Arizona's most populous county has confirmed 645 heat-associated deaths in metro Phoenix last year

Public health officials in Arizona’s most populous county report they confirmed a staggering 645 heat-associated deaths last year. That is another consecutive annual record in arid metro Phoenix. The numbers in the preliminary report released Wednesday alarmed officials in America’s hottest big metro. They raise concerns about how to better protect vulnerable groups such as homeless people and older adults from the blistering summer heat. The report by the Maricopa County Department of Public Health says two-thirds of last year’s heat-related deaths were of people 50 years or older. It says 71% of the deaths were on excessive heat warning days.