With the grim total of heat-related deaths hitting the 900 mark last year in Arizona, state officials are ramping up defenses against the scorching climate, Arizona's newly appointed heat officer, Dr. Eugene Livar, confirmed in an effort to fortify the state against the harsh summers. Livar, leading the charge, told Arizona Public Media that more cooling shelters will be opened, and air conditioning in homes will be addressed, emphasizing, "We don't want to see that happen again."
Under the leadership of Gov. Katie Hobbs, Livar's appointment spotlights the escalating threat extreme heat waves pose to public health as Arizona stares down another potentially lethal summer, the brutal heat not something new but a relentless adversary that seems to grow each year, Gov. Hobbs has also kick-started Arizona Heat Awareness Week from May 6-10 to underscore the perils of the season. As temperatures rise, federal agencies are hunting for improved methods to shield people from the danger, introducing an online heat-risk system with a simplified, color-coded seven-day forecast.
Phoenix, with David Hondula at the helm as the city's first heat officer—and America's hottest—prepares for another sweltering summer, having labored through the hottest three months on record since 1895, hitting an average daily temperature in June, July, and August of 97 F, with a high-streak in July that scorched with temperatures at or above 110 F for 31 consecutive days.
The state has implemented some fresh tactics to take on the heat head-on; innovative mobile cooling centers will roam to areas most in need, these containers are solar-powered and can be shifted as the scorching sun dictates, and Phoenix, for the first time, will keep two 24-hour cooling centers in a public library and a senior center open to offer respite from the oppressive heat. Maricopa County is not lagging, pouring nearly $4 million into expanding access to cooling and respite centers, particularly during the punishing evening and weekend hours when the mercury refuses to drop, it’s also offering financial assistance for utility payments and aid for those needing air conditioner repairs or replacements.
