2 Heat-Related Deaths, 4 More Suspected In Area
By Chuck Sudo in News on Jul 6, 2012 3:45PM
With the Chicago area in the thick of a record-setting run of hot weather, attention turns to heat-related deaths. So far the Cook County Medical Examiner's office has ruled heat as a factor in the deaths of a Lincoln Square man and another man in suburban Maywood, and is investigating whether heat was a factor in the deaths of four more people.
The other deaths under investigation are an 81-year-old woman found in a room without air conditioning on the 2000 block of West Superior; a 91-year-old woman on the 4200 block of North Winchester; a 55-year-old man on the 400 block of West Carpenter; and a 58-year-old man on the 5800 Block of South Western. According to the Tribune, the bodies of the 91-year-old woman and the two men were decomposed, and all four suffered from health problems.
Given the severity of the heat, it's something of a shock that we've only had two confirmed heat-related deaths so far. Whenever the mercury creeps past 90 degrees comparisons to the summer of 1995 are near-inevitable. Nearly 600 passed away from the heat between July 12-16, 1995—a number that's still debated. Former Mayor Richard M. Daley was embarrassed by the city's response and never let his lieutenants, or the media, forget. For the remainder of his administration Daley would be front and center in the public eye whenever a heat alert was issued, trotting out department heads to speak about how they're responding to the weather.
By contrast, Mayor Rahm Emanuel has stayed behind the scenes and allowed department heads to do their jobs. Part of that is because of the best practices implemented by the Daley administration after 1995. The city still sends out text message alerts, voice mails, and asks residents to check in on the elderly and infirm. And if a news conference is necessary, Emanuel is content to let his staff and department heads handle the heavy lifting.
We'll use this as a nice segue to remind you of the cooling centers set up by the city and state across the area. All of Chicago Park District's outdoor pools are open, as well.