147 individuals have died in the US as a result of high heat
A total of 147 individuals have lost their lives in the states of Arizona, Nevada, and Texas during this month due to high heat waves that have swept across significant portions of the United States. The states of Arizona, Nevada, and Texas have borne the brunt of this summer’s severe heat.
Among the 147 reported fatalities, Pima and Maricopa counties in Arizona have accounted for 64 and 39 deaths, respectively. Meanwhile, Clark County in Nevada has seen 26 deaths, and Texas’s Webb and Harris counties have reported 11 and seven fatalities, respectively.
While heat-related deaths have also been recorded in parts of California, the South, and the Midwest, the numbers have not reached the levels seen in the five counties mentioned earlier.
Maricopa County, which encompasses the city of Phoenix and has documented at least 39 heat-related deaths, is currently investigating an additional 312 fatalities.
These tragic deaths have occurred due to high heat waves soaring to unprecedented levels at the end of June, persisting to scorch much of the South and Southwest through July.
Phoenix notably experienced the hottest month ever recorded for any US city, enduring 31 consecutive days with temperatures at or above 43 degrees Celsius from June into July.
Remarkably, the death toll from this extreme heat surpasses the combined toll of tornadoes and flooding incidents thus far.