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Heat-related deaths accelerated in the last 7 years, Journal of American Medical Association study finds
Americans are more at risk from the deadly effects of heat than ever before, a new study found.
The Journal of the American Medical Association found that heat-related deaths are on the rise. Researchers recorded 21,518 deaths from 1999-2023 where heat was either the underlying cause or the contributing cause of death, a possible underestimation, they say. In total, heat-related deaths have increased 117% since 1999.
The authors of the study, which was released Monday, used data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to calculate the mortality rates.
While the number of heat-related deaths fluctuated year to year, there was a sharp uptick in the last seven years. According to the data, heat-related deaths increased by 16.8% per year from 2016 to 2023 – and researchers expect the numbers to continue climbing.
“As temperatures continue to rise because of climate change, the recent increasing trend is likely to continue,” the authors wrote.
Last year was not only the hottest year on record but also the most deadly, with a total of 2,325 people dying from heat, the study found. Around 120,000 people were admitted to the emergency room for heat-related illnesses from January to December 2023, according to CDC data. Over 90% of those visits occurred during the peak summer months of May to September.
Rising temperatures due to climate change have led to record-breaking heat across the country in recent years. After recording the warmest July on record in 175 years, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said on a call this month that there is a 77% chance that 2024 will be the hottest year yet.
The international community is also grappling with the deadly effects of heat. A recent study published in Nature Medicine estimated that 47,000 people died last year in Europe due to heat.
Experts say the number of heat-related deaths in the U.S. and globally is likely an undercount. That has to do with the way that heat-related deaths are tracked.
“People may present to the Emergency Department or the hospital with a heart attack, stroke, asthma attack, or kidney failure, and heat is often not recorded in medical records as the underlying cause,” Dr. Céline Gounder, CBS News medical contributor, told CBS News earlier this month.
As the temperatures climb each year, states are scrambling to put life-saving measures into place. The Journal of the American Medical Association authors recommend local governments invest in cooling centers, air conditioning and hydration centers to help people beat the heat.
Other ways to protect against extreme heat, Dr. Gounder said, include taking advantage of state and federal tax credits for residential renewable energy installation projects, and making sure your home is properly insulated.
On an individual basis, Dr. Gounder said she recommends cold showers and taking breaks in the shade if you’re outdoors.
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A Georgia county’s emergency call center was overwhelmed by calls on Sept. 4 about a school shooting at Apalachee High School that killed four people and wounded nine others, records released Friday by Barrow County show.
Local news organizations report many of the 911 phone calls were not released under public record requests because state law exempts from release calls recording the voice of someone younger than 18 years old. That exemption would cover calls from most of the 1,900 students at the school in Winder, northeast of Atlanta.
Calls spiked around 10:20 a.m., when authorities have said that 14-year-old suspect Colt Gray began shooting. Many calls were answered with an automated message saying there was a “high call volume,” WAGA-TV reported.
One man called 911 after receiving text messages from a girlfriend. He was put on hold for just over 10 minutes because of an influx of calls at the time of the shooting, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
“She hears people yelling outside, so I don’t know if that’s officers in the building or that’s — I don’t know,” he said, adding that she was eventually evacuated out of the school.
Other adults also called 911 after their children contacted them.
“My daughter calling me crying. Somebody go ‘boom, boom, boom, boom,'” one mother said. The 911 operator responded: “Ma’am we have officers out there, OK?”
Parents of students at an elementary school and middle school neighboring Apalachee also flooded 911 seeking information.
“Sir, my daughter goes to school next door to Apalachee. Is there a school shooter?” one caller asked.
“We do have an active situation (at) Apalachee High School right now,” the operator responded. “We have a lot of calls coming in.”
More than 500 radio messages between emergency personnel were also released Friday.
“Active shooter!” an officer yells in one audio clip while speaking with a dispatcher, CNN reported. Another officer responds, “Correct. We have an active shooter at Apalachee High School.”
The shooting killed teachers Richard Aspinwall, 39, and Cristina Irimie, 53, as well as students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, both 14. Another teacher and eight more students were wounded, with seven of those hit by gunfire.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation reported Thursday that the suspect rode the school bus on the day of the shooting with the assault-style rifle concealed in his backpack.
He then asked a teacher for permission to go to the front office to speak with someone, and when he received it, he was allowed to take his backpack with him, GBI said. He then went to a restroom, where he hid, and then eventually took out the weapon and started shooting, investigators said. A knife was also found on him when he was arrested.
According to investigators, the suspect enrolled at Apalachee High on Aug. 14, and between Aug. 14 and the day of the shooting, he was absent for nine days of school.
The family told CBS News that the suspect’s maternal grandmother had visited the school the day before the massacre to discuss the suspect’s alleged behavioral issues.
The suspect has been charged as an adult with four counts of murder, and District Attorney Brad Smith has said more charges are likely to be filed against him in connection with the wounded. Authorities have also charged his father, 54-year-old Colin Gray, alleging that he gave his son access to the gun when he knew or should have known that the teen was a danger to himself and others.
The 13,000 students at Barrow County’s other schools returned to class Tuesday. The 1,900 students who attend Apalachee are supposed to start returning the week of Sept. 23, officials said Friday.
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