Nearly half of heat-related deaths happen at home: Data

Story at a glance

• In the last 20 years, 45 percent of heat-related deaths with a known location happened inside a person's home, according to National Weather Service data.

• The outdoors was the next most common place for such deaths to occur, followed by vehicles and mobile homes.

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers heat-related deaths to be preventable.

(NewsNation) — A person's house is the most common place for heat-related deaths to occur, according to National Weather Service data.

An analysis conducted by the Cincinnati Enquirer found that, in the last 20 years, 45% of the 3,142 heat-related deaths with a known location happened inside a person's home. In 2023, nearly 31% of the 207 reported deaths happened in homes, while 48% were outside.

Heat-related deaths in the outdoors made up 41% of the data, with deaths in vehicles following at 12% and mobile homes at 2.5%. These high temperature tragedies are considered preventable by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which predicts an even higher number of heat-related deaths than NWS.

Tasha Turner-Bicknell, a nurse and associate professor at the University of Cincinnati College of Nursing, told USA Today that lack of air conditioning contributes to the sheer number of at-home deaths.

“Most of us take for granted that we live and work in air-conditioned environments,” she said. "But we have a lot of members of our community that do not have air conditioning.” 

Mobility restrictions and accessibility also play a role in the deadly heat statistics.

“Maybe they use a walker or a cane or a wheelchair, and maybe their caregivers are not available," Turner-Bicknell said. "They might be unable to get out of their house without assistance.”

What causes heat-related deaths?

The CDC attributes most heat-related deaths to high humidity, which slows sweat evaporation and prevents the human body from cooling down, and personal factors such as age, obesity, dehydration and existing disease.

The most at-risk populations for heat-related death are people older than 65 and younger than 2. Those experiencing homelessness, chronic diseases or mental illness are also more susceptible.

To stay safe:

• Drink water
• Wear loose-fitting clothing
• Stay in air-conditioned buildings as frequently as possible
• Take cooler showers and baths
• Don't rely on fans in extreme heat
• Don't use ovens or stoves to cook