Over 69,000 Americans Have Died From Extreme Temperatures Since 1999

Extreme temperatures caused more than 69,000 deaths in the United States between 1999 and 2024, representing one in every 1,000 deaths nationwide. Cold weather accounted for 65% of temperature-related fatalities while heat caused 35%. Adults 65 and older faced four times higher risk than younger people. Black Americans were twice as likely to die from extreme heat compared to white people and also more vulnerable to cold deaths. Men died 2.6 times more often than women from temperature extremes. “Our findings show that both heat and cold exposure continue to claim thousands of lives every year in the United States, deaths that are largely preventable,” researchers said. (Story URL)