ER Visits ‘Extremely High’ In VA During Heat Wave: CDC Data

VIRGINIA — Heat-related visits to emergency rooms in the Washington, D.C.-Baltimore region were up during the current heat wave that brought sweltering temperatures to Northern Virginia last week, according to federal health data.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention heat health tracker data, which was updated Saturday, shows “extremely high” rates of heat-related illnesses across large swaths of the mid-Atlantic region. The data, based on a scale of per 100,000 visits, showed emergency room visits that exceeded the 95th percentile of what is typical.

In the mid-Atlantic region, emergency room visits went from 286 per 100,000 residents on June 17 to 1,160 on Saturday.

The story was much the same across much of New England, the Midwest, the Rockies and the Mid-Atlantic states as the unusually early heat wave broke records. Relief is expected in the coming days in most of those areas later in the week, but Monday’s heat risk is moderate, according to the CDC data.

For the rest of the week in the DC area, relief from heat is predicted, with a minor to moderate heat risk. Looking ahead to July, there are about 20 days of extreme heat predicted in the forecast for Northern Virginia.

The National Weather Service said most of the areas hardest hit by the heat wave will begin to see relief Monday, but stifling conditions will continue in the Southeast and Southern Plains.

Temperatures return to the 90s on Tuesday, the upper 90s on Wednesday, drop into the 80s for two days and then return to the 90s for the weekend, the National Weather Service predicts for Northern Virginia.

In the United States, extreme heat kills more people than hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, floods and other natural disasters. More than 2,300 Americans died of heat-related illnesses last year, the most in 45 years of record-keeping, according to the CDC. That’s up from about 1,700 heat-related deaths in 2022 and 1,600 in 2021.

People become ill from the heat when their bodies can’t naturally cool off due to a combination of factors, including high humidity. When the humidity is high, sweat doesn’t evaporate as quickly and keeps the body from releasing heat as fast as it may need.

Personal factors such as age, obesity, fever, dehydration, heart disease, mental illness, poor circulation, sunburn, and prescription drug and alcohol use all can affect the ability of the body to naturally cool off.

To avoid heat-related illnesses, including heat exhaustion, health officials advise people to limit time outdoors if possible during the heat of the day, and be sure to drink plenty of water and wear loose-fitting clothes and a hat.