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Nevada has highest rate of heat-related deaths

Posted at 3:34 PM, Jun 22, 2017
and last updated 2017-06-23 14:44:16-04

Don't think for a second heat kills only on these really, really hot days.

According to the National Weather Service, more people die from heat than any other weather category and most of those fatalities are right here in Nevada. 

Look carefully at the most recent numbers Contact 13 just obtained from the National Weather Service in the graph chart above. 

RELATED: Excessive heat contributes to 5 deaths in Southern Nevada

On average, 131 people die in the heat every year in the United States. That's more than twice the number of people who died in hurricanes which get so much attention in the news. And high heat is more deadly than lightning and tornados combined.

More people die from the heat in Nevada than anywhere else. That's what the numbers show for the past 4 years. 

Last year 50 people died due to heat in Nevada. Compare that to the second highest state, Arizona, where 9 people lost their lives. Two people died in Arizona in 2015 while the heat killed 25 in Nevada.