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Report: Is Nevada really number one for heat-related deaths?

Posted at 5:48 PM, Jun 21, 2018
and last updated 2018-11-21 16:56:26-05

It's expected to hit 113 degrees today with little relief in sight. As the temperatures rise, it's important to be aware when the heat's up, because statistically speaking, we live in one of the top states for heat-related deaths. Contact 13 dug into the numbers to explain just how hazardous the heat can be. 

Heat can kill. Four people have already died from heat exposure in Clark County this year. It happens more often than you might think. And according to the National Weather Service, it's most likely to happen right here in Nevada.

Turns out more people die in the heat than from any other weather-related cause. National Weather Service data shows, when you add up the number of heat-related deaths over the past 30 years, it averages out to 134 people a year. Compare that to 84 killed each year in floods and 69 in tornados.

More to these numbers than meets the eye

Looking more closely at recent numbers, we found last year the National Weather Service reported 107 heat-related deaths across the U.S, 81 of those here in Nevada.

But the Clark County Coroner's office tell us the numbers are much higher. In 2017, 135 people died from heat-related causes in Clark County alone. Why such a large discrepancy? We are looking for those answers. But the data clearly shows the summer heat is very deadly so taking the proper precautions is clearly important. 

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