9 people dead as extreme heat wave grips the Midwest and South

[Elmore Furth]

Source: CNN

The number of suspected heat-related deaths reported by health officials across the South and Midwest in the past week reached at least nine Wednesday as temperatures continued to hit triple digits.

The health department of Kansas City, Missouri, said Wednesday that the Jackson County Medical Examiner was investigating the city's fourth suspected heat-related death since Friday.

In Tennessee, Shelby County Medical Examiner Karen E. Chancellor said a 77-year-old man was found dead Tuesday evening in his Memphis home. His death resulted from natural causes, but heat was ruled to be a contributing factor.

In Bartlett, Tennessee, a 67-year-old man collapsed in his yard Friday while mowing the lawn, Chancellor said. He died from chronic illnesses but heat exposure was ruled to be a contributing factor.



Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/08/04/weather.heat/?hpt=Sbin

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The average heat related deaths in the US is 162 per year. With heat indexes of over 110 in a number of states, that total will be challenged this year. Alabama, Tennessee, Louisiana and Georgia have been particularly hard hit but there are also heat warning in Missouri, Kansas, Illinois and Arkansas.

http://www.examiner.com/x-24244-Huntsville-Healthy-Living-Examiner~y2010m8d3-Heat-wave-of-2010-proves-deadly-from-Missouri-to-Mississippi


The current heat index forecast from NOAA doesn't look good:

[KansDem]

1. I've been in NE Kansas for 31 years now...

...and this is the worse I've ever experienced.

A house across the street from me is having a new roof put on and I don't see how the roofers can stand it.

[Lugnut]

9. I've lived in NE PA my whole life.

I don't ever remember such a sustained level of heat and humidity in the Pocono Mountains. It has reached a point where home air conditioning systems aren't optional.

[proud2BlibKansan]

15. 1980 was the worst I can remember

There were 25 or 30 deaths from the heat in KC that summer.

[KansDem]

18. Wow! That would be about the time I arrived...

Lawrence, August 1979.

on edit: I remember the winter of 1981-82 being pretty damn cold! Got down to around -17 degrees one time.

(I sound like an "oldtimer" always talking about extreme weather... :) )

[proteus_lives]

2. It's humid as hell in Indiana.

Thank the Maker for AC!

[annm4peace]

3. WATCH OUT FOR YOUR NEIGHBORS ,, ESPECIALLY CHILDREN AND ELDERLY

if you aren't use to such hot weather then educate yourself and help each other out. Check on your neighbors.
The elderly and children suffer quickly in the heat and they can get heat strokes quickly. Note if they seem dizzy, headaches, or seem extra irritable.

If you can run your dishwasher, washing machine, dryer,, late in the day as you can. or early morning.


Make more events to conserve energy buy turning off the lights, closing doors of rooms not in use or closets.

of course drink lots and lots of water through out the day. try to get elderly to drink more water (you can always spike it with a little sugar).

If you don't have air conditioning in your car or at home.. Putting on a wet t-shirt or pouring water over head or your neck does wonders as does rubbing ice your temples, wrists and across your forehead. cooling off your head and feet does wonders to cool you down.

take care of your pets and makes sure they have shade and water.

try to eat more of water fruits and vegetables, like watermelon and cucumbers.

these are just some over many ideas.

[aquart]

10. I use Mineral Ice lavishly on neck and pulse points, ankles.

Then I thoroughly dampen two large bathsheets and lay one on the bed and put the other one over me. My apartment isn't insulated and heat builds up during the day. By midnight, the air conditioner can't compete with the accumulated heat.

[raccoon]

13. Good idea about the sheets. Where do you live? nt

[aquart]

16. Manhattan. Hottest July on record.

[Dappleganger]

4. It's also tough on the homeless.

As if their lives don't suck enough already. Their day is consumed with what air-conditioned place will let them stay for how long before they have to move on.

[madrchsod]

5. wettest july in 81 years in the chicagoland area

it`s not as hot as 1995 but it`s humid as hell around here. we will probably hit 100 monday.

well the upside to climate change- the rock river has`t smelled like dead catfish for the last ten years...

[glinda]

6. can you provide the NOAA map link for me? I couldn't find the map where

you can click the marks to see more info. Thanks!

[BadgerKid]

8. Start at http://www.cpc.noaa.gov/

In the left-hand panel, click Products link under Outlooks.
In the right-hand panel, click Heat Index in the bottom row.

I figured this out looking at the image URL and navigating by trial and error through the web site.

[DFW]

7. Not just in North America

Friends in Europe told me that in Cyprus yesterday, they had 46° (114°F) during the day, and 36° (96°F) at night.

[golfguru]

11. Back in mid-1990's

600+ people died in Chicago metro area in a summer heat wave.

I will never forget the worst day...I came out of the office building to
drive home for lunch and could not even breathe the air outside! It was 100%
humidity and 105 degrees. I turned right around and bought stuff from vending machines.

[NickB79]

12. But, but, SNOWMAGEDDON!

Have we all forgotten how global warming was proven to be a hoax just 6 short months ago?

[mikeytherat]

14. Ah, yes.

I believe the formula they used was:

"Global warming and climate change are a hoax because there is snow on the ground in the middle of winter."



mikey_the_rat

[DavidDvorkin]

17. They'll be doing that again once the first snow falls.