MIAMI.- Florida is experiencing an unprecedented heat wave that is having consequences on the health and lives of its residents, according to government organizations and some research.
A report by the Florida Policy Institute (FPI) warned of the seriousness of the situation: the state is believed to have the highest number of heat-related deaths in the country, with an estimated 150 residents killed between 2017 and 2021.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has also reported more than 31,000 heat-related emergency room visits and hospitalizations in Florida between 2018 and 2022, making the state the leader in this problem nationwide.
These figures are particularly alarming in the context of a 95% increase in the number of heat-related deaths in the United States between 2010 and 2022. In Florida, the increase over the past three years has been even more dramatic, reaching 88%.
July 21 was the hottest month ever recorded on Earth, and every month for more than a year has been the warmest on record. Experts warn that this trend will only intensify, with potentially damaging consequences for the population.
Important data
Outdoor workers are particularly vulnerable in a state where the number of such employees is estimated to be about two million.
An FPI analysis shows that more than one-third of the population in 20 of Florida’s 67 counties is highly vulnerable to heat, due to factors such as age, general health and living conditions.
In response, organizations such as the Southeast Coastal Center for Agricultural Health and Safety (SCCAHS) and the University of Florida are redoubling their efforts to provide resources and education to agricultural workers, who are most affected by high temperatures.
Last year, a 30-year-old farmworker from Homestead, south of Miami-Dade County, died during an intense workday exposed to high temperatures. Efraín López García, a native of Guatemala, was found unconscious and later declared dead.
It is crucial that authorities and society in general become aware of the danger posed by extreme heat and implement measures to mitigate its effects, especially for the most vulnerable populations.