First heat-related death reported in Houston amid scorching temperatures
The 67-year-old had just lost his job and couldn't afford to fix his home air-conditioning unit, relatives said.
A northward bulge in the jet stream will continue to fuel dangerously hot weather across the Southwest.
Officials in Houston, Texas, recently confirmed the city’s first heat-related death of the year as sweltering extreme heat continues to plague a large part of the South.
Victor Ramos, 67, of southwest Houston, was rushed to the hospital after he was found unresponsive in his home, which was not air-conditioned, according to the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences. He was pronounced dead on June 24. The manner and cause of death was ruled as accidental hyperthermia.
“He had told me during the day that he wasn’t feeling too good, he was a little bit tired,” Ramos’ sister Karla Ramos told KHOU-TV. “I went to check on him by 9 the next morning and I found him unresponsive.” She then called 911.
She said her brother was trying to make ends meet after losing his job recently and couldn’t afford to fix his air-conditioning unit.
Andres Matamoros wipes the sweat from his face while selling fresh fruit and cold coconuts from his roadside stand Wednesday, June 28, 2023, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
The scorching heat has been blamed for at least 13 deaths in Texas so far this year, according to The Associated Press.
“While Houston has only hit 100 degrees twice so far this summer, temperatures have been running 2 to 4 degrees above average since June 1,” AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said. The historical average high for the most populous city in Texas is the low 90s.
The high on June 23 in Houston was 97 and on June 24 it was 95, according to AccuWeather data. Houston's William P. Hobby Airport recorded a high of 96 on June 24.
“The combination of heat, sunshine and high humidity found along the Gulf Coast can lead to an excessive amount of heat buildup in urban areas and air-conditioning may be a lifeline to help avoid heat-related illness,” Sosnowski said.
Usually in the summer, there’s a break in the intense heat, with highs in the mid- to upper 80s in Houston, “but highs have been at or above 90 since June 7 to present,” he noted. “No relief really.”
More than 83 million people across 13 states from California to Florida remain under heat alerts.
As more and more people become exposed to heat at high intensity, there are signs to look for of heat-related illnesses, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Symptoms of heat exhaustion (precursor to heatstroke)
• Heavy sweating
• Cold, pale and clammy skin
• Fast, weak pulse
• Nausea or vomiting
• Muscle cramps
• Tiredness or weakness
• Dizziness
• Headache
• Fainting (passing out)
Symptoms of heatstroke
• High body temperature (103°F or higher)
• Hot, red, dry, or damp skin
• Fast, strong pulse
• Headache
• Dizziness
• Nausea
• Confusion
• Losing consciousness (passing out)
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