"It's called summer." The familiar asshat replies when discussing heat in July neglects to take into account heat related deaths. 10 in Laredo, TX.
Posted by
Qale
Jul 13 '23, 18:34
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10 people died from heat-related illnesses within the city limits of Laredo between June 15 and July 3, a toll unheard-of in this heat-accustomed corner of Texas. Though public health officials in several states said a full and accurate count of how many people have died from the recent bout of heat is weeks away, if not months, Laredo’s experience suggested that the eventual number could be substantial — a harbinger of a future in which heat waves become a regular public health crisis.
In Texas last year, at least 306 people died of heat-related causes, according to the state health department — the highest annual total in more than two decades. Among them were 158 nonresidents, a figure that includes migrants crossing the state’s harsh terrain. During the heat wave in Webb County, at least two migrants were found dead on local ranches, according to the sheriff, Martin Cuellar.
The superheated dome of high atmospheric pressure that has been pressing down on much of the country will probably stay in place for a few more days at least, forecasters said, pushing temperatures to dangerous heights from parts of California all the way to Florida. And the temperature readings tell only part of the story, public health officials cautioned, because humid air worsens the heat, making it much more difficult for the body to cool down. And in cities like Laredo, the air can grow even hotter as the sun bakes the pavement, with little respite at night.
Around the country, public health officials have begun thinking of new ways to track and respond to heat-related illnesses, in order to better protect residents, particularly those whose jobs require them to work outside. In Louisiana, the state began in April to track in real time the number of people in hospital emergency rooms because of the heat — a system akin to one used during the pandemic to stay on top of Covid-19 outbreaks.
Several counties in Texas publish data on emergency room admissions for heat-related illnesses, as does the city of Dallas. The figures reflect what is widely known about extremely hot weather: As the temperature rises into dangerous territory, the number of people who suffer from heat exhaustion or a potentially deadly heat stroke rises in tandem. Most of those who were hospitalized have been men of working age, reflecting the fact that, for many Americans, heat is an occupational hazard.
“The data is what helps us get the message out there,” said Dr. Peter Huang, the director of Dallas County’s public health department. “Bottom line: The heat is getting bad. Everyone needs to do whatever they can — because we want to prevent people from dying.”
The county provides free air-conditioners to residents who can’t afford them, handing out more than 400 last year and nearly 300 so far this year, Dr. Huang said.
No such program exists for Webb County, a vast expanse of nearly shadeless ranch land in South Texas that includes the palm-tree-dotted city of Laredo, one of the busiest gateways for international truck traffic to and from Mexico.
Instead, the county has opened more than a dozen cooling centers, organized “fan drives” to give away fans, and leaned on a system of “promotoras,” well-connected local people who help officials spread important health information through their networks and at community centers.
“It’s like that one aunt that knows everybody, that gets along with everybody,” said Tano Tijerina, the county judge for Webb County, describing the approach.
Mr. Tijerina said the county had not contemplated starting a program to provide free air-conditioners to residents. “If you’re going to start giving out air-conditioners, where do you stop?” he said. “We are an aid, we will help, we’ll assist.” But he added, “we’re talking about people’s tax dollars here.”
“We’re used to the heat,” Armando Acosta, 24, a metal worker in Laredo, said as he finished erecting the frame of a shade structure outside a house this week, working in the sweltering sun. “But it’s the air that’s suffocating,” he said.
His colleague Cristian Patiño, 32, said each of them would drink about 15 bottles of water during the work day, and take breaks roughly each hour.
Workers make up a large share of hospital admissions for heat-related illnesses, but in Laredo, the people who died from the latest heat wave were mostly older people who were at home alone, and either did not have air conditioning or chose not to turn it on, said Dr. Stern, the medical examiner.
“They thought, ‘I’m used to this heat,’” she said. “That’s what we heard from their family, ‘Oh, I’m used to this heat, I’ve got this.’”
One victim, a 68-year-old woman, died despite having a working air-conditioner at home. “Her daughters had seen her the night before, to bring her some food, and told her, ‘Mom, turn the air-conditioner on, it’s hot in here,’ and she wouldn’t,” Dr. Stern said. “Didn’t want to turn it on, to save money.”
Money was also a major concern in the home of Mr. Garza, 61, who died in a room with two broken air-conditioners.
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