This is part of our series “Extreme Living: Climate Disruption Stories,” where we share stories from Moms members about family life in an age of extremes.
During halftime at the fourth hottest University of Iowa football game in history this Labor Day weekend, marching band member Derek Phillips collapsed from the heat and suffered sudden cardiac arrest. The temperature was in the 90s with a heat index soaring past 100. Derek was rushed to the hospital, but “despite the extraordinary efforts of the ICU team at the University of Iowa Hospital,” his family made the decision to take him off life support. He died on Tuesday morning.
Derek’s tragic story is a grim reminder that extreme heat is the deadliest of all weather hazards. And every year, temperatures are rising thanks to the climate crisis, making heat-related tragedy ever more likely. Even when it’s not deadly, heat can be so harmful. At Moms Clean Air Force, we’re seeing heat illness touch our families and communities. Here are a few of our stories—thankfully all turned out OK—from this summer.
Tell Congress: The Climate Clock Is Ticking. Act Now for Our Kids’ Future.
Vanessa Lynch, Pennsylvania
“At college in South Carolina, my daughter experienced brutal temperatures at a football game this past weekend, with the heat indexes reaching the triple digits. The student sections of most stadiums have no cover from the blazing sun, so it’s no wonder my daughter experienced heat exhaustion.
“Thankfully, paramedics were on hand at the game, under the stadium, helping students who were struggling with the heat—and there were a lot of them. They sent many students to the hospital, but they also soaked rally towels—the iconic small towels given out at the start of the game for cheering—in ice water to wrap around necks and ankles.
“When the paramedics were finally able to get my daughter’s temperature cooled off enough that she could return home, she had to walk for over half an hour before she found transportation back to her apartment. What’s devastating to think is that the walk was probably the most dangerous part of her day.”
Celerah Hewes, New Mexico
“The other day, my daughter went to help her grandmother do some yard work at her home in Albuquerque. When she got there, Grandma was bright red from working outside for only an hour. My daughter thought it was a sunburn, but it was really heat exhaustion. She helped get her grandmother ice packs and started a cool shower to bring down her body temperature, but it was scary for a kid to see. She didn’t want to leave until she was sure her grandmother was OK.”
Pita Juarez, Arizona
“My brother, who works outside painting cars in Phoenix, got really sick this summer. He felt dizzy and nauseous during a shift, so he went to the hospital. Turns out he was extremely dehydrated from the deadly heat. The average temperature this summer was 97 degrees—including a whopping 39 days over 110—making it the second-hottest summer here on record. He was told to rest at home for two weeks, meaning he couldn’t work for that time and lost wages that support his family.”
Mary Wagner, Nevada
“This June, I attended a Public Utility Commission of Nevada (PUCN) consumer session to deliver testimony about a rate increase proposed by NV Energy that will affect Nevada families and communities. Even though the temperature was 105 degrees, people who had come to give testimony were kept waiting outside without adequate shade or protection from the extreme heat. While waiting to testify, I developed a severe headache and became dizzy, nauseated, weak, and shaky. I later vomited and experienced body aches for several days. I was so sick from the heat exposure that I stayed in bed for three days.”
Read more about the health impacts of extreme heat and how to prevent them in our fact sheet.
Tell Congress: The Climate Clock Is Ticking. Act Now for Our Kids’ Future.