year.

And that number is going nowhere but up.

When the ocean is cool, it cools the land. When it's warm, it warms the land.

The ocean is very warm now - on it's way to pretty fuckin' hot.

There are people in Phoenix being taken to the local ER because they've contacted the asphalt pavement with bare skin for a few minutes, and suffered 2nd and 3rd degree burns.

In one Sicilian town, the extreme heat shut down the whole electrical grid when the underground cabling melted.

Key Points

• Between 1979 and 2018, the death rate as a direct result of exposure to heat (underlying cause of death) generally hovered between 0.5 and 2 deaths per million people, with spikes in certain years (see Figure 1). Overall, a total of more than 11,000 Americans have died from heat-related causes since 1979, according to death certificates.
• For years in which the two records overlap (1999–2018), accounting for those additional deaths in which heat was listed as a contributing factor results in a higher death rate—nearly double for some years—compared with the estimate that only includes deaths where heat was listed as the underlying cause (see Figure 1).
• The indicator shows a peak in heat-related deaths in 2006, a year that was associated with widespread heat waves and was one of the hottest years on record in the contiguous 48 states (see the U.S. and Global Temperature indicator).
• The death rate from heat-related cardiovascular disease ranged from 0.08 deaths per million people in 2004 to 1.08 deaths per million people in 1999 (see Figure 2). Overall, the interaction of heat and cardiovascular disease caused about one-fourth of the heat-related deaths recorded in the “underlying and contributing causes” analysis since 1999 (see Figures 1 and 2).
• Since 1999, people aged 65+ have been several times more likely to die from heat-related cardiovascular disease than the general population, while non-Hispanic Blacks generally have had higher-than-average rates (see Figure 2).
• Examination of extreme events has revealed challenges in capturing the full extent of “heat-related” deaths. For example, studies of the 1995 heat wave event in Chicago (see example figure) suggest that there may have been hundreds more deaths than were actually reported as “heat-related” on death certificates.
• While dramatic increases in heat-related deaths are closely associated with the occurrence of hot temperatures and heat waves, these deaths may not be reported as “heat-related” on death certificates. This limitation, as well as considerable year-to-year
•  variability in the data, make it difficult to determine whether the United States has experienced a meaningful increase or decrease in deaths classified as “heat-related” over time.

Background

When people are exposed to extreme heat, they can suffer from potentially deadly illnesses, such as heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Hot temperatures can also contribute to deaths from heart attacks, strokes, and other forms of cardiovascular disease. Heat is the leading weather-related killer in the United States, even though most heat-related deaths are preventable through outreach and intervention (see EPA’s Excessive Heat Events Guidebook at: www.epa.gov/heat-islands/excessive-heat-events-guidebook).

Unusually hot summer temperatures have become more common across the contiguous 48 states in recent decades (see the High and Low Temperatures indicator), extreme heat events (heat waves) have become more frequent and intense (see the Heat Waves indicator), and these trends are expected to continue. As a result, the risk of heat-related deaths and illness is also expected to increase. The “urban heat island” effect accentuates the problem by causing even higher temperatures in densely developed urban areas.4 Reductions in cold-related deaths are projected to be smaller than increases in heat-related deaths in most regions. Death rates can also change, however, as people acclimate to higher temperatures and as communities strengthen their heat response plans and take other steps to continue to adapt.

Certain population groups already face higher risks of heat-related death, and increases in summertime temperature variability will increase that risk. The population of adults aged 65 and older, which is expected to continue to grow, has a higher-than-average risk of heat-related death. Children are particularly vulnerable to heat-related illness and death, as their bodies are less able to adapt to heat than adults, and they must rely on others to help keep them safe.8 People with certain diseases, such as cardiovascular and respiratory illnesses, are especially vulnerable to excessive heat exposure, as are the economically disadvantaged. Data also suggest a higher risk among non-Hispanic Blacks.

Today, President Biden is issuing a heat wave “hazard alert” to protect workers.

Meanwhile, here’s what 2024 GOP candidates have to say about the climate crisis. pic.twitter.com/7KFZY8u1lW

— The Democrats (@TheDemocrats) July 27, 2023