New Orleans heat wave underscores extreme heat's growing toll
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Greater shares of Americans now say that extreme heat has affected various parts of day-to-day life compared to just two years ago.
Why it matters: New Orleans is in the middle of another heat wave, with the heat index expected to climb to 110°F Friday and Saturday.
The big picture: A report from the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research suggests that people are increasingly aware of extreme heat's impact on their health, budgets, travel plans and more.
- In Louisiana, 11 people have died so far this summer from heat-related causes, according to the state health department's dashboard. There have been hundreds of emergency room visits.
- Nearly 80% of New Orleans residents live in areas that act as urban heat islands, according to Climate Central's 2024 analysis. See the map.
- Officials are working on the city's first "heat action plan," which aims to identify where the heat is the worst, who is most affected and what can be done to keep people safe.
By the numbers: 90% of Americans now say that extreme heat has had at least a minor impact on their lives, up from 83% two years ago.
- And 80% now say that it has had such an impact on their power bills, up from 69% in 2024.
- 68% say it's affecting their outdoor activities, up from 57%.
- 42% say it's affecting their travel or vacation plans, up from 26%.
Between the lines: There's a partisan divide, with Democrats more likely than Republicans to say that heat has had a major impact on the parts of life included in the survey.
Zoom out: Researchers have found that climate change is making extreme heat events more frequent and more intense.
- Yet the share of Americans who say that climate change is happening is dropping: 66% said so in this latest survey, down from 73% last year.
How it works: The poll of 1,165 adults was conducted July 23-27, 2026, with a margin of error of +-3.7 percentage points.