Arizona is safe from hurricanes but not from climate hazards

Arizona may be immune from the devastating impacts of coastal hurricanes, but the state faces other climate risks that can be costly and deadly.

Why it matters: As our warm seasons get hotter and longer, it's harder to argue that the state is a climate haven.

The big picture: Record numbers of people have died of heat-related causes in each of the past six years, per Maricopa County data. Last year, 645 people died from heat-associated causes in the Valley.

• And in northern Arizona, wildfire risks abound, skyrocketing the cost of home insurance statewide.

State of play: Phoenix just finished its hottest meteorological summer on record and is currently experiencing an unprecedented heat wave that's brought 110-degree-plus weather to October for the first time.

• As of Sept. 28, Maricopa County recorded 313 heat-related deaths and is investigating another 353.

The intrigue: Extreme heat is responsible for more deaths than any other weather event nationwide, but the federal government does not recognize it as a disaster, like a hurricane or tornado, that can qualify for emergency resources.

• Local officials have been calling on the feds to add extreme heat to the Federal Emergency Management Agency's list of "declared emergencies" because doing so would unlock funding for things such as cooling centers.

The other side: Erinanne Saffel, the state climatologist, tells Axios that heat is becoming more severe across the country but Phoenix is better equipped to handle it because we have been dealing with it for decades.

• "I think Arizona has been a great example for other states experiencing hotter temperatures for the first time," she said.

Zoom out: Many northern Arizona cities also saw record-high temperatures this summer, but residents have an even more unpredictable climate risk to fear: wildfires.

• The wooded areas around towns like Flagstaff, Heber-Overgaard and Show Low can quickly turn hazardous if a lightning strike or human-started fire catches wind.

The bottom line: Arizona's heat is more predictable than the unexpected nature of hurricanes and tornados, but that doesn't make it less dangerous.