![]() The state’s official data accounted for just 599 deaths. ![]() A 2021 Times examination of state mortality data showed that heat probably caused about 3,900 deaths in the state between 20. While state officials make those forward projections, the official death toll over the past decade is likely a serious undercount. ![]() Counties with higher poverty rates are also highest on the scale of exposure and sensitivity. The California Department of Public Health has been working to assess how vulnerable each county in the state is to extreme heat, based on a variety of environmental and societal factors.įor example, counties with larger populations of non-English speakers are especially vulnerable to the effects of extreme heat, due to what state health officials call “linguistic isolation.” That puts many Californians in L.A., Kern and other counties through the Central Valley at the most risk. It also has a greater impact on people who work predominantly outdoors, such as construction workers, landscapers and agricultural workers. And some people are more at risk than others.Įxtreme heat disproportionately affects children and the elderly, people with chronic illnesses, disabled people and those who are pregnant. I’ll spare you too many details on how heat kills, but it can happen through heat exhaustion or the more serious heatstroke - which can severely damage the brain, heart, kidneys and muscles. and around the world facing the dangers of extreme heat and thousands dying each year, maybe it’s time to frame the risks more responsibly. With so many people in California, across the U.S. Personally, I’m striving to no longer use that phrase - with its tinge of cutesy fun that feels out of place - when writing about one of the deadliest seasonal weather events. Through this heat wave and many previous ones, government officials and media have shared now-familiar tips and resources to “beat the heat.” Then there was Death Valley National Park, where the thermometer hit a truly terrifying 128 degrees, breaking a daily record of 127 degrees reached in 20. ![]()
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