PHX Reporter

The number of confirmed heat-related deaths in Maricopa County surged to 180 in the week ending Aug. 26, according to Maricopa County Morbidity Reports. 

Confirmed fatalities jumped up from 133 the week before. At this point in the summer, the number of heat-related deaths is well above the number of deaths at this time the year before, when 111 people had passed away from the heat. 

A sweltering heat wave baked much of the area for 31 days, and this year saw the most 115-degree days ever in a calendar year. Though temperatures have dipped slightly to below 110-degrees as a daytime high, the area is still under an excessive heat warning from the National Weather Service. 

Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs declared a Heat State of Emergency on Friday, Aug. 11. It increased funding for services for the rest of the summer, even though the hot season in Arizona began several months before. 

This large increase in fatalities is due to the heat and also the Maricopa County coroner’s office completing investigations into the many possible heat-related deaths throughout the summer. There are currently 330 deaths still under investigation. 

In the week ending Aug. 26, there were roughly 10 new possible heat-related deaths. This is a decrease from the week before, when fewer than 20 people passed away. The number of new possible deaths has fallen steadily since the middle of July. 

Despite the decreases, there are still 75 more deaths under investigation than there were at the same time last year. 

Of the 180  people who died due to the heat, 58% were white, 23% were Hispanic or Latino, 14% were Black or African American, 4%  American Indian/Alaska Native, and 2% were either Asian or Pacific Islander.

The weekly report showed that people 50-years-old and older were the most vulnerable to the heat this summer, accounting for 64% of confirmed heat-associated deaths. The percentages drop steeply for the younger demographics, falling to 21% for those 35-49, and 15% for people in the large age range of five-years-old to 34-years-old. 

Additionally, 75% of heat-related deaths happened to people who were outdoors. 

Of the 43 people who were indoors at the time of their death, 41 had air conditioning in the unit or house, but their air conditioning was either non-functioning, couldn’t be turned on due to a lack of electricity, or wasn’t in use. 

Phoenix, which is the seat of Maricopa County, is considered the hottest city in the U.S. Records at Current Results, Phoenix is the only large U.S. city to suffer more than 100 days of 100-degree heat.

The enhanced heat surveillance season usually begins in May and ends in October. Weekly Heat Surveillance reports are provided by Maricopa County during the enhanced heat surveillance season from the beginning of May to the end of October. 

Cooling and hydration stations in Maricopa County are open to the public throughout the heat season. For more information on heat, please visit http://heataz.org.