Extreme Heat Captures US Territory

A relentless and deadly heat wave has swept across the United States from late June into early July, shattering temperature records and exposing the nation’s vulnerabilities to extreme weather. The persistent “heat dome” phenomenon has affected more than 265 million Americans, with temperatures soaring into the triple digits across the Midwest, Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions. Major cities, including New York, Boston, Philadelphia and Baltimore, have all reported record highs, with heat in some areas reaching as high as 115°F, prompting emergency measures.

The National Weather Service issued excessive heat warnings for over 150 million people, urging residents to take precautions as the heat wave intensified. In New York City, officials warned that heat is the city’s most dangerous weather threat, responsible for hundreds of premature deaths each year. Despite measures being enacted in several states to protect vulnerable populations, hospitals across the nation still reported a surge in heat-related illnesses.

The heat wave has already claimed lives: at least two heat-related deaths were confirmed in Texas and Missouri in late June, with authorities warning that the true toll may be higher as investigations continue. Historically, in New York City alone, an estimated 580 people die prematurely each summer due to heat, with black residents disproportionately affected due to systemic inequalities in housing and access to cooling. These numbers are only projected to increase with future heat waves.

Yet it’s not just people who are affected, but infrastructure as well. In the Midwest, roads, bridges, and rail lines suffered damage, forcing Amtrak to delay or cancel services due to the risk of warped tracks. The heat waves exposed several weaknesses in US transportation systems, prompting a need for reform.

Power grids in major metropolitan areas came under severe strain as demand for air conditioning surged. Utilities companies implemented voltage reductions and rolling outages in some neighborhoods to prevent system-wide blackouts. Despite these actions helping to curb some struggles, electricity prices have still soared. The North American Electric Reliability Corporation still warned that much of the Midwest, New England and Texas-Louisiana regions faced elevated risks of blackouts during the heatwave.

This heat wave is part of a larger trend of more intense extreme weather, arriving earlier in the summer, which experts attribute to climate change, calling "June the new July." Scientists note that heat waves are among the most reliably connected events to global warming, with both their frequency and severity increasing as average global temperatures rise. The past decade has seen a marked increase in heat-related deaths in the United States, reversing earlier trends and revealing the growing risks posed by a warming globe to everyday life.

The deadly heat wave has reignited debate over American climate change policy and readiness. Thus far this year, at least 25 states have introduced legislation aimed at improving climate adaptation, with a focus on extreme heat, wildfires and flooding. Proposals include strengthening occupational safety standards for outdoor workers, expanding access to cooling and investing in more resilient infrastructure. Political resistance at the federal level slows down the implementation of solutions in states, despite growing warnings about extreme heat from public health officials, scientists, and community leaders.

Extemp Analysis by: Rowan Seipp

AGD: A lot to work with here, but I would play off the location you are giving the speech. If you are from a southern state or giving a speech south of the Mason-Dixon line, talk about heat waves in your own area. 

Background: talk about California wildfires or any example from this year of extreme heat.

Question: What can be done to alleviate heat related deaths in the United States? 

Answer: A unified response  

P1: One power grid 

P2: more relief funding 

P3: Climate related initiatives

Within each point you need to explain in the A sub point why the SQUO is not unified and in the B steps that can be taken to make a unified approach. 

Read More Here: 

• Rob Taub, NewsNation

• Ben Noll, The Washington Post

• Andrew Freedman and Mary Gilbert, CNN

• Environmental & Health Data Portal, NYC

• Nazaneen Ghaffar, New York Times

• Melissa Griffin and Emily Shapiro, ABC News

• Grace Wickerson, Hannah Safford, and Autumn Burton, Federation of American Scientists

• Sidra Aghababian, National Caucus of Environmental Legislators

• Chico Harlan and Ben Noll, The Washington Post

• Tim McLaughlin and Timothy Gardner, Reuters