![]() Heat, a quiet killer and one of the world’s deadliest disasters, takes an unequal toll. More people are making Phoenix their home even as the risks rise and a growing population is putting strain on housing and water – two resources that help dull the strain of stifling heat – both resources in short supply. ![]() Staying one step ahead has proved a difficult – and deadly – challenge. The climate crisis is upping the stakes, with temperatures only expected to surge further in the coming years. The city was the first in the country to fund a dedicated heat department in 2021, which has launched dozens of programs with ambitious goals, including planting more trees, opening cooling centers and ensuring people across the region have working air-conditioning units.ĭespite the work, the numbers of heat-related fatalities have swelled dramatically in recent years, culminating in a record 425 lives lost last year. Volunteers with city of Phoenix’s heat response team hand out water and other supplies at an encampment during the heatwave. “We might have flash floods but heat is our issue.” ![]() “This is Arizona’s natural disaster,” Litwin said. On Wednesday, she and a crew of city workers and volunteers set up a booth at a sprawling homeless encampment to hand out cold water bottles, hygiene kits and other resources that, for those living on the streets, could potentially mean the difference between life and death. Litwin and her team are tasked with aiding the city’s most vulnerable during the city’s brutally hot months, a season that now stretches from April to September. “Phoenix has always been hot,” said Michelle Litwin, the city’s heat response program manager. If the heatwave continues as predicted, Phoenix will have endured an 18-day stretch of temperatures above 110F (43.3C) by Tuesday. The city is on track to break a grim milestone. But by day 12 of a vicious heatwave that’s sent temperatures soaring into triple digits, with little relief overnight, limits are being tested – and it’s only going to get hotter. Hobbs said then that the declaration would allow the state to reimburse various government entities for funds spent on providing relief from high temperatures.Arizona’s capital city is nicknamed “Valley of the Sun”, and residents are used to scorching heat. Katie Hobbs in mid-August declared a state of emergency following more than a month of extreme heat statewide. “Continue to take precautions like staying hydrated, do outdoor work or exercise in the cooler parts of the day, and stay in air-conditioned spaces during the hottest parts of the day,” Singh added.Īrizona Gov. “These heat deaths are preventable, however, and with the temperatures we are still seeing, it’s important that people don’t let their guard down. ![]() “Given the number of confirmed heat-associated deaths and the number that are currently under investigation, it’s possible we could have even more heat-associated deaths this year than in 2022,” said Sonia Singh, supervisor for Maricopa County Public Health Department’s office of communications. Maricopa County has confirmed 425 heat-related deaths in 2022. There were 153 heat-associated deaths in the county confirmed by the same week last year, with another 238 deaths under investigation. County public health officials said Wednesday there have been 194 heat-associated deaths confirmed for this year as of Sept.
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