PHOENIX — Heat deaths in Maricopa County continue to climb, and now 2023 has matched last year for the number of confirmed heat-related deaths.
Last year, there were 425 heat-related deaths confirmed, up 25 percent from the previous record set in 2021.
2023 matched the death count of 425 on Thursday, according to the Maricopa County Department of Public Health.
This year is almost sure to take the record on its own from last year, as nearly 200 more possible heat-related deaths are still under investigation.
The county has set a record for the number of heat deaths every year since 2016.
ABC15 asked Dr. Rebecca Sunenshine, medical director for Maricopa County Department of Public Health, what needs to happen moving forward to protect vulnerable people from the heat, “that tells us that we really need to get together as a community, with our government, our community, our faith based private universities, all of us get together and really try to increase our heat relief strategies.“
While the county has compiled heat death numbers since 2006, other government organizations have faced pressure this year to keep heat-death related statistics.
The Valley shattered heat records this year with the extremely hot summer. The biggest record broken by a wide margin was Phoenix hitting 110° every day for 31 straight days from June 30 to July 30. The previous record was 18 days.
Arizona also didn't get much relief from the heat in the form of monsoon thunderstorms. All told, Monsoon 2023 was the driest on record in the Valley.
ABC15 went through the latest heat death data from the Maricopa County Medical Examiner’s Office and found that through the end of August nearly a dozen people died in zip code 85008.
It’s unclear where exactly people have died throughout the summer of 2023, but data through August shows that at least 45 died in a residence from heat-related illness, 39 at the hospital, 14 in a parking lot and 11 in a desert area.
Dr. Sunenshine said that more can be done around the Heat Relief Network and around cooling centers that provide a free place in air conditioning.
The ABC15 Investigators found this summer that many cooling centers in the county’s largest city were closing before the hottest part of the day in Phoenix and there was no central organizer.
The medical examiner’s office has not released any information on heat deaths for the month of October, which would give information through the end of September.
“We have not yet analyzed the data from the entire season because we have 199 deaths left to investigate,” said Dr. Sunenshine, “So once those investigations are completed by the medical examiner, we always map those and make sure that we use that information to identify areas for cooling centers for shelters and other heat relief resources.”
Along with the state now hiring a cooling center coordinator, Maricopa County is as well.
“We do know from this past season that cooling centers were having challenges getting staffing to stay open past five o'clock in the evening, which is the hottest time of day,“ said Dr. Sunenshine.
MCDPH has the following tips to keep yourself safe from dangerous heat:
- Limit outdoor activities to the coolest parts of the day.
- When spending extended amounts of time outdoors, go indoors to an air-conditioned location frequently.
- Don’t rely on fans as your primary source of cooling, especially when outdoor temperatures are 95 degrees or higher.
- Drink water throughout the day to prevent dehydration.
- Wear a wide-brimmed hat, sunscreen, and lightweight clothes outdoors.
- Never leave kids, older adults, pets, and others who may rely on you inside of a parked car.
- Check on friends and neighbors, especially older adults, to ensure they have functioning air conditioning/cooling and enough water and supplies.
- Seek medical care immediately if you have, or someone you know has, symptoms of heat-associated illness like muscle cramps, headaches, vomiting, confusion, no longer sweating, and rapid heart rate.
