New Orleans braces for a scorching hot summer
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Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios
It's barely summer, and New Orleans has already tied high temperature records four times this year, according to National Weather Service data, including Saturday's high of 97.
Why it matters: The heat isn't letting up anytime soon, with a wave of hot air sweeping across the country through at least the coming week.
Threat level: Louisiana shattered its own records in 2023 when there were 69 heat-related deaths in the state, with most occurring in July and August.
- "Nearly three-quarters of the heat deaths last summer were in five southern states that were supposed to be used to the heat and planned for it," the AP said in a nationwide analysis. "Except this time they couldn't handle it."
- And summer of 2024 is expected to be another brutal one, possibly out to rival the previous hottest summers of 2021 and 1936, reports Axios' Andrew Freedman.
- One-fifth of the world's population has already experienced at least one day this year when the heat index topped 103°F, though New Orleans had not yet crossed that line in a Washington Post data analysis through the end of May.
Reality check: Getting through a heat wave isn't as easy as turning on the air conditioner and waiting it out.
- In New Orleans, it's not uncommon to see homes with too little proper insulation or using air conditioning systems that can't keep up with the ever-hotter weather.
- Last summer, Johns Hopkins researchers took temperatures inside New Orleans homes, primarily in lower-income neighborhoods, and found that more than half exceeded 80°F during the day, according to a Guardian report.
Zoom in: Air conditioning units also get even more power-intensive as the outside temperature drops. That can strain the power grid — and gets really costly, too.
- One resident told The Guardian that her house was "almost hotter inside than outside," and her electric bill still racked up $800 in charges.
What we're watching: New Orleans officials have said that one of their biggest concerns during what's expected to be a tough hurricane season is extended power outages.
- That's why they're focusing efforts on creating cooling centers throughout the city, places to charge cell phones and get into some AC if the power goes out in people's homes.
Go deeper: See the CDC's signs of heat-related illnesses.