PHOENIX — Heat-associated deaths in the Valley have been higher in the past few years than at any time since 2006.
Sadly, this year is trending in the direction of record-breaking.
Maricopa County’s Department of Public Health publishes A heat-associated deaths and hospital visits report weekly on itswebsite.
According to their data, heat-associated deaths that are either confirmed or under investigation are higher now than at the same time last year.
So far there have been 347 cases that the department has confirmed or is investigating as being heat related.
Eighty-two of the deaths are confirmed, more than double the numbers in both 2019 and 2020 during the same period.
Compared to last year, confirmed heat-associated deaths are skewing younger.
11% of deaths occurred in people aged 20 to 34. It was 6% the year prior. On the other end of the age spectrum, 37% of heat-associated deaths happened to those over 65, a number 10 points lower than 2021.
July is consistently ranked as the month with the highest heat-associated deaths in the Valley.
Deaths typically drop off a little in August and begin to drop off quickly in September. Heat-associated deaths in September 2021 were almost half that of the previous month.
The comparison is being done with the county health department’s weekly report from 2019 to 2022 during the week ending closest to August 20th in the previous years.
The annual report released much later gives much more detailed information on heat-associated deaths.
Some cases reported as under investigation will eventually be removed from the final number.
Last year the final weekly report totaled 338 deaths both confirmed and under investigation.
By the time the department released a preliminary report for 2021 that number had dropped to 308.
Even if that happens for this year, however, the Phoenix metro is still heading towards record numbers.
