A record heat wave enters its third week in Texas, as temperatures soar three digits across the broader US South and tens of thousands of people in affected states are without power and air conditioning.
More than 40 million people in the US are under a heat alert.
Texas cities have reached an unprecedented heat index, which combines temperature and humidity. Corpus Christi has struck 125F (51C), while Rio Grande Village hit 118F (47C) and Del Rio hit 115F (46C). States like New Mexico, Louisiana, Arkansas, Kansas and Missouri are also experiencing scorching heat, with the National Weather Service predicting temperatures will rise further and extend into the week of the Fourth of July.
The heat follows a weekend of destructive storms that left hundreds of thousands of people without power. The heat dome, as it is known, has settled over Mexico and parts of the southwestern United States and is caused by hot ocean air being trapped in the atmosphere.
When I look at this jet stream the word crazy comes to mind. It’s even more amazing when you think it’s the middle of June! This configuration, probably enhanced by climate heating, is fueling a record-breaking heat dome so extreme that even the experts are amazed! pic.twitter.com/GPbd0rjpst
— Jeff Berardelli (@WeatherProf) June 20, 2023
“These conditions are very stressful for the people living in the region. We’re seeing a really intense, widespread, long-lasting event,” said Andrew Pershing, director of climate science at the non-profit Climate Central. “Human-caused climate change made these conditions more than five times more likely.”
Earlier this week, the Texas power company urged customers to turn down their air conditioning to ease stress on the grid. Emergency crews in the Tulsa, Okla., region have responded to a record number of calls due to the heat and lack of power, according to the News from New York. In Jackson, Mississippi, residents reported being without power or air conditioning for nearly 100 hours, NBC reports.
An average of 702 Heat-related deaths occur in the US every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2021, 69 people in Oregon died from heat caused by a heat dome. On Thursday, an Oregon county filed a lawsuit against fossil fuel companies, arguing that oil and gas companies are responsible for the heat wave.
The unrelenting heat presents particular health and safety risks for older adults, young children, pregnant women, people with chronic illnesses and outdoor workers. People of color and low-income residents have a higher load from the heat, either because of their occupation or because they live near heat-exacerbating industries and heat-trapping roads. At home, vulnerable communities may not have adequate air conditioning.
“If you’re struggling financially and you’re worried about paying your electric bill, you may not be using your AC long enough, which will increase your vulnerability,” Pershing said.
Heat waves like these “will become more common in the future as we continue to burn coal, oil and natural gas,” Pershing said.
