Extreme heat, such as that Las Vegas is experiencing, is a natural disaster

Monday, July 15, 2024 | 2 a.m.

The numbers are frightening. Less than one month into summer and Las Vegas has already shattered its record high temperature.

According to the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, in the first 100 years after Las Vegas’ founding, the highest temperature ever recorded in the city was 117 degrees. Officially, that temperature was only recorded one time, on July 24, 1942 (Charles Squires, who is also known as “the father of Las Vegas,” recorded 118 degrees at his home in 1931, but that reading was not verified.)

Whether it was once a century or twice a century, 117 degrees was exceptionally rare. At least it was until recently.

In the 19 years since Las Vegas celebrated its centennial, the city has hit 117 degrees or higher at least seven times, including last week, when the temperature reached a record-shattering 120 degrees Sunday and 119 on Tuesday.

Wednesday marked a record fifth consecutive day in which temperatures in Las Vegas climbed to 115 degrees or higher. That’s also a new record, surpassing the previous four-day streak set in 2005.

The current heat wave has led nearly 40 million Americans to be placed under an excessive heat warning and globally, June marked the 13th month in a row in which the average temperature of the planet set a new record high.

Moreover, as temperatures climb, heat is only becoming more deadly and destructive. The number of heat-related deaths has climbed in each of the past three years, and although estimates vary based upon what counts as “heat-related,” there is a growing consensus that annual heat-related deaths in the United States number in the tens of thousands. Meanwhile, the National Weather Service reports that floods, tornadoes, hurricanes and lightning kill a combined total of around 300 people per year.

Heat also threatens Nevada’s economy. The Congressional National Climate Assessment found that the increased frequency and severity of climate-related extreme weather events have already cost the state as much as $5 billion in structural damage over the past five years, not to mention the decrease in productivity that comes with extreme heat.

This past weekend, an air conditioning outage at one Southern Nevada casino prompted workers to file complaints with the Occupational Health and Safety Administration, not to mention outdoor construction, agriculture, landscaping and other workers who lack the legal right to shelter or seek other protection from the sun during their workday.

If the current early and long-lasting heat wave is any indication, the problem is only getting worse as reoccurring heat waves that last longer and bring higher temperatures test the reliability of aging appliances and overstrained infrastructure.

A study published last year in the journal Environmental Science and Technology examined an increasingly frequent scenario in which an extreme heat wave in Phoenix strained the power grid beyond capacity leading to a two-day blackout.

Based on that scenario, the study estimated that nearly 800,000 people would suffer from heat-related illnesses and more than 12,000 could die. A scenario not unlike this is playing out in Texas right now, due to a widespread blackout caused by Hurricane Beryl which was followed by record-breaking temperatures. As we pray for the safety of those in Texas, prayers alone will not address the risk of extreme heat.

That’s why it’s essential that the federal government make the same resources available to communities that suffer from heat-related disasters that are already available for other types of natural disasters.

Making those resources available should start with recognition from the Biden administration and FEMA that extreme heat can meet the standards required for a declaration of a major disaster. Then Congress should act to amend the Stafford Act, the law that governs federal disaster relief, to ensure that recognition of heat-related disasters is codified under federal law.

A petition filed last month by a coalition of 30 environmental, health care and labor groups argues that while heat-related incidents may not have met the Stafford Act standards historically, rapid and prolonged increases in temperature underscore the need for federal disaster relief funding today. Without the funding, they say the costs of purchasing and maintaining life-saving cooling, air filtration, shelter and energy storage systems have moved beyond the capacity of most state and local governments — a key requirement of the Stafford Act. 

With the support and direction of the president, FEMA could create at least the possibility of relief should temperatures continue to climb this summer.

Then, Congress could get to work passing legislation to specify that extreme heat can qualify as a type of major disaster under the Stafford Act.

Last week, U.S. Reps. Dina Titus, D-Nev., and Greg Stanton, D-Ariz., introduced the Extreme Weather and Heat Response Modernization Act to accomplish these goals. Given that the National Association of Counties, National League of Cities and Natural Resources Defense Council have already offered their support for the bill, we are optimistic that it will pass. However, history has shown that there are no guarantees. Last year, a similar bill, called the Extreme Heat Emergency Act, stalled in the House of Representatives despite being introduced by a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers that included Republican Rep. Mark Amodei of Nevada.

We call on the entirety of Nevada’s federal delegation, as well as the delegations of our neighboring states in the West, to support the Extreme Weather and Heat Response Modernization Act. The threat of rising temperatures due to climate change affects all of us and we must respond to it using every tool at our disposal and with cooperation of every level of government.

President Joe Biden, FEMA and Congress should all act with urgency to recognize that heat emergencies can qualify for federal emergency disaster relief.