![]() ![]() Many people think that heatwaves are only a problem in cities. Many lessons were learned from this disaster and afterwards more effort was put into reaching the elderly and getting people to cooling centers. Thousands of others were treated for heat-related illnesses in emergency rooms. Most of the victims of the heat wave were found dead in their overheated apartments. Many of the 700 people who died were older adults in communities of color who lived alone in apartments and didn’t have air conditioning or could not afford to turn it on. Many people tried to cool down by going to the beach or using the fire hydrants in the streets. That is called the urban heat island effect. The parking lots, roads, buildings, and sidewalks got extremely hot during the day and kept the city hot a night. One day the temperature was 104, but with the humidity it felt like 119. From July 12 th through July 15 h the temperature was close to 100 degrees. Over 700 people died, making it one of the worst natural disasters ever in the United States. The image above is of a mass grave of unclaimed bodies who died during the 1995 Chicago heat wave. ![]() Heat waves will last longer and will happen more frequently. This means that more people will be at risk for getting sick due to heat. Rising temperatures will make summers in Illinois hotter. ![]()
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