Heat waves kill more Americans than any other type of natural disaster!

This post has been inspired by a thread I just read about how the "poor" Americans have too many luxuries, like air conditioning. I saw quite a few posters complaining that "we never had air conditioning growing up, and we didn't drop dead" Reading this reminded me of the title of this thread, because I learned this fact a long time ago. Since we are experiencing many heat waves around the globe today, I thought it was a valid point to make. I found a good article about it, enjoy, and stay cool
Dead Heat

heat waves kill more people in the United States than all of the other so-called natural disasters combined. More than 400 Americans die from heat-related illnesses in a typical year. Annual mortality from tornadoes, earthquakes, and floods together is under 200.

In the past three decades, New York City (1972, 1984), St. Louis (1980), Philadelphia (1993), Dallas (1998), and Milwaukee (1995) have experienced massively deadly heat waves. But in recent years, Chicago has become the national epicenter of heat mortality.

We can expand the supportive housing and social-service programs available to the people most likely to die in heat waves. And Congress can provide the poor with energy subsidies for summer cooling, just as it does for winter heat.

reply to post by MidnightSunshine


I never understood how people could die in a heat wave. Especially when you escape indoors and drink plenty of fluids.
But the danger is apparently very real.

I live in Miami and most of the time here in the summer it feels like a sauna outdoors.
Highs in the 90's during the summer and humidity levels exceeding 80%.

I've been in northern Florida when the temperature has reached 120 degrees.

So I'm used to the heat. However I'm assuming that northerners aren't.

reply to post by grey580


Yea, it's the kids and the elderly we really have to worry about. The article mentioned something about a lot of the death being people who live alone. So sad, but who doesn’t know a stubborn senior living alone? This is a good reminder to any of us who know an elderly person living without ac. We need to check on these people, and make sure they are taking care of themselves, whether they like it or not.

What do you expect, were weak and spend too much time inside. I'm actually glad o don't have air conditionoing, it makes people incapable of handling overheated days. Not only that, but the traits that are overbred in Americans are thin skin and environmental weakness if you understand what that means.
If you can't handle the heat, get out of the kitchen.

reply to post by DarkSarcasm


I'm glad you don't have a/c too, and I'm glad you're not bitter about it or anything. I am also thankful that my Grandmother does have air conditioning. Tomorrow we will have temps in the upper 90s, w/ a heat index up around 105. She is lucky to have people to check on her and make sure she is not dying of heat exhaustion or dehydration, unfortunately there are many seniors who don't, and some won't make it out of the kitchen.... pfft...WHIMPS!!