With six heat-related deaths already recorded in July, Cook County is experiencing its deadliest run of extreme-heat fatalities since at least 2015, the Chicago Sun-Times and WBEZ reported.
What happened?
Before the Fourth of July weekend, Cook County in Illinois was under an extreme heat warning, and WBEZ and the Sun-Times said temperatures on the days the victims either died or were hospitalized were between 88 and 95 degrees.
The newest victim to be publicly identified was Victor Ferguson, 48. The Cook County medical examiner's office said he died July 2 from heat stroke, with ethanol intoxication listed as a secondary cause.
Four of the six people who died were younger than 60, the reports said. The medical examiner's office named the other victims as 45-year-old Stephanie Rodriguez, 44-year-old David Gonzalez, 71-year-old Barbara Whigham, 57-year-old Mike Rodriguez, and 69-year-old Daniel Machnikowski.
The county has seen lethal heat before. Chicago's 1995 heat wave killed more than 700 people, and that major heat waves in 1999 and 2012 caused 10 and 22 deaths, respectively.
Why is extreme heat dangerous?
Extreme heat is one of the deadliest forms of severe weather, especially for older adults, people with health conditions, those without reliable air conditioning, and residents who are socially isolated.
TCD Picks » Quince Spotlight
💡These best-sellers from Quince deliver affordable, sustainable luxury for all
Five of the six victims lived on Chicago's South and West sides, in areas experts say are especially vulnerable to extreme heat.
Daniel Horton of Northwestern University, who helped create Chicago's heat vulnerability index, told the Chicago Sun-Times and WBEZ that those risks can be shaped by costly electricity, inadequate cooling systems, and neighborhoods with fewer trees and less shade.
Worsening extreme weather disasters put lives and livelihoods at risk by increasing illness, disrupting work, straining emergency services, and driving up household costs.
When homes cannot stay cool, families may face dangerous indoor temperatures, higher power bills, and difficult choices about whether they can afford to run air conditioning long enough to stay safe.
TCD Picks » Quince Spotlight
💡These best-sellers from Quince deliver affordable, sustainable luxury for all
He also said isolation is a major part of the risk.
"That social infrastructure piece of it is also really key to increasing a community's resilience," he said.
What's being done?
Marc Raifman of the Extreme Weather Planners Coalition told the Chicago Sun-Times and WBEZ that officials should take a closer look at each death to understand what failed and how similar tragedies might be avoided.
He said community groups have also pushed for a cooling center that would remain open around the clock, including on weekends and holidays.
The mayor's office told the Sun-Times and WBEZ that officials were closely monitoring high temperatures and described police districts, libraries, community colleges, and park district facilities as part of citywide cooling efforts.
It also said the city sometimes keeps its community service center at 10 S. Kedzie Ave. open until 8 p.m.
"There are leaders and individuals at the city who are certainly working hard, in the moment, to address these things," Raifman said. "But I think what they lack and what we lack is any kind of advance planning and understanding of what gets deployed where."
Get TCD's free newsletters for easy tips, smart advice, and a chance to earn $5,000 toward home upgrades. To see more stories like this one, change your Google preferences here.
