Extreme heat has been so bad this summer that Americans without access to air conditioning are dying
Associated Press
- Extreme heat waves in the United States this summer have so far killed hundreds of people.
- The heat isn't over yet as states like Kentucky and Texas gear up for more dangerously hot days.
- Many are dying because they lack access to air-conditioning.
The United States is experiencing extreme heat this summer so brutal that it's killing people who have no access to air conditioning. July, in fact, was the hottest month on record. Ever. By a lot.
And it's not over.
High temperatures in Louisville have been upwards of 90 degrees Fahrenheit this week. Next week's projected heat in the city is expected to be in the mid-90s but will "feel like 100-110 degrees all week," WLKY, a local CBS affiliate, reported.
Texas has also been hit particularly hard by the heat wave this summer, with Austin hitting triple-digit temperatures for 34 straight days and Dallas hitting record-high heat for three consecutive days. El Paso also has seen 56 triple-digit days this summer, the third-highest frequency in Texas history.
At least 147 people from just five counties in the United States have died from extreme heat so far in 2023, according to CNN, though that number is likely much higher since many deaths are still under investigation. Maricopa County, Arizona had at least 39 heat-related deaths as of August 7, with 312 more deaths still under review.
Many of these deaths are the result of a lack of access to air conditioning.
17-year-old Christian Ruhenkenya of Louisville, for example, died last week after he decided to sleep in his family's car to escape the heat after their air conditioning broke, according to WAVE, a local NBC affiliate.
Ruhenkenya's younger brother said that Christian slept in the car inside the garage with the air conditioner running, according to the outlet. Medical examiners still have not determined a cause of death for Ruhenkenya, but experts recommend never sleeping inside a running car because it can lead to carbon monoxide poisoning.
Authorities found Victor Ramos, 67, unresponsive in his home in Harris County, Texas on June 24 — also after his air conditioning broke. Ramos later died at a hospital, and his sister told WFAA, a local ABC affiliate, that he had recently lost his job and could not afford to get his air conditioner fixed.
On June 16, Ramona Ison, 71, and Monway Ison, 72 were also both found dead inside their mobile home near Houston after their air conditioning broke.
The couple's daughter' Roxana Floods, previously told Insider that they also could not afford to get their AC unit fixed. Floods is now working to spread awareness of the dangers of extreme heat without the protection of air conditioning, she said.
"I feel like if it could happen to my parents, then it could happen to anyone," Floods said. "I just think the awareness has to get out there of what to look for with the heat, with it just being heat versus heat exhaustion or heat stroke."