The triple-digit heatwave entered its third week in Texas and caused the untimely death of 13 individuals in Texas, including 11 people residing in Webb County, latest reports have disclosed.
The fatalities' ages ranges from 60 to 80-years-old in which many were reported to have underlying health conditions, according to a local medical examiner as reported by CNN.
"This is heat like we've not seen here before. Please, please, please. Deaths due to heat stroke are ruled as accidents, and accidents, by definition, are preventable deaths. All these deaths could have been prevented," Webb County Medical Examiner Dr. Corinne Stern said.
Among the fatalities was a 62-year-old woman who died last Wednesday in Keithville, a report from Sentinel Colorado said. Her relatives said she spent several days without electricity due to the severe storms.
Meanwhile, a man and his 14-year-old stepson reportedly died while hiking at Big Bend National Park in West Texas in extreme heat recorded at 119 degrees.
In Shreveport, Louisiana, a 49-year-old man was discovered dead on a sidewalks with 97 degrees temperature.
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Hospitalization due to extreme heat
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recorded an average 837 heat-related emergency room visits per 100,000.
However, the number of visits might be higher because not all medical centers are included in the data.
More than 100 heat-related incidents have been responded by the paramedics in the past two weeks in Austin, city officials said as reported by Independent.
Doctor Angelica DesPain with Christus Health System observed an increase in the number of hospital visits of children with heat-related illnesses in one day.
She stressed that the extreme heat temperatures can be deadly.
"Our body temperatures can get as high as 104, 105, maybe even 108," DesPain said in an interview with Kens5.com.
"Once we get to that temperature, it can be pretty deadly if that body temperature is not lowered," the physician said.
Heat wave deadlier than other weather event
According to the National Weather Service, heat-related illness causes more death in the United States every year than any other weather event, including tornadoes, floods and hurricanes.
"There may be more danger than a typical heat event, due to the longevity of near-record or record high nighttime lows and elevated heat index readings," the weather prediction center said as reported by CNN.
Officials urged people, especially the vulnerable populations such as children, the elderly and people with chronic diseases, to take precaution amid this heat event.
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