El Paso officials consider Heat Emergency in response to heat deaths

Four heat-related deaths so far this summer have prompted health officials to declare a “heat emergency” for El Paso.

The El Paso City-County Health Authority along with the Extreme Weather Task Force plan to issue a “heat emergency” during a news conference a 10 a.m. Monday at the Chalio Acosta Sports Center, 4321 Delta Dr.

“El Paso residents and those living in our region need to realize the trend we are seeing in regards to high temperatures can be life-threatening,” Dr. Hector Ocaranza said in a news release. “Living in this area we can become complacent with summer heat, but it’s important to do everything we can to preserve our health and our lives.”

The planned heat emergency will come as temperatures return to average for this time of year. However, the city has already had more than 30 days with temperatures above 100 degrees, including several record-breaking days.

Four deaths in our area have been attributed to heat-related illnesses, according to the Department of Public Health.

The victims, three men and a woman, range in age from their mid-30s to their early 80s, and they lived in various parts of the city, officials said. Three of the deaths were related to heat stroke. Heat exposure was a contributing factor in the fourth death, officials said.

The Extreme Weather Task Force recommended the heat emergency, the news release said.

The chair of the task force, Grace Ortiz, said she consulted with representatives of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which determined conditions are indicative of an emergency situation.

“While we have yet to see more days with temperatures greater than 100 degrees, we need to be prepared for the heat to continue well into the next few months,” said Ortiz, adding that, “We have to prevent any other future heat related deaths in our community.”