New Jersey has reported 25 heat-related deaths since July 2, the most in any state to date.
Due to extreme heat, some America 250 celebrations are canceled. Look where.
A scorching heatwave has caused the cancellation of several U.S. 250th anniversary celebrations as some governors have urged residents to limit their time outdoors.
A heatwave that has gripped much of the eastern and central United States has killed more than 20 people in the last week, local officials said, and more dangerous heat is expected to hit the West soon.
Dozens of East Coast communities canceled festivities over the Fourth of July weekend due to record high temperatures, sending hundreds of people to emergency rooms.
New Jersey officials say 25 people have died in the heatwave since July 2, the most in the state to date. State Department of Health Secretary Dr. Raynard E. Washington said at a July 4 press conference that many of the victims were found in homes without air conditioning, and some were found outside residences, on the street, and some in parked cars.
The victims ranged in age from their mid-30s to their 80s, Dahlia Ewais, head of communications at the Ministry of Health, said in an emailed statement. He stressed that the data is preliminary.
In Jackson, Mississippi, a 74-year-old man who was reported missing on June 29th was found behind a gas station on July 2nd, but died on the way to the hospital. Local authorities told the National Weather Service that the man had been exposed to extreme heat for several days, with heat index levels exceeding 100.
Dozens of people who attended an event in Pennsylvania on July 2 centered around the world’s largest operating steam locomotive, the Union Pacific’s Big Boy, were taken to local hospitals for heatstroke.
In Washington, D.C., where the heat index exceeded 110 degrees during President Donald Trump’s “Salute to America” event on July 4, emergency personnel reported contacting 96 patients and transporting 40 patients from the National Mall, the National Special Security Events Joint Information Center announced in a July 5 statement.
By 10 p.m. ET, before fireworks went off in the nation’s capital, George Washington University reported 289 patient contacts from the National Mall. It’s unclear how much of it was heat-related.
The East Coast is expected to see some relief from extreme temperatures soon as the heat dome shrinks and severe thunderstorms are possible. AccuWeather meteorologists said July 5 that a storm could bring damaging wind gusts, heavy rain and the potential for flash flooding across southeastern New England and the mid-Atlantic.
States from Texas to Wisconsin face at least a “moderate” risk of severe thunderstorms through Tuesday, July 7. Meanwhile, a new heat dome built between the Rocky Mountains and the West Coast is expected to bring sweltering temperatures to much of the West, according to AccuWeather forecasts.
This story has been updated to add new information.
