In Arizona’s Maricopa County, home to the capital of Phoenix, nearly 2,000 people have died of heat-related deaths in the past five years. The alarming statistics highlight the pressing issue of extreme heat and the potential for it to escalate into a catastrophic event, akin to the devastating Hurricane Katrina.
In his must-read book The Heat Will Kill You First, author Jeff Goodell discusses with an Arizona State University infrastructure expert the likelihood of a “Hurricane Katrina of extreme heat.” This refers to an event where a power failure during a heatwave could result in thousands of deaths, with governmental bodies woefully unprepared. The expert underscores that this scenario is not a matter of “if” but “when”.
As a matter of fact, a Heat Katrina may already be happening, albeit in slow motion. The city of Phoenix has seen a significant number of heat-related fatalities in recent years. The conversation around this escalating crisis is crucial for legal professionals involved in environmental law, public health policy, and emergency management as the data suggests a dire need for robust contingency planning and infrastructure improvement.
For further details, the full article by Mark Gongloff can be accessed on Bloomberg Law’s website at Phoenix Faces a Deadly Hurricane Katrina of Heat: Mark Gongloff.