There are more yearly deaths attributed to heat than to other weather disasters, including floods, hurricanes and tornadoes.
But it's not just sweltering conditions during heat waves that are cause for concern, according to Uejio. As the world warms, there are risks associated with chronic heat exposure, particularly when combined with other socioeconomic pressures, he said.
Christa Stedman, a paramedic and spokesperson for the Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services in Texas, said young children, pregnant women, people with certain pre-existing medical conditions and the elderly are typically at highest risk for heat-related illness and death. Individuals who work outdoors and people experiencing homelessness are also particularly vulnerable when temperatures spike.
. The most recent statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed that from 2004 to 2018, Native American and Black communities had the highest rates of heat-related deaths in the United States. "Access to health insurance and health care facilities certainly plays a role in the higher rates that we see with lower-income households and also people in rural areas," he added.
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