Record number of Americans killed by heat in 2023: Research

Extreme heat killed more Americans in 2023 than any other year over nearly a quarter century of records, according to research published Monday in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

At least 2,325 people died from the heat last year, according to the study, which included deaths with heat as both an underlying and contributing factor.

The study, which used records dating back to 1999, found that annual deaths mostly remained steady, including a low point in 2004, until the mid-2010s, when an upward trend began. The increases culminated with the last year, which was also the hottest year on record.

The researchers also found that the age-adjusted rate of heat deaths per capita was on the rise during the same period. While they found an adjusted rate of 0.47 deaths per 100,000 people in 2022, the rate increased to 0.63 last year.

“These results align with site-specific data analyzed in a global study that suggest increases in heat-related mortality,” the authors wrote. “As temperatures continue to rise because of climate change, the recent increasing trend is likely to continue.”

The study comes as the Biden administration has introduced the first-ever proposed Occupational Safety and Health Administration protections from extreme heat for workers, which include mandatory breaks and shaded or indoor rest areas. However, at least two states, Texas and Florida, have passed legislation barring local and municipal governments from imposing their own heat protections.

Earlier this month, Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), the Democratic nominee for his state’s open Senate seat, called on the administration to take further action, including for the Federal Emergency Management Agency to add extreme heat to the list of “qualifying events” for major disaster declarations. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra recently called extreme heat a “public health emergency” during a visit to Arizona in August.

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