Why heat wave warnings are falling short in the U.S.
Unprecedented heat waves are on the rise as the climate gets hotter. But experts say the country's heat warning system may be leading the public to underestimate the dangers.
In July 1995, weather reports in Chicago started warning residents about an incoming heat wave. It was going to be hot – around 100 degrees – but nothing that was unheard of for a Chicago summer.
That heat wave turned out to be one of the deadliest in recorded U.S. history.
More than 1,000 people died across the larger region. In Chicago, Black residents made up half the deaths. Many were older people who had succumbed inside their homes, as they tried to ride out the sweltering heat.
The heat wave's heavy toll was largely due to its high humidity. In muggy, humid air, the human body struggles to cool off, because sweat doesn't evaporate as well.
As , disaster experts say the country's current heat warning system is falling short.
