Millions of Americans have been affected by the dangerous heat, which has broken records in certain places and even resulted in fatalities. As Americans struggle to stay cool at home this summer, electricity bills are also predicted to rise. Here are some of the effects of the intense heat around the nation.
California heat wave temperatures
Sunday’s high in Death Valley, California, was 129 degrees Fahrenheit, matching the day heat record for the region set in 2007, the agency reported.
On Sunday, at least one person in Death Valley passed away and another was admitted to a hospital in Las Vegas due to heat exhaustion. The two were in a group of six motorcycle riders; the deceased’s identity was not disclosed. On the spot care was given to the other four. Because emergency helicopters cannot fly safely at temperatures above 120 degrees, they were unable to respond.
The National Weather Service reports that an excessive heat warning or advisory is in effect for the majority of Los Angeles County on Monday.
According to preliminary data on Sunday, two locations northeast of Los Angeles shattered their daily heat records. Palmdale hit 114 degrees, while Lancaster broke the city record with 115 degrees.
Additionally, NWS Los Angeles issued a warning that hot, dry weather combined with strong wind gusts might intensify wildfires in interior valleys, mountains, and deserts, increasing the possibility of small fires spreading.
In California, there are currently at least 21 wildfires that are causing some areas to be evacuated.
The National Weather Service Portland reports that several Oregonian cities, including Portland, broke daily heat records this past weekend, and that temperatures are predicted to remain high throughout the rest of the Pacific Northwest and even Northern California.
Las Vegas breaks heat record
The National Weather Service reports that on Sunday, Las Vegas broke the record for daily heat with temperatures of 120 degrees. 116 degrees was the previous record for a single day, set in 2017. On Saturday and Sunday, a number of other cities hit or tied heat records, including Kingman, Arizona, and Death Valley, California; further daily heat records were predicted to be set on Monday.
A heat advisory for severe heat has been issued by the National Weather Service for the Las Vegas valley and its surrounding areas.
To demonstrate to the public how hot it was, the service held multiple demonstrations. In one, they tried baking cookies on top of a car dashboard that had a temperature reading of 215. After forty minutes or so, the cookies started to bake.
Additionally, they experimented with melting crayons outside. As expected, their art experiment was successful; the melted wax created a rainbow as the crayons were run over a blank canvas.
According to estimates from the National Energy Assistance Directors Association and the Center for Energy Poverty and Climate, families should expect to see an average 7.9% increase in their electricity bills from June to September of this year, to $719, from $661 during the same period last year.
According to NEADA, a nonprofit that works to provide energy to low-income households, the cost of cooling homes during the summer has gradually increased from an average of $476 in 2014 as summer temperatures have increased and the U.S. has experienced more extreme heat events. This trend has been observed over the last ten years.
Nearly 20% of low-income households do not have air conditioning, according to the association. Furthermore, this year saw a $2 billion reduction in government funds for Low Income Home Energy Assistance. Only 20% of program funding is left over after heating costs (almost 80% are used for this purpose) to help low-income families stay cool during the heat.
Extreme weather coast-to-coast
Additionally, a heat alert has been issued by the National Weather Service for all of Florida as well as portions of Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. A heat advisory is also in effect for a portion of the Northeast, which includes the majority of New Jersey, New York City, and portions of Pennsylvania, the D.C. metro region, Connecticut, and Massachusetts.
According to The Weather Channel, Hurricane Beryl made landfall in Texas early on Monday, bringing with it strong winds and rain as well as a rise in the likelihood of tornadoes. The National Weather Service is reporting that there is a flood watch for portions of Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, and Southern Illinois.
