A heat wave plus a hurricane that knocks out power is a lethal combination that many cities aren't fully prepared for, experts say. The Washington Post reports that while at least 10 people died from heat-related causes in the prolonged blackout that followed Hurricane Beryl in Houston in July, the toll would have been far higher if the brutal heatwave that hit the area had lasted longer than a couple of days. According to the Post's analysis, a blackout combined with a more severe heat wave could kill between 600 and 1,500 people in the Houston area over five days. Around 50 deaths could be expected from a similar heat wave if the power grid was working normally, according to the Post.
The Post's statistical model is based on a 48-hour citywide blackout and a five-day blackout in some areas. Around 270,000 Houston-area homes and businesses lost power for more than a week after Beryl hit. The estimate includes only heat deaths, not deaths from causes including a lack of power for medical devices. Experts say that after experiencing extreme heat with no respite, health problems start to accumulate and the most vulnerable start to die. In Houston Public Media's list of Hurricane Beryl deaths, those attributed to "heat exposure due to power failure" range in age from 50 to 110.
A study last year estimated that if Phoenix lost power during a five-day heat wave, half the population would need medical attention. Houston is seen as especially vulnerable due to hurricanes and infrastructure issues, but many cities either lack heat response plans entirely or don't have plans for a blackout during a heat wave, which experts consider a disaster waiting to happen. "I don't think it's likely—I think it's an absolute certainty," says Brian Stone, director of the Urban Climate Lab at the Georgia Institute of Technology. "I think it's an absolute certainty that we will have an extreme heat wave and an extended blackout in the United States." (More heat deaths stories.)
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