Extreme heat persists for millions of Americans, with more to come
In some corners of Texas, the ongoing heat wave has been so oppressive, so relentless, that a day in which temperature records dont fall has come to seem more surprising than one that brings yet another high. Del Rio only tied the record high for today, the National Weather Service office for San Antonio and Austin tweeted late Wednesday. The 108-degree mark, brutal and dangerous by any measure, came after the southwestern Texas town had set record-high temperatures for 10 days running. According to The Washington Posts heat tracker , 62 million people in the United States were at risk of exposure to potentially dangerous heat on Thursday, from Arizona to the Carolinas, and from Texas to Illinois. In total, 18 states were under a heat watch, warning or advisory across at least a portion of the state. In places large and small, Americans took what measures they could to escape the heat or at least to mitigate the risks that already have led to numerous deaths, left power grids stressed and prompted hundreds of emergency room visits for heat-related illnesses. Officials from Orlando to Memphis to Mobile, Ala., opened cooling centers in anticipation of the fierce heat to come. Summer camps in Arkansas planned to double swim time for campers while also limiting direct exposure to the sun during the hottest part of the day. Fire commanders in Kansas City planned to call for extra crews to rotate firefighters on calls and help them stay hydrated. In Youngsville, La., it was 97 degrees Thursday afternoon. But to Justin Vaughan, who was trying to keep his crew of landscapers hydrated and healthy in the broiling humidity, it feels like 112. My main focus is basically just morale-boosting, supplying the guys with different electrolytes, said Vaughan, who manages the lawn crews for Brothers Lawn Service and Landscaping. Vaughan ticked off his usual tools: Liquid I.V. Gatorade. Ice machines. Filtered water. His workers all have bucket hats and moisture-wicking shirts. The biggest thing is just communicating to the guys and just constantly reminding them: Keep your neck covered, stay hydrated, dont be afraid to take a little extra time between jobs to really cool your core temperature in the truck, said Vaughan, who had already dispatched a supervisor on Thursday to send one employee home who was struggling with the extreme heat. Catholic Charities case managers in Texas have been out in communities distributing cold water to help cool people down and have cooling sites at their facilities. The social services organization also has a program that distributes fans to senior citizens to help those who dont have air conditioning, said Antonio Fernandez, the chief executive of Catholic Charities in San Antonio. I think especially the seniors have been affected by this," Fernandez said. The crowds at the cooling centers, including homeless people looking for food and water, have also surpassed what he has witnessed in the past. Weve seen a lot more than in previous years when it was not so hot, he said. The deadly stretch of hot weather that has engulfed much of the South shows some signs of easing in places. Central Texas, after all, might finally see days this weekend with only double-digit highs a marked change from recent weeks. But the crippling heat, which has arrived in the early days of summer, will still be a reality for a large swath of the country heading into the Fourth of July weekend. The National Weather Service on Thursday highlighted excessive-heat warnings and advisories over parts of the Southern Rockies, Southern High Plains, Central and Southern Plains, the middle and lower Mississippi Valley, and the central Gulf Coast. Dangerous heat will continue expanding east through the Lower Mississippi Valley and Mid-South and into the Southeast through Friday, the agency wrote, adding that while slight relief is on the way for some places that have suffered from an unprecedented swelter in recent weeks, Many areas outside of Texas will experience their most significant heat of the season thus far. The hottest zone on Thursday stretched from Central Texas northward into Oklahoma, southern Kansas, Arkansas, central and southern Missouri, Louisiana and Mississippi, where high temperatures were forecast to reach 100 to 105 degrees with heat indexes as high as 110 to 115. For many locations, the maximum temperature on Thursday was expected to be 10 to 18 degrees above normal. The extreme heat was forecast to migrate east on Friday into southern Illinois, western Kentucky and western Tennessee, where many locations were likely to reach high temperatures near or over 100 degrees, or 10 to 15 degrees above normal. Meanwhile, Georgia and parts of the Carolinas were bracing for heat indexes of about 105 to 110 degrees this weekend. The heat also is already intensifying in California, as a separate heat dome prepares to descend on parts of the West. Central Valley locations were expected to reach high temperatures in the upper 90s to low 100s on Thursday and 105 to 110 degrees Friday through Sunday. Major Heat Risk is expected for much of the Valley and foothills this weekend. The heat forecasted for the area is DANGEROUS to anyone without access to proper cooling & hydration, & to those who will be outside for work/activities, the National Weather Service in Sacramento tweeted . Excessive-heat watches and heat advisories blanket much of the state, from the Central Valley to Orange County, with a few areas set to approach 110 degrees. The worst of the heat is expected to arrive between Friday and Sunday, with high temperatures peaking 10 to 15 degrees above average. Heat is the number one natural hazard killer across the United States, and we are seeing a continued increase in the number of heat domes that different communities are experiencing, Deanne Criswell, administrator for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said in an interview with The Post on Wednesday. Criswell said that while the disaster response agency is limited in how it can help communities currently in the grip of extreme heat , a focus of the Biden administration is helping such places prepare for the more frequent, more intense heat waves that scientists say will be a fixture in a warming world. We can use mitigation funding to help these communities develop cooling centers to help keep people safe. We can use mitigation funding to help support other operations that are going to help harden the infrastructure so they dont lose power, she said. But we also want to get out there and educate the community. We want to get out there and deliver the preparedness messages about what it is you need to do in the event that you are faced with one of these. The heat, of course, is only one of the weather-related hazards plaguing the country this week. Smoke from Canadian wildfires continued to burden millions of Americans on Thursday, as a thick haze of polluted air descended across much of the Midwestern and Eastern United States. Chicago, Detroit and Washington found themselves among the major cities with the worst air quality in the world, and New York once again found itself in the crosshairs, with Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) saying it was unhealthy in every corner of the state. Dan Stillman and Matthew Cappucci contributed to this report. Understanding our climate: Global warming is a real phenomenon , and weather disasters are undeniably linked to it . As temperatures rise, heat waves are more often sweeping the globe and parts of the world are becoming too hot to survive . What can be done? The Post is tracking a variety of climate solutions , as well as the Biden administrations actions on environmental issues . It can feel overwhelming facing the impacts of climate change, but there are ways to cope with climate anxiety . Inventive solutions: Some people have built off-the-grid homes from trash to stand up to a changing climate. As seas rise, others are exploring how to harness marine energy . What about your role in climate change? Our climate coach Michael J. Coren is answering questions about environmental choices in our everyday lives. Submit yours here. You can also sign up for our Climate Coach newsletter .