2004 — Excessive Natural Heat, especially AZ/130, TX/55, CA/39, FL/31, NV/14 — >335
Compiled by Wayne Blanchard; last edit 3-2-2024 for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/
—>335 Blanchard tally based on State breakouts below. (See Blanchard note below on sources.)
— 309 Hurt, Alyson (NPR), citing National Center for Health Statistics, in Huang, 8-26-2023.
(Cites CDC National Center for Health Statistics.)
— 302 CDC Wonder. Multiple Cause of Death, Census Regions, T67 (heat and light) code.
–25 Northeast –32 Midwest –145 South –100 West
— 297 CDC Wonder. Multiple Cause of Death, Census Divisions, T67 (heat and light) code.
–20 Division 2 Middle Atlantic
–19 Division 3 East North Central
–13 Division 4 West North Central
–53 Division 5 South Atlantic
–19 Division 6 East South Central
–73 Division 7 West South Central
–58 Division 8 Mountain
–42 Division 9 Pacific
— 295 Xu, J., MD. “QuickStats: Number of Heat-Related Deaths,[1] by Sex – NVSS…1999-2010.” CDC.
— 292 CDC Wonder. Multiple Cause of Death, HHS Regions, T67 (heat and light) code.
[*Our number – no total given. Regions which do not show mean fewer than 10 deaths.]
— ? HHS Region #1 CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT [not shown if less than ten]
— 13 HHS Region #2 NJ, NY
— 16 HHS Region #3 DE, DC, MD, PA, VA, WV
— 63 HHS Region #4 AL, FL, GA, KY, MS, NC, SC, TN
— 21 HHS Region #5 IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, WI
— 79 HHS Region #6 AR, LA, NM, OK, TX
— 11 HHS Region #7 IA, KS, MO, NE
— ? HHS Region #8 CO, MT, ND, SD, UT [not shown if less than ten]
— 89 HHS Region #9 AZ, CA, HI, NV
— ? HHS Region #10 AK, IS, OR, WA [not shown if less than ten]
— 268 CDC Wonder. Multiple Cause of Death, Census Regions, X30 (excessive natural heat).
–20 Northeast — 25 Midwest –130 South — 93 West
— 261 CDC Wonder. Multiple Cause of Death, Census Regions, X30 and T67 ICD-10 codes.
–18 Northeast –23 Midwest –130 South — 90 West
— 261 CDC Wonder. Multiple Cause of Death, HHS Regions, X30 (excessive natural heat)
[*Our number – no total given. Regions which do not show mean fewer than 10 deaths.]
— ? HHS Region #1 CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT [not shown if less than ten]
— 12 HHS Region #2 NJ, NY
— 13 HHS Region #3 DE, DC, MD, PA, VA, WV
— 52 HHS Region #4 AL, FL, GA, KY, MS, NC, SC, TN
— 13 HHS Region #5 IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, WI
— 75 HHS Region #6 AR, LA, NM, OK, TX
— 12 HHS Region #7 IA, KS, MO, NE
— ? HHS Region #8 CO, MT, ND, SD, UT [not shown if less than ten]
— 84 HHS Region #9 AZ, CA, HI, NV
— ? HHS Region #10 AK, IS, OR, WA [not shown if less than ten]
— 226 CDC Wonder. Underlying Cause of Death, States, X30, excessive natural heat.[2]
— 180 CDC Wonder. Multiple Cause of Death, States T67 ICD-10 code (heat and light)
— 39 KidsAndCars.org. National Statistics. Child Nontraffic Fatalities by type & year. Heat Stroke.
— 39 Null, Jan. “2004 Hyperthermia Fatalities: Children in Vehicles.” GGWS.
— 9 OSHA. On-the-job heat-related fatalities 2004.
— 6 NCDC/NOAA. Storm Events Database. Search Results for all U.S. States/Areas, Heat.
— 6 National Weather Service, NOAA. 2004 Heat Related Fatalities.
*Blanchard note on sources: Ours, by necessity, is a compilation from several sources.
(1) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention WONDER database underlying and multiple cause of death searches for T67 and X30. These suffer, however, from the fact that the CDC does not show deaths in Census or DHS Regions or States or Counties if the loss is less than ten. These deaths, therefore are unknown to us unless found in another source.
(2) The National Climatic Data Center, NOAA. Internet searches via the Storm Events Database can be queried. For “heat,” one has to do two searches – one for “excessive heat” and one for “heat.” Frequently the entries in one seem similar to ones in the other. The NCDC also publishes Storm Data, a monthly, electronically accessible.
(3) The National Weather Service, another NOAA entity, publishes tables on heat fatalities. Their figures differ from NCDC figures. None of the NOAA sources is comprehensive for two subsets – children in vehicles and workers, though one can find references to each. Both generally show fewer deaths than CDC Wonder in that primarily what is noted are “direct” deaths attributable to high natural heat (Underlying Cause of Death in CDC parlance). This is the case even for CDC Wonder searches for excessive heat as an underlying cause of death.
(4) For coverage of children dying in cars due to excessive heat exposure we rely on Jan Null and KidsAndCars.org).
(5) OSHA provides more comprehensive coverage of worker heat-related fatalities
(6) Newspaper archives, particularly when looking for end-of-heat-season statements by State Offices of Chief Medical Examiners. Frequently their numbers differ markedly (upward) from CDC, NCDC or NWS figures.
(7) State, County or local Public Heath or Vital Statistic entities (again higher numbers generally noted than can be found in CDC Wonder.
Note on ICDC Codes used in CDC Wonder Online Database above and below: We use the T67 and X30 codes described below. We use them independently in the “Census Region,” “HHS Region” and “State” locations in the search page. There are two “boxes” to search – ?Underlying Cause of Death” and “Multiple Causes of Death” – the higher numbers are to be found when using the Multiple Causes of Death option for “Census Region.”)
T67 Effects of heat and light
T67.0 (Heatstroke and sunstroke);
T67.1 (Heat syncope); heat syncope [fainting]; factors include dehydration and lack of acclimatization.
T67.2 (Heat cramp);
T67.3 (Heat exhaustion, anhydrotic); [Note: T67 codes are in the class of “multiple
T67.4 (Heat exhaustion due to salt depletion); cause of death,” meaning, usually, that heat
T67.5 (Heat exhaustion, unspecified); contributed to or combined with another
T67.6 (Heat fatigue, transient); cause of death – such as a heart condition.]
T67.7 (Heat oedema);
T67.8 (Other effects of heat and light);
T67.9 (Effect of heat and light, unspecified)
X30 Exposure to excessive natural heat; hyperthermia. [Underlying (or primary) cause of death.]
Summary of 2004 Heat-Related Fatalities by State (alphabetical)
Arizona 130 AZ Dept. of Health in: KJZZ 91.5. “Big Drop…” 5-8-2015.
Arkansas >5
California 39 CDC Wonder. Multiple Cause of Death, States, T67.
Connecticut 1
Florida 31 CDC Wonder. Multiple Cause of Death, States, T67.
Georgia 2
Hawaii 1
Illinois 1
Kentucky 1
Louisiana 6
Maryland 4
Massachusetts >10? Adler, Michael, et al. Preparing for Heat Waves in Boston. 2010, p. 34.
Minnesota 1
Mississippi 2
Missouri 3
Nevada 14 Las Vegas Coroner’s Office in: Las Vegas Sun. “Police probe…” 7-15-2005.
New Jersey 2
New Mexico 1
New York 10 CDC Wonder. Multiple Cause of Death, States, T67.
No. Carolina 2
Oklahoma 1
Oregon 1
Pennsylvania 2
Tennessee 3
Texas 55 CDC Wonder. Multiple Cause of Death, States, T67.
Virginia 2
West Virginia 1
Wisconsin 4
Total 335
Detailed Breakout of 2004 Heat-Related Fatalities by State
Arizona (130)
–130 KJZZ 91.5, AZ (Jung). “Big Drop in Arizona Heat-Related Deaths in 2014.” 5-8-2015.[3]
–128 Blanchard tally (AZ DHS for all counties except Maricopa, where County data is used).
–118 AZ DHS. Deaths from Exposure to Excessive Natural Heat…in Arizona 1992-2009, p. 4.
37 Arizona Residents
8 Residents of other U.S. States or Canada
72 Residents of Mexico/Other Central or South American country
1 Residence unknown.
AZ County of occurrence of death:[4]
1 Coconino
1 Gila
32 Maricopa
2 Mohave
57 Pima
5 Pinal
4 Santa Cruz
16 Yuma
Time of Year for 2004 Arizona Heat-Related Deaths:
2 March
3 April
9 May
20 June
38 July
30 Aug
15 Sep
1 Dec
Age Range for 2004 Arizona Heat-Related Deaths:
3 0-4
8 15-19
21 20-24
18 25-29
7 30-34
6 35-39
14 40-44
10 45-49
5 50-54
2 55-59
2 60-64
3 65-69
2 70-74
1 75-79
3 80-84
3 85+
10 Unknown
— 45 CDC Wonder. Multiple Cause of Death, States, T67.
— 38 CDC Wonder. Underlying Cause of Death, States, X30 (excessive natural heat, search.)
— 0 State. National Weather Service, NOAA. 2004 Heat Related Fatalities.
Breakout of sub-state political jurisdictions:
— 1 Globe, April 28. Timothy Garcia, 4-months; mother left in car hrs hot day.[5]
–42 Maricopa Co. Maricopa Co. Dept. of Public Health. Heat-Associated Deaths… 2011, p.5.
–29 Maricopa County. CDC Wonder. Multiple Cause of Death, County, T67.
–22 Maricopa County. CDC Wonder. Underlying Cause of Death, County, X30, natural heat.
— 1 Female.
–21 Males.
–1 Phoenix, Aug 19. Quentan Raban, 7 months; left in van by mother at home.[6]
–1 Phoenix, Sep 9. Jordan Crawford, 4 months; left alone in car.[7]
Arkansas (>5)
— >5 Arkansas Department of Health. “ADH Warns of Heat Related Illness,” Aug 2011, p. 2.[8]
California (39)
–39 CDC Wonder. Multiple Cause of Death, States, T67.
–31 CDC Wonder. Underlying Cause of Death. States, X30, exposure to excessive natural heat.
— 3 Null, Jan. “2004 Hyperthermia Fatalities: Children in Vehicles.” Golden Gate Weather Ser.
— 0 National Weather Service, NOAA. 2004 Heat Related Fatalities.
Breakout of California Heat-Related Fatalities by Locality (where noted):
— 1 Arvin, July 28. Hyperthermia; farm worker picking grapes; 99-100°; no heat program.[9]
— 1 Healdsburg, Aug 19. Heat exhaustion; Liam Paulsen, 2; left in locked minivan by mother.[10]
— 1 Julian, July 23. Hyperthermia; Male telephone service line stringer; 88-92 degrees F.[11]
— 1 Sacramento, July 18. Heat exposure; Alexandra Vechtomov, 2; left in family car at church.[12]
— 1 Santa Ana, Sep 9. Jasmine Durston, 5 months; left in minivan by father nearly five hours.[13]
Connecticut ( 1)
— 0 National Weather Service, NOAA. 2004 Heat Related Fatalities.
— 1 Stamford, July 26. Anya Sky Vazquez, 19-months; grandfather forgot and left in car.[14]
Florida (31)
–31 CDC Wonder. Multiple Cause of Death, States, T67.
–23 CDC Wonder. Underlying Cause of Death, State, X30, exposure to excessive natural heat, .
–13 Blanchard tally from locality breakouts below.
— 9 Null, Jan. “2004 Hyperthermia Fatalities: Children in Vehicles.” Golden Gate Weather Ser.
— 0 National Weather Service, NOAA. 2004 Heat Related Fatalities.
Florida Heat-Related Fatalities by Locality, 2004:
— 1 Belleview, May 25. Heatstroke; residential garbage collection employee; 106.9 body temp.[15]
— 1 Hallandale Beach, March 13. Veronika Balta, 9-months; left in car by father at betting parlor.[16]
— 1 Highland Co., post Hurricane Charley, Aug 13; male; heart failure “associated with exposure to extreme heat.”[17]
— 1 Hollywood, Oct 1. Heat exposure; Trent Peterson, 1. Left by mother’s boyfriend in car.[18]
— 1 Inverness, July 30. Mackenzee Hynes, 3-months; father forgot and left in car at work.[19]
— 1 Jacksonville, Aug 27. Scott Wilson, 3; found in locked car with windows up, 108°.[20]
— 1 Lake Worth, April 7. Heatstroke; Savanna Wildman, 4-mo; mother left in back seat of car.[21]
— 1 Lakeland, Sep 12. Cory Martin, 20 months; found in car at home.[22]
— 1 Lee Co., post Hurricane Charley, Aug 13; male; heart failure “associated with exposure to extreme heat.”[23]
— 1 New Port Richey, Sep 16. Francis Lentz, 1-month; left in car parked in sun by father.[24]
— 1 Orange Park, July 11. Heat exposure; Zachery Moot, 2; got into family car at home.[25]
— 1 Pensacola, Escambia Co., April 24. Garrett W. Lange, 2; found by mother in locked car.[26]
— 1 West Boca, July 15. Andres Sierra, 3; left by father in SUV about 3 hours at work.[27]
Georgia ( 2)
— 0 National Weather Service, NOAA. 2004 Heat Related Fatalities.
— 1 Dekalb, June 22. Evan Walker, 1; left inside family car at home; outside temps hit 87°.[28]
— 1 Perry, June 17. Heat exhaustion. Employee working on roof.[29]
Hawaii ( 1)
— 0 National Weather Service, NOAA. 2004 Heat Related Fatalities.
— 1 Honolulu, Feb 5. Aslyn Ryan, 1; babysitter left in car on hot (89°) day, lied to paramedics.[30]
Illinois ( 1)
— 0 National Weather Service, NOAA. 2004 Heat Related Fatalities.
— 1 Chicago, July 24. Hyperthermia/intercerebral hemorrhage. Male construction worker.[31]
Kentucky ( 1)
— 0 National Weather Service, NOAA. 2004 Heat Related Fatalities.
— 1 Brandenburg, Sep 30. Chance Novak, 11 months; Left in car seat several hours by mother.[32]
Louisiana ( 6)
— 6 Louisiana DHH. Heat Stress: Hospital Admissions…and Deaths in Louisiana. 2012, p. 9.[33]
— 0 National Weather Service, NOAA. 2004 Heat Related Fatalities.
— 1 Simsboro, July 11. Glass container manufacturing worker. Coroner reported heat exhaustion.[34]
Maryland ( 4)
— 4 Baltimore Sun. “15 Md. heat-related deaths tallied this summer, lowest since 2009.” 9-17-2013.
— 0 National Weather Service, NOAA. 2004 Heat Related Fatalities.
Massachusetts (>10?)
— 0 National Weather Service, NOAA. 2004 Heat Related Fatalities.
— >10? Adler, Michael, et al. Preparing for Heat Waves in Boston. 2010, p. 34.[35]
— 1 Isleton, July 20. Heatstroke; male orchard worker picking pears. OSHA.[36]
Minnesota ( 1)
— 1 Minnesota Department of Health. Heat-related Deaths: Facts & Figures, 2000-2013.[37]
— 0 National Weather Service, NOAA. 2004 Heat Related Fatalities.
Mississippi ( 2)
— 2 Null, Jan. “2004 Hyperthermia Fatalities: Children in Vehicles.” Golden Gate Weather Ser.
— 0 National Weather Service, NOAA. 2004 Heat Related Fatalities.
— 1 Ridgeland, June 9. Andrew Dossett, 3; left in backseat of car at work by grandfather.[38]
— 1 Vancleave, Sep 19. Hyperthermia; Tyler Wages, 22-mo.; found dead in family members’ car.[39]
Missouri ( 3)
— 3 NWS CRH, Kansas City, MO. Summer Weather Safety. “[MO] Heat Related Deaths.”[40]
— 1 National Weather Service, NOAA. 2004 Heat Related Fatalities.
— 1 Kansas City MO Metro area.[41]
— 1 St. Louis County, July 14. Female, 49, found dead in home with body temp. of 105°.[42]
Nevada (14)
–14 Las Vegas Valley, according to Clark County Coroner.[43]
— 0 National Weather Service, NOAA. 2004 Heat Related Fatalities.
— 1 Henderson, July 25; Christian Olsen, 3; left in car by mother about 1 hour; outdoors 107°.[44]
New Jersey ( 2)
— 2 Null, Jan. “2004 Hyperthermia Fatalities: Children in Vehicles.” Golden Gate Weather Ser.
— 0 National Weather Service, NOAA. 2004 Heat Related Fatalities.
— 1 Dumont, June 7. David Macusi, 10; autistic child wandered off, found in neighbor’s car.[45]
— 1 Lakewood, May 20. Heat and sun exposure; Chaim Katzman, 7 months; father left in car.[46]
New Mexico ( 1)
— 0 National Weather Service, NOAA. 2004 Heat Related Fatalities.
— 1 Shiprock, July 24. Hyperthermia/suffocation; Krystin Orah Jim, 4.[47]
New York (10)
~13 Average Heat-related deaths, NYC 2000-2011. CDC “Heat Illness and Deaths – NYC…”[48]
–10 CDC Wonder. Multiple Cause of Death, States, T67.
— 0 National Weather Service, NOAA. 2004 Heat Related Fatalities.
— 1 West Hempstead, LI, April 19. Jada Bowman, 6-months; mother left in car at work.[49]
North Carolina ( 2)
— 0 National Weather Service, NOAA. 2004 Heat Related Fatalities.
— 1 Newport, Apr 22. Trinity Bowen, 20-months. Left in vehicle by grandmother at her home.[50]
— 1 Rocky Mount, July 30; Logan Molden, 11-months; mother forgot, left in hot car at work.[51]
Oklahoma ( 1)
— 0 National Weather Service, NOAA. 2004 Heat Related Fatalities.
— 1 Catoosa, June 17. Heatstroke; Benjamin Spitzer, 6-mo.; left in pickup by father over 7 hrs.[52]
Oregon ( 1)
— 0 National Weather Service, NOAA. 2004 Heat Related Fatalities.
— 1 Harrisburg, March 8. Hyperthermia; Brody James Fox, 7-months; left by mother in car.[53]
Pennsylvania ( 2)
— 1 National Weather Service, NOAA. 2004 Heat Related Fatalities.
— 2 Philadelphia. Philadelphia Inquirer. “7 more deaths tied to the heat…” 6-13-2008.
–1 April 19. Hyperthermia; male, 76, fell asleep in his vehicle on warmest day of month.[54]
Tennessee ( 3)
— 3 Blanchard tally based on locality breakouts below.
— 2 Null, Jan. “2004 Hyperthermia Fatalities: Children in Vehicles.” Golden Gate Weather Ser.
— 1 National Weather Service, NOAA. 2004 Heat Related Fatalities.
— 1 Bartlett, Aug 9. Mia Ashthon McKim, 8-months; left in hot car by father at church 2 hrs.[55]
— 1 Madison Co., July 13. Excessive heat caused heart attack; female, 58; 5 days without AC.[56]
— 1 Memphis, May 29. Heat exposure, Arthur Stewart IV, 2; apparently got into family car.[57]
Texas (55)
— 55 CDC Wonder. Multiple Cause of Death, States, T67.
— 53 Texas Dept. State Health Services. “Heat-Related Deaths by County of Death, 2003-2008.”
— 44 CDC Wonder. Underlying Cause of Death, X30, exposure to excessive natural heat.
— 3 National Weather Service, NOAA. 2004 Heat Related Fatalities.
Breakout by localities or counties where data has been accessible:
— 1 Big Bend National Park near Panther Junction, May 20. Male hiker, 42; outdoor temp. 104°.[58]
— 1 Brownsville, Aug 28. Heat exhaustion; Jazmine Morin, 18-mo; teenage aunt left in hot car.[59]
— 1 College Station, Aug 24. Heat exhaustion; roofing employee collapses at work, dies at hosp.[60]
— 10 El Paso County. CDC Wonder. Multiple Cause of Death, County, T67.
— 1 Houston, May 26. Heat-related; Theon L. Harrison, 22, trash collector collapsed at work.[61]
— 1 Houston, June 28. Heat-related; Bobbie D. Dillard, 71; collapsed mowing lawn.[62]
— 1 Houston, NW area, Aug 25. Hyperthermia; Female, 64; electricity shut off at her home.[63]
— 1 Humble, May 26. Heat exhaustion; solid waste helper riding on back of refuse truck.[64]
— 1 Katy, Houston suburb, May 16. Adrian Lee Moreno, 20-months; found in car at home.[65]
— 1 Wichita Falls, July 6. Israel Vasquez, 3; found deceased in car trunk 1 block from home.[66]
Virginia ( 2)
— 2 Null, Jan. “2004 Hyperthermia Fatalities: Children in Vehicles.” Golden Gate Weather Ser.
— 0 National Weather Service, NOAA. 2004 Heat Related Fatalities.
— 1 Mechanicsville, Aug 3. Heatstroke; Kristen Grote, 3; left in SUV by father at church.[67]
— 1 Richmond, Aug 17. Jailin Williams, 8-months; left in van by father at shopping center.[68]
West Virginia ( 1)
— 0 National Weather Service, NOAA. 2004 Heat Related Fatalities.
— 1 Blount, May 28. Hyperthermia; Luke Thompson, 18-months; left in car-seat over 4 hrs.[69]
Wisconsin ( 4)
— 4 State of Wisc. “Wisconsin Heat Awareness Day June 12, 2014” (Press Release). 6-4-2014.
— 0 National Weather Service, NOAA. 2004 Heat Related Fatalities.
Narrative Information
NWS: “In 2004, only 6 lives were lost to excessive heat, down dramatically from 36 in 2002 and even more dramatically from the 10-year average for heat related fatalities: 237. In 2004, 3 fatalities occurred in permanent homes, 2 outside and 1 in a vehicle. Texas was hardest hit with 3 deaths, followed by Missouri, Tennessee and Pennsylvania with 1 each. In a divergence from past years, losses were even between those 40-49 and senior aged 70-79. Seniors typically are the hardest hit by extreme heat. Deaths were split evenly between men and women.” (National Weather Service, NOAA. 2004 Heat Related Fatalities.)
On Heat:
CDC. “Heat-Related Deaths – [U.S.], 1999-2003,” MMWR, V55, N29, 7-28-2006, 796-798:
“Heat-related illnesses (e.g., heat cramps, heat exhaustion, heat syncope, or heatstroke) can occur when high ambient temperatures overcome the body’s natural ability to dissipate heat. Older adults, young children, and persons with chronic medical conditions are particularly susceptible to these illnesses and are at high risk for heat-related mortality. Previous analyses of the risk factors associated with heat-related deaths have been based on the underlying cause entered on the death certificate. The analysis revealed that including these deaths increased the number of heat-related deaths by 54% and suggested that the number of heat-related deaths is underestimated.
“CDC uses information from death certificates categorized by codes from the International Classification of Diseases to estimate national mortality trends. These data, collected and submitted by states, were used to determine the number of deaths in the United States during 1999–2003 that had exposure to excessive natural heat§ recorded as the underlying cause (code X30 from ICD, tenth revision [ICD-10]), hyperthermia recorded as a contributing factor (ICD-10 code T67) (6), or both….
“Editorial Note: In this analysis, the inclusion of hyperthermia as a contributing cause of death increased by 54% the total number of heat-related deaths during 1999–2003 that would have been counted through inclusion of a heat-related underlying cause alone. Because heat-related illnesses can exacerbate existing medical conditions and death from heat exposure can be preceded by various symptoms, heat-related deaths can be difficult to identify when illness onset or death is not witnessed by a clinician. In addition, the criteria used to determine heat-related causes of death vary among states. This can lead to underreporting heat-related deaths or to reporting heat as a factor contributing to death rather than the underlying cause.
“Continued exposure to excessive heat can lead to hyperthermia or death. Of the heat-related illnesses, heat exhaustion and heatstroke are the most serious. Heat exhaustion is characterized by muscle cramps, fatigue, headache, nausea or vomiting, and dizziness or fainting. The skin is often cool and moist, indicating that the body’s mechanism for cooling itself (i.e., sweating) is still functioning. The pulse rate is typically fast and weak, and breathing is rapid and shallow. If untreated, heat exhaustion can progress to heatstroke. Heatstroke is a serious, life-threatening condition characterized by a high body temperature (>103ºF [>39.4ºC]); red, hot, and dry skin (no sweating); rapid, strong pulse; throbbing headache; dizziness; nausea; confusion; and unconsciousness. Symptoms can progress to encephalopathy, liver and kidney failure, coagulopathy, and multiple organ system dysfunction. Prompt treatment of heat-related illnesses with aggressive fluid replacement and cooling of core body temperature is critical to reducing morbidity and mortality.
“Many heat-related deaths, regardless of whether they are associated with chronic medical conditions, are preventable. During periods of extreme heat, heat-related illnesses can be prevented by avoiding strenuous outdoor activities, drinking adequate amounts of fluid, avoiding alcohol consumption, wearing lightweight clothing, and using air-conditioning. Groups at high risk include young children, persons aged >65 years, persons who do strenuous activities outdoors, and persons with chronic (particularly cardiovascular) medical conditions.”
EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) on Heat-Related Deaths (11-21-2023):
“When people are exposed to extreme heat, they can suffer from potentially deadly illnesses, such as heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Hot temperatures can also contribute to deaths from heart attacks, strokes, and other forms of cardiovascular disease. Heat is the leading weather-related killer in the United States, even though most heat-related deaths are preventable through outreach and intervention (see EPA’s Excessive Heat Events Guidebook at: www.epa.gov/heat-islands/excessive-heat-events-guidebook).
Unusually hot summer temperatures have become more common across the contiguous 48 states in recent decades…extreme heat events (heat waves) have become more frequent and intense… and these trends are expected to continue. As a result, the risk of heat-related deaths and illness is also expected to increase.[70] The “urban heat island” effect accentuates the problem by causing even higher temperatures in densely developed urban areas. Reductions in cold-related deaths are projected to be smaller than increases in heat-related deaths in most regions. Death rates can also change, however, as people acclimate to higher temperatures and as communities strengthen their heat response plans and take other steps to continue to adapt.
“Certain population groups already face higher risks of heat-related death, and increases in summertime temperature variability will increase that risk. The population of adults aged 65 and older, which is expected to continue to grow, has a higher-than-average risk of heat-related death. Children are particularly vulnerable to heat-related illness and death, as their bodies are less able to adapt to heat than adults, and they must rely on others to help keep them safe. People with certain diseases, such as cardiovascular and respiratory illnesses, are especially vulnerable to excessive heat exposure, as are the economically disadvantaged. Data also suggest a higher risk among non-Hispanic Blacks.”
Trent, CA Dept. of Health Services on Heat-Related (HR) Illness: “HR illness is described according to three stages of increasing severity:
- Heat cramps. Mild and easy to treat, this level involves fevers generally under 102 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Heat exhaustion: Involves fevers over 102 degrees Fahrenheit, often with vomiting, diarrhea, and fatigue.
- Heat stroke: A severe and life-threatening failure of body’s ability to cool (e.g., sweating ceases), with fevers over 104 degrees Fahrenheit. Heat stroke can result in organ and neurologic damage and lead quickly to death.” (p. 3)
“Exertional heat stroke tends to occur among younger (under 50 years old), healthier persons who develop heat stroke after strenuous activity and inadequate hydration. The result is dehydration and electrolyte imbalance. Exposures may involve work or recreational activities outdoors.
“Classic heat stroke tends to occur among persons who are older (over 50 years old), frail, and with chronic diseases. They may take medications, have psychological or cognitive problems, and live alone. They are assumed to have a compromised thermoregulatory response due to their age, illnesses, and medications. They generally are not in an air conditioned space when discovered with heat stroke symptoms or deceased.” (p. 5)
(Trent, Roger B., Ph.D. (CA Dept. of Health Services). Review of July 2006 Heat Wave Related Fatalities in California. Sacramento, CA: Epidemiology and Prevention for Injury Control Branch, California Department of Health Services, May 2007.)
Associated Press (Anita Snow and Kendria Lafleur), Mishmash of how US heat deaths are counted complicates efforts to keep people safe as Earth warms.” 8-13-2023:
“….Even when it seems obvious that extreme heat was a factor, death certificates don’t always reflect the role it played. Experts say a mishmash of ways more than 3,000 counties calculate heat deaths means we don’t really know how many people die in the U.S. each year because of high temperatures in an ever warming world.
“That imprecision harms efforts to better protect people from extreme heat because officials who set policies and fund programs can’t get the financial and other support needed to make a difference….Currently, about the only consistency in counting heat deaths in the U.S. is that officials and climate specialists acknowledge fatalities are grossly undercounted…
“ ‘It’s frustrating that for 90 years public health officials in the United States have not had a good picture of heat-related mortality because we have such a bad data system,’ said Dr. David Jones, a Harvard Medical School professor who also teaches in the epidemiology department at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
“There is no uniformity among who does the counting across U.S. jurisdictions. Death investigations in some places might be carried out by a medical examiner, typically a physician trained in forensic pathology. In other locales, the coroner could be an elected sheriff, such as the one in Orange County, California. In some small counties in Texas, a justice of peace might determine cause of death. Utah and Massachusetts are among states that do not track heat-related deaths where exposure to extreme heat was a secondary factor.
“The CDC, which is often several years behind in reporting, draws information on heat deaths from death certificate information included in local, state, tribal and territorial databases. The CDC said in a statement that coroners and others who fill out death certificates ‘are encouraged to report all causes of death,’ but they may not always associate those contributing causes to an extreme heat exposure death and include the diagnostic codes for heat illnesses.
“Hess, the Arizona coroner [Pima County medical examiner], said determining environmental heat was a factor in someone’s death is difficult and can take weeks or even months of investigation including toxicological tests. ‘If someone was shot in the head, it’s pretty obvious what happened there,’ Hess said. ‘But when you find a body in a hot apartment 48 hours after they died, there is a lot of ambiguity.’ Hess noted that Pima County this year began including heat-related deaths in its tally of environmental heat fatalities….”
Sources
Adler, Michael, et al. Preparing for Heat Waves in Boston: A Cool Way to Attack Global Warming. Prepared for City of Boston Environment Department & Tufts University Department of Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning, 5-7-2010. Accessed 10-4-2015 at: http://www.cityofboston.gov/images_documents/Preparing%20for%20Heat%20Waves%20in%20Boston_tcm3-31986.pdf
Albany Democrat-Herald, OR (Cathy Ingalls). “Trial begins in death of Linn baby,” 7020-2005. Accessed 10-2-2015: http://democratherald.com/news/local/trial-begins-in-death-of-linn-baby/article_59f8f380-b6c9-520f-b2a5-191cc6fbb331.html
Arizona Department of Health Services (Christopher K. Mrela and Clare Torres).[71] Deaths from Exposure to Excessive Natural Heat Occurring in Arizona 1992-2009. Phoenix: AZ DHS, March 2010, 5-12-2014 modification. Accessed 9-1-2015: http://www.azdhs.gov/plan/report/im/heat/heat09.pdf
Arizona Republic, Phoenix (Laurie Merrill). “Children dying in hot cars in Arizona, country.” 5-25-2011. Accessed 8-16-2015: http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2011/05/25/20110525chandler-hot-car-deaths0525.html
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Arkansas Department of Health. “ADH Warns of Heat Related Illness.” Southeast Region Hometown Health Improvement Newsletter, August 2011. Accessed 11-8-2015 at: http://www.healthy.arkansas.gov/programsServices/minorityhealth/Documents/Reports/Combined3rd2011Quarter.pdf
Associated Press (Allen G. Breed and Martha Mendoza). “2 Deaths, 2 Outcomes in Heated Car Cases.” The Washington Post, 7-28-2007. Accessed 10-2-2015 at: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/28/AR2007072800646_pf.html
Associated Press. “3-year-old Jacksonville boy dies in hot car.” St. Augustine Record, FL, 8-28-2004. Accessed 9-30-2015: http://staugustine.com/stories/082804/sta_2542183.shtml#.Vgx_y5c9Z15
Associated Press, Ridgeland (Ashley Elkins). “Grandfather who accidentally left child in hot car won’t be prosecuted.” 6-13-2004. Accessed 10-1-2015 at: http://djournal.com/news/grandfather-who-accidentally-left-child-in-hot-car-wont-be-prosecuted/
Associated Press. “Kansas City reports first heat-related death.” Capital-Journal, Topeka, 7-23-2005. Accessed 9-24-2015. http://cjonline.com/stories/072305/kan_heatdeath.shtml#.VgSJgJc9Z14
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Associated Press/Fox News, West Palm Beach, FL. “Mom Who Left Baby in Car Gets Five Years.” 3-7-2006. Accessed 10-2-2015: http://www.foxnews.com/story/2006/03/07/mom-who-left-baby-in-car-gets-five-years.html
Associated Press. “Mom’s Boyfriend Arrested in Heat Death of Hollywood Tot.” Florida Times-Union, Jacksonville. 10-5-2004. Accessed 9-30-2015: http://jacksonville.com/apnews/stories/100504/D85HCRNG2.shtml
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Heat-Related Deaths – United States, 1999-2003,” MMWR (Mortality and Morbidity Weekly Report), Vol. 55, No. 29, 7-28-2006, pp. 796-798. Accessed 2-16-2024 at: https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5529a2.htm
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. National Vital Statistics System, Mortality 1999-2020 on CDC WONDER Online Database, released in 2021. Data are from the Multiple Cause of Death Files, 1999-2020, as compiled from data provided by the 57 vital statistics jurisdictions through the Vital Statistics Cooperative Program. Accessed at http://wonder.cdc.gov/mcd-icd10.html on 2-29-2024 (Multiple Cause of Death, Census Regions T67)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. National Vital Statistics System, Mortality 1999-2020 on CDC WONDER Online Database, released in 2021. Data are from the Multiple Cause of Death Files, 1999-2020, as compiled from data provided by the 57 vital statistics jurisdictions through the Vital Statistics Cooperative Program. Accessed at http://wonder.cdc.gov/mcd-icd10.html on 2-29-2024. (Multiple Cause of Death, Census Region, X30)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. National Vital Statistics System, Mortality 1999-2020 on CDC WONDER Online Database, released in 2021. Data are from the Multiple Cause of Death Files, 1999-2020, as compiled from data provided by the 57 vital statistics jurisdictions through the Vital Statistics Cooperative Program. Accessed at http://wonder.cdc.gov/mcd-icd10.html on Mar 2, 2024. (Multiple Cause of Death, County, T67)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. National Vital Statistics System, Mortality 1999-2020 on CDC WONDER Online Database, released in 2021. Data are from the Multiple Cause of Death Files, 1999-2020, as compiled from data provided by the 57 vital statistics jurisdictions through the Vital Statistics Cooperative Program. Accessed at http://wonder.cdc.gov/mcd-icd10.html on Feb 29, 2024. (Multiple Cause, HHS Regions T67)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. National Vital Statistics System, Mortality 1999-2020 on CDC WONDER Online Database, released in 2021. Data are from the Multiple Cause of Death Files, 1999-2020, as compiled from data provided by the 57 vital statistics jurisdictions through the Vital Statistics Cooperative Program. Accessed at http://wonder.cdc.gov/mcd-icd10.html on Feb 29, 2024. (Multiple Cause, HHS Regions, X30)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. Compressed Mortality File 1999-2014 on CDC WONDER Online Database, released December 2015 (ICD-10/X30, exposure to excessive natural heat search). Data are from the Compressed Mortality File 1999-2014 Series 20 No. 2T, 2015, as compiled from data provided by the 57 vital statistics jurisdictions through the Vital Statistics Cooperative Program. Accessed at http://wonder.cdc.gov/cmf-icd10.html on Aug 29, 2016. Underlying Cause of Death, States, X30
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National Climatic Data Center, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Heat, Tennessee, Madison County, July 13, 2004. Accessed 10-3-2015: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=5415331
National Climatic Data Center, NOAA. Storm Events Database, Heat, Texas, Big Bend Area, May 20, 2004. Accessed 10-3-2015: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=5393867
National Climatic Data Center, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Heat, Texas, Harris County, June 28, 2004. Accessed 10-3-2015: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=5409707
National Climatic Data Center, NOAA. Storm Events Database, Heat, Texas, Harris County, Aug 25, 2004. Accessed 10-3-2015: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=5418603
National Weather Service Central Region Headquarters, Kansas City, MO. Summer Weather Safety. “Missouri Heat Related Deaths.” 7-15-2014 modification. Accessed 9-25-2015 at: http://www.crh.noaa.gov/Image/lsx/wcm/Heat/SummerWeatherSafetySummary.pdf
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Null, Jan (Dept. of Geosciences, San Francisco State University). Hyperthermia Deaths of Children in Vehicles. “2004 Hyperthermia Fatalities: Children in Vehicles.” Golden Gate Weather Services. Accessed 9-30-2015 at: http://ggweather.com/heat/hyperthermia2004.htm
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Occupational Safety & Health Administration. “Accident: 308003227 – Employee Dies from Hyperthermia and Cerebral Hemorrhage.” Accident Search Results 2004. Washington, DC: OSHA, U.S. Dept. of Labor. Accessed 10-2-2015 at: https://www.osha.gov/pls/imis/accidentsearch.accident_detail?id=308003227
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Occupational Safety & Health Administration. “Inspection: 306357500 – Giumarra Vineyards Corp.” Accident Search Results 2004. Washington, DC: OSHA, U.S. Dept. of Labor. Accessed 10-2-2015 at: https://www.osha.gov/pls/imis/establishment.inspection_detail?id=306357500
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Occupational Safety & Health Administration. “Inspection: 306751298 – Waste Management Inc. of Florida.” Accident Search Results 2004. Washington, DC: OSHA, U.S. Dept. of Labor. Accessed 10-3-2015 at: https://www.osha.gov/pls/imis/establishment.inspection_detail?id=306751298
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Oklahoman. “Man charged with negligence in infant son’s death,” 6-27, 2004. Accessed 10-1-2015 at: http://newsok.com/article/2857016
Orlando Sentinel, FL. “Florida Charley’s death toll rises as heat affects residents,” 8-19-2004. Accessed 10-3-2015: http://www.vindy.com/news/2004/aug/19/florida-charleys-death-toll-rises-as-heat-affects/?print
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[1] Notes that “Deaths attributed to exposure to natural heat, as the underlying and contributing causes of death, are coded as X30 and T67, according to the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision. Also notes that death data relates to “U.S. residents only.” We use as the number of heat-related deaths for the year even though we have not been able to document all these deaths individually. We view this source as authoritative.
[2] CDC-Wonder results relate only to cases where hyperthermia was coded X30 as primary (direct) cause of death by a medical examiner on a death certificate. “Heat-related” deaths are viewed as those where heat was an indirect or contributing cause of death, and are not included. Even with what we would view as a direct X30 heat death we know that sometimes such deaths are coded as something else – such as a dehydration in the case of a child left in a hot car, or heart-failure brought on by a heat stroke, and thus do not show up in a exposure to excessive heat query. Also, CDC WONDER suppresses (does not show) fatality numbers in a State where the loss of life is less than 10.
[3] From table “Arizona Deaths From Exposure to Excessive Natural Heat,” citing Arizona Dept. of Health Services.
[4] Table 1. “Characteristics of deaths from exposure to excessive natural heat occurring in [AZ] by year, 1992-2009.”
[5] Null; East Valley Tribune, Phoenix, AZ, “Mesa baby left in hot van dies,” 9-10-2004. EVT writes mother “was high on methamphetamine when she forgot the boy in her van for hours after taking…other five children to school.”
[6] Null; Arizona Republic (Judi Villa). “Prosecutors study tot’s heat death.” 8-12-2004, which notes that mother was “playing on the computer” for at least an hour, before discovering the 7-month-old was missing, having assumed her 10-year-old son had taken 2-year-old and 7-month old out of the van and into the home. Older boy did take care of 2-year-old but not 7-month-old boy.
[7] Null, who writes that the outdoor temperature was 102°. Also: Arizona Republic (Laurie Merrill). “Children dying in hot cars in Arizona, country.” 5-25-2011.
[8] “There have been between five and twenty-three deaths attributed to heat in Arkansas in every year since 2001.”
[9] Occupational Safety & Health Administration. “Inspection: 306357500 – Giumarra Vineyards Corp.”
[10] Null, who notes the outdoor temperature as 92°. Also: Jim Doyle, The Chronicle. “Healdsburg / Mother sentenced to prison in death of her son, 2, in van.” SFGATE, 5-5-2005.
[11] Occupational Safety & Health Administration. “Inspection: 125876078 –SBC.”
[12] Null, who notes the outdoor temperature as 90°. Null transcribes Sacramento Bee (Mareva Brown). “Child left in vehicle dies. 2-year-old succumbs to heat exposure as her family, unaware, attends church.” 7-20-2004.
[13] Null, who transcribes City News Service article “Baby left in minivan dies, 9-9-2004, which writes that at the time of discovery the outdoor temperature was 92 degrees.
[14] Null; Stamford Advocate, CT (Angela Carella). “The extreme danger of distracted driving.” 5-27-2014, which notes that grandfather plead guilty to criminally negligent homicide and risk of injury to a minor, and received 10-year suspended sentence and five years of probation.
[15] OSHA. “Inspection: 306751298 – Waste Management Inc. of Florida.” Case closed date 11-5-2004.
[16] Null, who notes outdoor temperature as reaching 80 degrees; Associated Press (Breed and Mendoza). “2 Deaths, 2 Outcomes in Heated Car Cases.” Washington Post, 7-28-2007.
[17] Jones, K.T., et al. “Preliminary Medical Examiner Reports of Mortality Associated with Hurricane Charley – Florida, 2004.” Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), Vol. 53, No. 36, 9-17-2004, pp. 835-837. For identification of Highland County: Orlando Sentinel, FL. “Florida Charley’s death toll rises as heat affects residents,” 8-19, 2004.
[18] Null; Associated Press. “Mom’s Boyfriend Arrested in Heat Death of Hollywood Tot.” 10-5-2004. AP notes that mother’s 20-year-old boyfriend “was arrested and charged with aggravated manslaughter when he appeared in court on an unrelated cocaine possession charge. Hollywood police answering a call Friday found Trent Peterson unconscious in his crib at home with his 19-year-old mother…and [boyfriend]. He was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Officials…confronted the mother when they learned that the boy’s temperature was 108 degrees and that he had blisters….Trent was the ninth child in Florida and the 34th nationwide this year to die as a result of being left in a hot car, said Janette Fennell, president and founder of Kids and Cars…”
[19] Null, who notes outdoor temp. reached 93°. Also: St. Petersburg Times (Justin George). “Grief, shock engulf late child’s family.” 8-1-2004. SPTimes notes father forgot to drop daughter off at daycare before going to work.
[20] Null; Temperature, measured at hospital, is from: Associated Press. “3-year-old Jacksonville boy dies in hot car.” St. Augustine Record, FL, 8-28-2004.
[21] Null; Sun Sentinel, FL (Mike Clary) “A Mother’s ‘Mistake,’” 7-16-2004. Sun Sentinel writes “Prosecutors and Lake Worth police reports contend that Wildman caused her daughter’s death through ‘reckless and negligent behavior’ following a night during which she worked a shift at a Boynton Beach strip club, drank several beers, took a fistful of drugs, and had a minor traffic collision she cannot remember. Savanna’s body temperature exceeded 106 degrees even after she had been dead for more and an hour, according to medical records.” Another article notes that the mother was sentenced to five years in prison and 15 years probation. (AP/Fox News, West Palm Beach, FL. “Mom Who Left Baby in Car Gets Five Years.” 3-7-2006.)
[22] Null, who notes outdoor temperature at 90°.
[23] Jones, K.T., et al. “Preliminary Medical Examiner Reports of Mortality Associated with Hurricane Charley – Florida, 2004.” MMWR, Vol. 53, No. 36, 9-17-2004, pp. 835-837. For identification of Lee County: Orlando Sentinel, FL. “Florida Charley’s death toll rises as heat affects residents,” 8-19, 2004.
[24] Null; St. Petersburg Times (Steve Thompson), FL. “Baby’s dad charged with manslaughter.” 9-22-2004. SPTimes notes windows of car were rolled up and that the boy was in the car about six hours. When the child was found and taken to a hospital “his core temperature measured 104.6 degrees Fahrenheit.” A doctor stated death was probably due to a heatstroke.
[25] Null, who notes outdoor temperature at 90°.
[26] Null, who notes outdoor temperature at 81°
[27] Null, who notes outdoor temperature at 93°. Also: Sun Sentinel, FL (Nancy L. OthM-sn and Akilah Johnson). “Father Charged in Son’s Car Death,” 7-21-2004, which notes the boy had a temperature of 108 degrees as registered at a medical center, that the outdoor temperature was 91 degrees when he was found, and that the Palm Beach County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled the death hyperthermia.
[28] Null, who transcribes Atlanta Journal-Constitution article by David Simpson and Jen Sansbury, titled “Child found dead in car, 6-22-2004, which notes the infant and his 4-year-old brother were to have been dropped off at separate daycare providers, but the 1-year-old wasn’t.
[29] OSHA. “Inspection: 307833715 – Premium Roofing Service, Inc.” Case close date 12-28-2004.
[30] Null; Honolulu Advertiser (Mary Vorsino), “Parents win $2M suit in Hawaii tot’s death,” 12-13-2007. Honolulu paper writes the baby sitter left the infant “in a hot car for nearly an hour, and then lied to paramedics, police and doctors about it.” The infant died “two days after suffering heat stroke when she was left in a hot car while her baby sitter…was running errand around the island….It wasn’t until an autopsy was completed that the Ryans learned their child had died of heat stroke.”
[31] OSHA. “Accident: 308003227 – Employee Dies from Hyperthermia and Cerebral Hemorrhage.”
[32] Null; Associated Press. “Police investigate after infant found dead in car.” 10-2-2004. Written in AP article that mother stated she was running late to work and, after dropping other children off at school, forgot to take infant to daycare. Also notes: “A report from the Kentucky medical examiner said heat and dehydration will probably be listed as the cause of death…”
[33] From Table: “Heat Stress: Deaths, Louisiana, 1999-2010.” Following pages break fatalities out by 9 LA Regions.
[34] OSHA. “Inspection: 307596379 – Saint Gobain Containers, Inc.”
[35] Our guestimate is based on the statement “Researchers have estimated that during an average summer, 56 to 96 Boston residents die as a result of heat-related causes.” We use a question mark to denote that perhaps 2004 may not have been an “average” year. The “at least” symbol indicates that even if 2004 was not an “average” year, there may well have been at least ten deaths, given the 56-96 annual heat-related death toll noted above.
[36] OSHA. “Accident: 201176260 – Employee Dies from Heat Stroke While Picking Pears.”
[37] Notes: “Deaths due explicitly to heat only, in Minnesota.”
[38] Null; AP, Ridgeland (Ashley Elkins). “Grandfather who accidentally left child in hot car won’t be prosecuted.” 6-13-2004. AP/Elkins article notes that “An autopsy revealed the child died of heat stroke,” citing the Madison County Coroner, and notes “Temperatures peaked at 90 degrees Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service.”
[39] Null, who transcribes news article which cites Jackson County Coroner ruling that hyperthermia was cause of death based on autopsy results. Corner stated the victim was apparently in the far for ‘a prolonged time,” and that “It was very, very hot.” News article notes that the high that day was 86 degrees.
[40] Cites as source: Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS).
[41] “Only one person died from heat-related reasons last year in the Kansas City metro area, [Health] department officials said, as summer temperatures were more moderate.”
[42] NCDC. Storm Events Database. Heat, Missouri, St. Louis, July 9-13, 2004. Notes high temp. 111° on 13th.
[43] Las Vegas Sun, NV. “Police probe possible heat-related deaths.” 7-15-2005. In text of article on heat-related deaths in the Las Vegas Valley, it is noted “In 2004 there were 14 deaths where heat caused or contributed to the person’s demise, the coroner’s office reported.”
[44] Null; Las Vegas Sun (Stephen Curran and Christina Littlefield). “Woman won’t face prosecution in death of 3-year-old left in car.” 8-11-2004.
[45] Null, who transcribes article from The Record, Hackensack, NJ (Yung Kim), “Autistic child found dead in car, apparently from heat., 6-8-2004, p. L6.
[46] Null, transcribes article entitled “Baby Dies After Being Left in Car. Father Charged With Second-Degree Child Endangerment, 5-20-2004, which notes “It wasn’t a very warm day, but being in the car for some time and with the sun bearing down, it became very hot in the vehicle…the boy had open blisters…”
[47] Null includes in her listing of hyperthermia deaths of children in vehicles for 2004. The news article on her website notes that death could have been due to suffocation.
[48] While we show only one death, on Long Island, that is heat-related, for 2004, we choose to show the results of a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention which notes that in New York City alone during 2000-2011, an average of “13 persons died from heat stroke.” This report goes on to note that this could well be an under-representation of heat deaths: “In 2006, 100 excess deaths from natural causes in NYC were attributed to a severe heat wave, based on typical summer mortality rates from a statistical model.” This is far more than the 70 deaths recorded for two heat waves in 2006 and 2011 in NYC, combined. Thus if one considers excess deaths, as well as heat-related deaths not ruled as “heat stroke,” as well as the fact that this discussion is only of NYC, not NY state, then the use of the average of 13 deaths for all of NY for 2004 is neither arbitrary nor unreasonable in our view.
[49] Null; New York Post (Selim Algar) “Mom Gets Jail for Tot’s Heat Death.” 4-22-2005. NYP article notes the toddler was alone in the car for three hours because the mother said she was not able to get a baby sitter, and thus left her unattended in the car while she worked in a pediatrician’s office in Floral Park.”
[50] Null, who notes outdoor temperature reached 81°, and transcribes Jannette Pippin, Freedom ENC article “Unattended infant found dead in a car in Newport, 4-24-2004.
[51] Null, who notes outdoor temperature reached 88°. Also: WRAL.com, Raleigh, NC. “Woman Charged With Involuntary Manslaughter After Child Left in Hot Car.” 8-9-2004.
[52] Null, who notes outdoor temperature reached 90°. Also Oklahoman, Oklahoma City. “Man charged with negligence in infant son’s death,” 6-27, 2004, which notes that the father was charged with 2nd degree manslaughter for “culpable negligence.”
[53] Null; Albany Democrat-Herald, OR (Cathy Ingalls), “Trial begins in death of Linn baby,” 7020-2005, which notes that “An autopsy conducted by state medical examiner…indicated that Brody died of hyperthermia caused by heat.” Also writes that mother spent the night in a trailer with a male friend using drugs, and that according to prosecutor the mother “…ignored her son because after using drugs during the early morning hours of March 8, she and…[male friend] fell asleep and did not awaken until 3 p.m. when an alarm clock went off.” A subsequent article notes mother was found guilty in a jury trial of second-degree manslaughter and sentences “to the maximum time prescribed…six years and three months in prison.” (Corvallis Gazette-Times, OR (Cathy Ingalls), “Woman sentenced for death of infant,” 8-31-2005.)
[54] NCDC, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Heat, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, April 19, 2004. Notes “The victim’s body temperature was recorded at 107 degrees.”
[55] Null, who notes outdoor temp. as 88°; WMCactionnews5.com. “Bartlett dad fighting to avoid trial.” 11-14-2006.
[56] NCDC, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Heat, Tennessee, Madison County, July 13, 2004.
[57] Null, who notes outdoor temp. as 88°, and transcribes Memphis, TN, Commercial Appeal article by Chris Conley, titled “Child’s Heat Death in Car Ruled Accidental,” 6-8-2004.
[58] NCDC, NOAA. Storm Events Database, Heat, Texas, Big Bend Area, May 20, 2004.
[59] Null, who notes outdoor temperature at 95°. Also: The Eagle.com, Bryan-College Station, TX. “Family using tragedy to raise awareness about child heatstroke deaths,” 7-5-2015.
[60] Occupational Safety & Health Administration. “Inspection: 307948554 – Tiler Services.” Case closed 2-1-2005.
[61] AP, Houston. “Medical examiner confirms three heat-related deaths.” Kerrville Daily Times, TX, 7-21-2004, 8A.
[62] AP, Houston. “Medical examiner confirms three heat-related deaths.” Kerrville Daily Times, TX, 7-21-2004, 8A. This is probably same death reported by NCDC, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Heat, Harris County/Area, June 28, Male, 71, outside.
[63] NCDC, NOAA. Storm Events Database, Heat, Texas, Harris County, Aug 25, 2004.
[64] OSHA. “Inspection: 306569666 – Republic Waste Service of Texas LP.” Case close date 5-10-2006.
[65] Null; AP, Houston. “Medical examiner confirms three heat-related deaths.” Kerrville Daily Times, TX, 7-21-2004, p. 8A, which notes the boy arrived at a hospital with a 110 degree temperature, according to a police report.
[66] Null, who notes outdoor temperature at 90°. Also: MyPlainview.com. “3-year-old found dead in Wichita Falls car trunk,” 7-7-2004, which notes that the boy had been missing nearly 24 hours. A later article notes that “Autopsy results show that a 3-year-old boy died of heat exhaustion after climbing into a car trunk…” (MyPlainview.com. “Police still investigating boy’s heat death,” 8-26-2004.)
[67] Null, who notes the temperature that day reached 85°. Also: Washington Post Ian Shapira). “Va. Girl, 3, Dies After Being Left in SUV.” 8-10-2004, p. B5, which notes father was recreational minister of a church, and forgot to take the girl out of the SUV.
[68] Null, who transcribes Richmond Times-Dispatch, VA, “Baby in van dies; father charged.” 8-18-2004. Null has the outdoor temperature that day as reaching 79 degrees.
[69] Null; Courtswv.gov. “In the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia, January 2007 Term, No. 33206, State of West Virginia, Plaintiff Below, Appellee, v. Adonis Ry Thompson, Defendant Below, Appellant. Appeal from the Circuit Court of Kanawha County…Criminal Case No. 05-F-272, Affirmed, Submitted: April 4, 2007, Filed May 11, 2007….Syllabus by the Court.” Courtswe.gov document notes that father “unreasonably failed to exercise a minimum degree of care toward his 2 year-old son, Luke Alexander Thompson, who died from hyperthermia upon being left in an infant car seat in the appellant’s car over four hours on a day where outside temperatures reached in excess of 80 degrees Fahrenheit. The appellant contends that he collapsed into sleep in his residence due to physical exhaustion and that his resulting failure to retrieve Luke from the car rendered his son’s death purely accidental. Following trail by jury and conviction, the Circuit Court entered an order on March 30, 2006, sentencing the appellant to an indeterminate term of three to fifteen years in the penitentiary….”
[70] Cites IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change). 2014.
[71] Christopher K. Mrela, Ph.D., Arizona Vital Statistician; Clare Torres, Senior Health Data Analyst.