General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsTexas is going to be a Chicago Heat Wave 1995 Situation
But across multiple cites and regions. The official (probable undercount) death toll of the Chicago heat wave of 1995 is around 730. We'll likely be in the low thousands once the Texas count is done.
This is a staggering human catastrophe.
SunSeeker
(51,550 posts)Eldery shut-ins will be the last to be found, as rescuers go door to door like after Katrina.
Shell_Seas
(3,332 posts)I'm so worried about this.
Bongo Prophet
(2,643 posts)Not in some Obi-wan type of thing (well maybe a little) but just in the numbers of people, of temperature and incompetence/unpreparedness, etc. More of an equation based on many factors.
Same thing with the covid outbreak. Arrogant ignorance and politicizing of basic common problem solving was a force multiplier, unnecessarily exacerbating a bad situation into a wide-scale tragedy.
We can do better.
But it will take a difficult journey to get there.
dem4decades
(11,282 posts)Hortensis
(58,785 posts)not only because of real leadership failure, but because it wasn't realized that the extremely unusual combination of high heat with nights that didn't cool down was as lethal as it was. Or that it would last as long as it did. Awareness came way too late, after the deaths.
The first to die are of course those most vulnerable, very young and very old, those like me with medical conditions that cause heat intolerance.
But I've read that the bodily systems of even healthy young people can start failing after 4 days of consistently high temperatures without relief, such as at night.
Whatever problems they have with government in TX, at least everyone already knows very well that this kind of cold will kill. So let's hope that makes a big difference and neighbors and government are calling and knocking on doors.