Maricopa County hits half-year record of heat-related deaths
(KYMA, KECY/ AP News) - As temperatures soar across the nation, heat associated deaths in Arizona’s largest county have hit a half-year record.
As more homeless people live unprotected outdoors in the arid desert city while summer temperatures soar well into triple digits, the number of deaths is vastly increasing.
The most recent data from the Maricopa County Department of Health shows 17 heat associated fatalities were registered this year through the first week of July, with another 126 under investigation.
About two-thirds of the deaths involved people who were outdoors.
Maricopa County shows the number of heat associated deaths reported during the first half are far greater those recorded during the same period in past years.
