Heat wave death toll hits 30 as extreme temps continue to sweep US
New Jersey alone has reported 29 heat-related deaths since July 2, the most of any state so far. Eastern and central states may soon get relief from the heat but temps will soar in the West.
A heat wave sweeping across much of the eastern and central United States has killed at least 30 people in the past week, according to local officials, as more dangerously hot conditions are expected to soon hit the West.
Record-high temperatures in dozens of East Coast communities canceled festivities and sent hundreds to emergency rooms over the Fourth of July weekend.
New Jersey officials believe extreme heat has caused 29 deaths since July 2, the most of any state so far. Many of the victims were found in homes without air conditioning, a few were outside of their residences, some were in streets and some were in parked cars, Raynard Washington, the commissioner for the state Department of Health, said during a July 4 news conference.
The ages of the victims range from mid-30s to 80s, agency spokeswoman Dalya Ewais said in an emailed statement. She stressed the data is preliminary.
The other death came in Jackson, Mississippi, where a 74-year-old man found behind a gas station on July 2. He died on the way to hospital. Local officials reported to the National Weather Service that the man had been exposed to extreme heat over multiple days, with the heat index over 100.
In Pennsylvania, dozens of people at a July 2 event centered around the world's largest operating steam locomotive, Union Pacific’s Big Boy, were transported to local hospitals because of heat illness.
In Washington, DC, where heat indices climbed above 110 degrees during President Donald Trump’s July 4 Salute to America event, emergency service personnel reported 96 patient contacts and 40 patient transports from the National Mall, the National Special Security Event Joint Information Center said in a July 5 statement.
By 10 p.m. ET, before fireworks erupted in the nation’s capital, George Washington University reported 289 patient contacts from the National Mall. It’s unclear how many were related to heat.
Between July 2 and July 5, more than 700 people visited Virginia emergency rooms for heat-related illness, according to the state's department of health.
The East Coast is expected to soon feel some relief from the extreme temperatures as the heat dome shrinks, bringing chances of severe thunderstorms. Storms in southeastern New England and the Mid-Atlantic could cause damaging wind gusts, torrential rain and potential flash flooding July 5, AccuWeather meteorologists said.
States from Texas to Wisconsin are at least at "some" risk for severe thunderstorms through Tuesday, July 7. Meanwhile, a new heat dome building between the Rockies and the West Coast is expected to bring sweltering temperatures to much of the West, according to Accuweather forecasts.
(This story has been updated to add new information.)