Massive Heat Dome Threatens 100 Million People Across America
Heat advisories, heat warnings or heat watches have been issued from California to Virginia, bringing temperatures of 100 degrees or above to many cities. Public health officials are urging people to take care because extreme heat causes more deaths in American than any other weather-related disaster. In other public health news a water main break creates problems for a Texas town and a hospital in Montana successfully evacuates patients and staff as flood waters threaten the building.
ABC News:
Heat Wave Continues In 27 States Across The Country
A "heat dome" is expected to bring triple-digit temperatures to portions of the Midwest, adding to the early onset temperatures already baking the Southwest. From California to Virginia, approximately 100 million Americans are under heat advisories, heat warnings or heat watches. St. Louis reported a record-high temperature of 100 degrees on Monday, and the heat index in parts of the Midwest neared 115 degrees. From Raleigh, North Carolina, to Chicago, actual temperatures are expected to reach near 100 degrees on Tuesday. (Guilfoil and Golembo, 6/14)
The Wall Street Journal:
A Third Of U.S. Population Under Heat Advisories
High temperatures enveloped a third of the U.S. population Tuesday, as wildfires in Arizona and California sparked during the heat wave there grew. Excessive heat watches, excessive heat warnings and heat advisories were in effect from the Upper Midwest to the Southeast, according to the National Weather Service. (Ansari and Azu, 6/14)
Cincinnati Enquirer:
Cincinnati Air Quality Alert Extended To Wednesday
The Southwest Ohio Air Quality Agency has extended its Air Quality Alert to Wednesday for several counties. The alert will remain in effect all day Wednesday and includes Butler, Clermont, Clinton, Hamilton and Warren counties in Ohio; Boone, Campbell and Kenton counties in Kentucky and Dearborn County in Indiana. The agency initially issued the alert for Tuesday, saying ozone levels would be within the “unhealthy for sensitive groups” range on the Air Quality Index. (Moorwood, 6/14)
St. Louis Public Radio:
Heat Advisories In St. Louis
Ian Quattrocchi is a landscape worker, born and raised in St. Louis' summer heat and humidity, but the extreme heat has changed the way he and other outdoor laborers are working this week. The National Weather Service on Monday issued an excessive heat warning for the St. Louis region that lasts through Wednesday evening, as the area endures conditions that can feel as hot as 110 degrees. In 2015, Missouri had about 15 days with dangerous heat levels, according to a report from States at Risk, a project that shows how Americans experience climate change. By 2050, that number is expected to quadruple, the report says. (Anderson, 6/14)
In related environmental news —
NPR:
A Texas City Could Be Without Water For 48 Hours After A Water Main Break
A water line break in Odessa, Texas could leave nearly 165,000 people in and around the city with little to no water for 48 hours, according to city officials. The water main break occurred at around 6 p.m. Monday, with crews actively working around the clock to repair the 24-inch transmission water line. The city of Odessa has not yet released details regarding the cause of the break. (Franklin, 6/14)
Fox News:
Water-Borne Infections Can Lurk In Hot Tubs, Public Pools, Lakes And Oceans This Summer: Here's What To Know
As many look forward to the summer months and going into the water, beware of the germs lurking below that can cause water-borne infections and how to prevent them. During 2015 to 2019, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said the majority of the reported outbreaks associated with recreational water were secondary to a parasite called Cryptosporidium discovered in public pools or the bacteria known as Legionella in hot tubs, according a 2021 Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. (Sudhakar, 6/14)
And flooding in Montana is forcing hospitals to evacuate —
Billings Gazette:
Hospitals And Nursing Homes In Flood Zones Move Patients To Nearby, Drier, Cities
As rivers across south-central Montana spilled over their banks Monday, flooding into nearby communities, one of the roads overtaken by water leads to the new Livingston HealthCare facility. With the floodwater creeping closer and closer to the hospital, officials there were told at about 6:15 p.m. they had 45 minutes to evacuate the building. By 7 p.m., the patients were gone, on their way to Pioneer Medical Center in nearby Big Timber, with the Livingston hospital's staff close behind. At 8:15 p.m., the hospital was empty. “It was remarkable,” said Deb Anczak, Livingston HealthCare's chief executive officer. “An absolute demonstration of teamwork.” (Compton, 6/14)
