Extreme heat can be fatal, but it’s not always easy to see it as such. While high temperatures are the deadliest form of extreme weather, deaths from extreme heat are difficult to identify and are frequently misattributed to other causes.

Heat-Related Deaths on the Rise

In 2024, inmate Adrienne Boulware died in the Central California Women’s Facility when the temperature in Chowchilla hit 110 degrees. In 2023, Eugene Gates, a letter carrier, died while working his route during a heatwave. These tragic incidents are not isolated, as heat-related deaths are gaining attention from researchers and the media.

A 2025 Center for American Progress report stated that those who are most vulnerable to heat-related health effects include working-class, low-income, and majority Black or Latino communities, as well as people with disabilities and chronic illnesses, people who are pregnant, people who work or exercise outside, older adults, and young children.

There were more than 21,000 heat-related deaths in the U.S. between 1999 and 2023, according to the report, with the number of deaths per year steadily rising since 2016.

Lack of Air Conditioning and Outdoor Work Increase Risk

Shauna Thomas, a 55-year-old resident of St. Ann, Missouri, had her electricity shut off in early June last year after she fell behind on her bills. The temperature was 88 degrees that day, but in the weeks that followed, the temperature skyrocketed, and Thomas was found dead in her sweltering apartment. The temperature had hit 96 degrees, and the heat index was well over 100.

Jacob Taylor, a 28-year-old letter carrier, delivered mail in one of the US Postal Service’s older mail trucks that lacked air conditioning. He never made it home from his shift and was found dead later that day.

These tragic incidents highlight the need for better protection for vulnerable communities and individuals who are disproportionately affected by extreme heat.

Original reporting: The Washington Informer — read the source article.