We are looking at a week of temperatures in the 90s and that doesn’t account for the humidity, which is going to make it feel even hotter.
Last year, more than 2,300 people in the U.S. died during the summer with their death certificates mentioning “excessive heat.” That’s the highest number in 45 years, according to federal health and weather records.
One of those to die as a result of record-breaking heat was 66-year-old postal worker Eugene Gates Jr, who sent a message to his wife the day he died warning her to be careful because at 7:30 that morning it was already 90 degrees outside.
Despite his warning, Gates continued working in heat that felt like 119 degrees -- until he passed out in somebody’s yard.
“At the time that my husband died, it was the heat index at that time was 119 degrees. After my husband passed, looking at the medical records, my husband’s body temperature was 104, and that was after they cooled him down,” Gates’ wife said.
Nearly three-quarters of the heat deaths last summer were in five states where people are typically more acclimated to the heat: Arizona, Texas, Nevada, Florida and Louisiana.
A National Weather Service Meteorologist pointed to other factors, not just rising temperatures as a concern.
Jacksonville broke the record for high temperatures 18 times in 2023: Four times in February and April and three times in June.
A new bill signed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis will block cities and counties from requiring employers to provide workers mandatory water breaks and other protections against the heat.
Labor groups have pushed back, arguing that heat-related safety measures are necessary, especially for people who work outdoors.
The law is set to go into effect on July 1.