Greg Hess Tracks Heat-Related Deaths in Arizona

Challenges from Heat

Pima County, with a population of about one million, is located on the border of the United States and Mexico and faces about 3,000 deaths each year. From April to October, the heat clearly increases, and the number of deaths related to it also rises. Hess believes that these deaths are due to climate change and heat stress, which particularly rise in the summer.

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Efforts to Improve Counting

Hess and his team's efforts to improve methods for recording heat-related deaths could help in better understanding the human costs of climate change. According to experts, thousands of Americans lose their lives each year due to climate-related disasters, but no official agency accurately records these deaths. By collecting precise data and analyzing it, Hess hopes to influence policymakers and local officials to create better programs to address this crisis.

In recent years, the increase in heat-related deaths and the opioid epidemic in Pima County have highlighted the need for comprehensive data collection. Hess aims to assist the families of victims and provide them with a sense of closeness and comfort using innovative protocols and accurate information gathering.

Hess and his team are also looking to provide their data to local officials and citizens to assist in planning for the establishment of cooling centers during critical times such as heat waves. Their goal is not only to count the deaths but also to prevent them. Ultimately, Hess hopes that by improving methods for recording and analyzing heat-related deaths, they can better understand the human impacts of climate change and take more effective actions to address this issue.

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Source: npr.org