Official insights from Public Health – Seattle & King County staff
Hot weather isn’t just uncomfortable – it can be dangerous. When temperatures are very hot in King County, we see a rise in the number of hospitalizations, Emergency Medical Service calls, and most sadly, deaths. And it’s not just heat stroke and heat exhaustion: heart problems, stroke, and kidney failure are common health problems on […]
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Northwest summers can be fantastic, but when is hot too hot? The National Weather Service is on the job to tell us, and what they are saying should get your attention now. They have issued an Excessive Heat Warning for many areas in our region, including King County. This statement lets us know that very hot weather that can affect our […]
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By Ashley Kelmore – Our hotter-than-usual summer in the Pacific Northwest likely won’t reach the extremes of the 1995 Chicago summer heat wave, which killed 733 people. But some of the issues from that catastrophe are relevant to us here and now, and Dr. Eric Klinenberg describes them in his fascinating book Heat Wave.
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Extreme weather – including storms, cold, and heat – can pose major risks to the public’s health. So, we try to stay ahead of the inclement conditions and prepare for worst-case scenarios.
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