At Least 25 Dead in Record U.S. Heat Wave... Heavy Rain and Power Outages Add to Toll

"Heat Dome" Spanning Midwest to East Coast Intensifies Crisis
Damage Concentrated in New Jersey... 22 Deaths Reported

A record-breaking heat wave stretching from the Midwest to the East Coast of the United States has resulted in at least 25 deaths, with casualties continuing to rise. As the heat wave began to subside, severe thunderstorms and heavy rainfall struck, prompting flood advisories and causing power outages that left hundreds of thousands of households inconvenienced.

According to NBC, Bloomberg, and other international news outlets on July 5 (local time), at least 25 people have been confirmed dead nationwide in connection with the heat wave as of the previous day.

Grand Central Station in Manhattan, New York

The damage was concentrated in New Jersey, where 22 deaths have been reported due to the heat wave. Most of the victims were between their 30s and 80s and were reportedly found dead in homes without air conditioning, on the streets, or inside parked vehicles.

The New Jersey Department of Health issued a statement on July 4, warning, "This heat wave is not a typical summer heat wave," and cautioned that it "can rapidly worsen to life-threatening levels for people and animals of all ages."

Additionally, there was one heat-related death each reported in Illinois, Mississippi, and Louisiana.

This heat wave was caused by a broad "heat dome" that formed from the Midwest to the East Coast. On July 3, temperatures in New York soared to around 38 degrees Celsius, with the heat index reaching 43 degrees. Major cities such as Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, and Boston either broke or nearly matched their all-time high temperature records.

The relentless heat during the Independence Day holiday weekend led to the cancellation or downsizing of many outdoor events. At the National Mall in Washington, D.C., where the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States was being celebrated, numerous people suffered from heat-related illnesses, prompting the National Guard to be deployed for emergencies. NBC reported that the temperature of event chairs exposed to the midday sun reached as high as 70 degrees Celsius.

Following the heat wave, severe thunderstorms and heavy rainfall have caused new damage. As a cold front carrying chilly northern air pushed southward and collided with the lingering hot, humid air, a powerful storm front developed.

The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a flood advisory for the New York City area as severe thunderstorms that originated in Ohio moved across the East Coast, affecting New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and other regions. In some areas, wind gusts of up to approximately 95 kilometers per hour and frequent lightning strikes were forecast, and there was the possibility of sudden downpours of up to 100 millimeters in places like Manhattan and Queens.

Strong winds and thunderstorms also caused widespread power outages, particularly in Michigan, New Jersey, and New York. At one point, as many as 900,000 households were affected by the outages. Major train services, including Amtrak and New Jersey Transit, also experienced delays.

Additionally, on July 4 alone, there were 511 reports of wind damage in the northeastern and mid-Atlantic coastal regions, with incidents such as trees being uprooted and utility poles toppling over.

The NWS cautioned that while daytime temperatures may drop slightly as cooler northern air moves in, high temperatures and humidity could persist overnight, urging continued vigilance against additional heat-related illnesses.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.