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Record heat suspected in over 20 deaths as severe weather puts damper on Fourth of July festivities
NBC News • • general
Key Points:
- Record-setting heat across the Deep South, Midwest, and East Coast is suspected in 25 deaths, with nearly 156 million people under heat alerts issued by the National Weather Service.
- A high-pressure heat dome caused temperatures above 100 degrees in several areas, including Washington, D.C., where Fourth of July celebrations faced heat-related medical emergencies and delays due to severe thunderstorms.
- Severe thunderstorms with damaging winds and hail affected parts of Missouri to Pennsylvania, causing power outages for over 1.3 million utility customers across multiple states, including Michigan, New Jersey, and Missouri.
- New Jersey's heat-related death toll rose to 22, with many victims found in homes without air conditioning; health officials are deploying resources and evacuating patients from distressed healthcare facilities.
- Individual heat-related deaths were also reported in Illinois and Mississippi, highlighting the widespread and deadly impact of the ongoing heat wave.
