An alarming rise in heat-related deaths

First publishedJul 21, 13:00 UTC

Last updatedJul 21, 16:30 UTC · 14m ago

113:00–13:07 UTC1 outletChicago Sun-Times

13:0013:5214:4515:3716:30

Chicago Sun-Times6An alarming rise in heat-related deathsJul 21, 13:00 UTCOpen ↗

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<h3>Good morning, Chicago. ✶</h3><p>🔎 <b>Below</b>:&nbsp;There are already more deaths in July with ties to heat-related causes than any month since at least 2015.</p><p>🗞️ <b>Plus</b>:&nbsp;How schools are coping with a rise in special education needs and costs, one man's anti-mosquito mission and more news you need to know.</p><p>📝&nbsp;<b>Keeping score</b>:&nbsp;<a class="Link" href="https://newsletters.suntimes.com/t/t-l-wujkyky-l-y/" target="_blank" >The Cubs were trounced by the Tigers</a>, 8-6;&nbsp;<a class="Link" href="https://newsletters.suntimes.com/t/t-l-wujkyky-l-j/" target="_blank" >the White Sox routed the Rangers</a>, 10-3.</p><p>📧 <b>Subscribe</b>: <a class="Link" href="https://newsletter-hub.suntimes.com/" target="_blank" ><i>Get our morning newsletter delivered to your inbox weekday mornings.</i></a></p><p>⏱️:&nbsp;<i>An 8-minute read</i></p><hr><p></p><h4>TODAY’S WEATHER 🌤️</h4><p>Mostly sunny with a high near 84.</p><hr><p></p><h4>TODAY’S TOP STORY 🔎</h4><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center> <div class="Enhancement-item" data-crop=""> <figure class="Figure"><a class="AnchorLink" id="image-7c0000" name="image-7c0000"></a> <picture data-crop="medium"> <source type="image/webp" width="490" height="275" data-srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/bdd1772/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3000x1684+0+196/resize/490x275!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F1b%2F37%2F02b1239f49d6a8a6ee4f208aac1a%2Fweatheralertextended-260701-1.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/f8bfd94/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3000x1684+0+196/resize/980x550!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F1b%2F37%2F02b1239f49d6a8a6ee4f208aac1a%2Fweatheralertextended-260701-1.jpg 2x" data-lazy-load="true" srcset="data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZlcnNpb249IjEuMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIyNzVweCIgd2lkdGg9IjQ5MHB4Ij48L3N2Zz4=" /> <source width="490" height="275" data-srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/3d415c9/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3000x1684+0+196/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F1b%2F37%2F02b1239f49d6a8a6ee4f208aac1a%2Fweatheralertextended-260701-1.jpg" data-lazy-load="true" srcset="data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZlcnNpb249IjEuMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIyNzVweCIgd2lkdGg9IjQ5MHB4Ij48L3N2Zz4=" /> <img class="Image" alt="An emergency alert for an extreme heat warning can be seen on a digital billboard near the 5000 block of West Polk Street on the West Side, Tuesday, June 30, 2026." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/3d415c9/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3000x1684+0+196/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F1b%2F37%2F02b1239f49d6a8a6ee4f208aac1a%2Fweatheralertextended-260701-1.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/3d5fba3/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3000x1684+0+196/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F1b%2F37%2F02b1239f49d6a8a6ee4f208aac1a%2Fweatheralertextended-260701-1.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275" data-src="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/3d415c9/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3000x1684+0+196/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F1b%2F37%2F02b1239f49d6a8a6ee4f208aac1a%2Fweatheralertextended-260701-1.jpg" data-lazy-load="true" src="data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZlcnNpb249IjEuMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIyNzVweCIgd2lkdGg9IjQ5MHB4Ij48L3N2Zz4=" > </picture> <div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Six people have been identified as dying, or being hospitalized and later dying, from heat-related causes in July.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere/Sun-Times</p></div></div> </figure> </div> </div><p></p><h3><a class="Link" href="https://newsletters.suntimes.com/t/t-l-wujkyky-l-d/" target="_blank" >6 heat-related deaths in Cook County make July deadliest month in 11 years</a></h3><p></p><h5>Reporting by <a class="Link" href="https://newsletters.suntimes.com/t/t-l-wujkyky-l-h/" target="_blank" >Elvia Malagón</a> and <a class="Link" href="https://newsletters.suntimes.com/t/t-l-wujkyky-l-k/" target="_blank" >Elijah James</a></h5><p><b>Deadly toll</b>:&nbsp;Six people in Cook County have died from heat-related causes in July so far, marking the deadliest stretch of extreme hot-weather deaths since at least 2015.&nbsp;Four of those who died were younger than 60.</p><p><b>Lives lost</b>:&nbsp;Victor Ferguson, 48, died July 2 from heat stroke with ethanol intoxication as a secondary cause, according to new records from the Cook County medical examiner's office. Others whose deaths have been attributed to the heat, according to the medical examiner's office, are Stephanie Rodriguez, 45; David Gonzalez, 44; Barbara Whigham, 71; Mike Rodriguez, 57; and Daniel Machnikowski, 69.&nbsp;One death happened in Evanston. The others who died were residents of Chicago's South and West sides.</p><p><b>Key factors</b>:&nbsp;Communities in the South and West sides are most vulnerable to extreme heat, according to one expert, who says some&nbsp;of that vulnerability is tied to socioeconomic factors, like not being able to afford an elevated electricity bill to cool a home or not having an adequate air conditioning unit.

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  An alarming rise in heat-related deaths

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  Chicago Sun-TimesJul 21, 13:00

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