It’s not just the cities. Extreme heat is a growing threat to rural America.

https://www.vox.com/climate/417624/heat-wave-urban-island-rural-health-temperature

by vox

5 comments

  1. Summer has officially begun with a blast of scorching temperatures across much of the United States. The [National Weather Service](https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/discussions/hpcdiscussions.php?disc=pmdspd) is warning of “extremely dangerous heat” baking 160 million people under a [heat dome](https://www.vox.com/22538401/texas-heat-wave-weather-definition-record-temperature-climate-change) stretching from the Midwest to the East Coast the rest of this week. It’s already [proven fatal](https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/local/st-ann-heat-related-death/63-96a2ba5a-0a35-4d23-a70a-07c03f1777a6).

    But while this is the first real taste of extreme heat for Northeastern cities, parts of the country like [Texas have been cooking since May](https://www.npr.org/2025/05/17/nx-s1-5399613/in-texas-an-early-heat-wave-raises-concerns-for-summer). Alaska this month issued its [first-ever heat advisory](https://fm.kuac.org/2025-06-17/fairbanksans-trying-to-beat-the-heat-under-alaskas-first-heat-advisory). Forecasters expect [more above-average temperatures](https://www.climate.gov/news-features/understanding-climate/us-climate-outlook-june-2025) through the summer.

    Summers are [indeed getting hotter](https://www.vox.com/climate/23805954/extreme-heat-waves-explained-climate-change-solutions), a consequence of the warming planet. As the climate heats up, the frequency and intensity of [heat waves](https://www.epa.gov/climate-indicators/climate-change-indicators-heat-waves) is increasing and their timing is changing, [arriving earlier in the season](https://www.vox.com/climate/410042/extreme-heat-wave-spring-phoenix-india-asia-climate-change).

    But the damage from extreme heat isn’t spread out evenly, and the more dangerous effects to people are not necessarily found in the hottest places. High temperatures often lead to more emergencies and hospital visits when they represent a big jump from a place’s average, which means ordinarily cooler regions tend to suffer the worst harm from heat. That includes places like Alaska and the [Pacific Northwest](https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/08/11/climate/deaths-pacific-northwest-heat-wave.html), where temperatures rarely climb higher than 80 degrees Fahrenheit and most homes don’t have air conditioning.

  3. We lost power for eight hours last night in rural Pennsylvania. Several towns did as well. But we have a propane generator at our house because we are literally the last house on the line.

    I can’t imagine how much it sucked to sleep last night for others.

  4. Well yeah. It’s called *global* warming, not urban warming. There’s nowhere that will avoid some sort of impact.

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