The county saw its highest number of heatstroke deaths ever in 2023, and experts say 2024 could see even more heatstroke deaths.
MARICOPA COUNTY, Ariz. — More than 600 people have died in Maricopa County from heat-related reasons in 2023, and experts say 2024 could see even more heat-related deaths.
The county is tracking heatstroke deaths. We will be publishing the data every Tuesday through a new dashboard. The data includes the total number of confirmed heatstroke deaths, a breakdown of deaths caused by heatstroke and deaths contributed to by heatstroke, the number of deaths still under investigation, and demographic information for people who died from heatstroke.
12News is tracking the data you need to know about heatstroke deaths in Maricopa County.
Explanation of terms
when Review data from the county dashboard It's important to know how the county categorizes heat stroke deaths into different types. Here's the breakdown:
- Total confirmed heatstroke deaths: The number of confirmed heat stroke deaths includes both deaths caused by heat stroke and deaths attributed to heat exhaustion and is based on official death certificate data. This number is subject to change based on information from the coroner's office.
- Deaths from heatstroke: When the cause of death is listed as “heat-related,” it means that the death certificate lists exposure to heat as the direct cause of death.
- Thermal Contribution: When the cause of death is listed as “heat-related,” it means that exposure to heat is listed as a contributing factor.
- Under investigation: If a death is listed as “under investigation,” it means the county coroner suspects heatstroke was the cause of death.
Updated weekly
As of June 18, there have been six confirmed heatstroke deaths in Maricopa County. Of the six, two were caused by heatstroke and four were considered contributing causes. There are 87 deaths currently under investigation.
During the same period last year, there were six confirmed heatstroke deaths and 58 cases under investigation.
A closer look at how Maricopa County tracks heatstroke deaths
Maricopa County's first heat stroke death of 2024 was reported on April 18, six days before the first heat stroke death of 2023 was reported. Maricopa County Public Health.
The county New heat stroke deaths dashboard, This will allow residents to see how many people have died from heat-related factors, how many cases are under investigation, heat-related death data going forward to 2023, and even heat-related hospital visits.
The dashboard replaces the weekly heatstroke surveillance report previously published on the public health website, and will now allow users to interact with the data, which will be updated every Tuesday.
Click here to read the full article.
Heat stroke deaths are on the rise in the Valley. Where and how are they occurring?
In Maricopa County, heat stroke deaths increased by 52% in 2023. Maricopa County Public Health Department.
According to a report released in April, Eighty percent of the deaths were Maricopa County residents, and three-quarters were men. Heatstroke deaths have steadily increased since 2013, from 57% to 59% by 2023, according to the report.
Click here to read the full article.
'We're definitely going to save lives here this summer': Circle the City provides hydration for Phoenix's homeless residents
Perla Puebla said her time working as a street medic to help the homeless last summer was “brutal.”
“Especially in July, we saw a lot of patients who were moderately to severely dehydrated and not feeling well, and we also had a few cases of heat stroke,” said Puebla, a family nurse practitioner and associate medical director for Street Medicine Central. Going around the city“But they didn't want to go to the emergency room. They didn't want to leave their pets and belongings behind.”
On the first day of infusions last week, Circle the City administered infusions to 20 percent of the 14 patients seen by one team.
Click here to read the full article.
How big is Maricopa County?
According to the 2020 census, Maricopa County has a population of 4,485,414, making it the fourth most populous county in the United States.
The county is home to approximately 63% of Arizona's population and covers an area of 9,224 square miles, which means the county is larger than seven U.S. states: Rhode Island, Delaware, Connecticut, Hawaii, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire.
Maricopa County is also home to one of the largest park systems in the country. The county has an estimated 120,000 acres of open space parks, including hundreds of miles of trails, nature centers, campgrounds, and more.
The county seat is Phoenix, which is also the state capital and the fifth most populous city in the United States according to the census.
The county was named for a Native American tribe called the Maricopa or Piipache.
Heat Beat
Here are some videos about the extreme heat in Arizona and how to stay safe during the summer in the state.
