Getty ImagesBy Bernd Debusmann JrReporting from Carrizo Springs, TexasAs the sun rose over the aging water tower that stands over the quiet town of Carrizo Springs, Texas – population 5,000 – so did the temperature. By mid-morning, the town was sweltering. Parked cars quickly became unbearable, and the streets were largely devoid of people, except for a few construction workers drinking water and seeking shelter from the sun.The air felt heavy and walking outside for more than a few minutes at a time was difficult, even for residents long accustomed to the scorching temperatures of south Texas.”[This year] feels different… it’s even hard to take a deep breath in,” said Ann Margaret Valdez, the director of Dimmit Regional Hospital’s emergency department, as she glanced out a window towards a parking lot in which heat was visibly coming off the pavement. “The heat is just too intense, and the humidity makes it worse”.How hot is too hot for the human body?The dangerous reality of a Texas summer is by now familiar to the staff at the hospital, which serves a largely rural community in an arid and almost entirely shade-less expanse that covers two sun-stricken counties, about 116 miles (186 km) southwest from San Antonio. “Usually, when people come in with severe heat exhaustion, they have a very rapid heart rate. They’re kind of confused, and they’re not responding very well,” Rodrigo Gutierrez, the hospital’s trauma nurse coordinator, told the BBC. “Or they will come in and are asleep,” he added. “Exhausted to the point where they lose consciousness”. Even with precautions in place, back-to-back days of scorching temperatures as high as 42C (106F) can end in tragedy. Despite the heat, hospital staff say, some workers continue to push themselves until it is too late. “What really gets us is when we see patients come in with temperatures of 109 F (42 C) and are unresponsive. We have to do CPR. It’s just very sad,” Ms Valdez added. “These are young people”. Globally, experts believe that July will likely be the hottest month on record. Here in Texas, the month saw several cities shatter heat records, with some parts of the state seeing sustained temperatures over 37 C (100 F) for days on end. The number of hospitalisations and deaths across Texas during this summer’s heat wave is still unclear, but data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Texas Department of State Health Services shows that thousands of people have been treated for heat-related illnesses across the state in June and July.Officials have said that because of incomplete reporting, the true total is likely far higher.More than 30 people have been reported dead this year, including 11 alone in Webb County on the Mexican border. Last year, over 300 people died of heat-related causes, the highest total in decades. Efforts to keep residents safe, however, are complicated by the fact that across the state, many workers are unable to avoid prolonged exposure to the sun and heat. In Dimmit County, for example, many workers are employed on farms or in the oil and gas industry. “It’s hot, but what’s to be done? If you don’t work, you don’t eat,” said Juan Gomez, an agricultural worker who lives near San Antonio. He added that even with ample water and rest breaks made available, the heat “can really affect you, if you don’t take care”. Other workers are more dismissive of the dangers. “It’s Texas…it’s hot,” said Everardo Ramirez, a construction worker. “I’m pretty used to it.” To mitigate the impact of the heat, officials and health authorities across the state have taken a range of safety measures, including the opening of cooling centres, fan giveaway drives and community outreach and education programmes aimed at making people aware of the dangers. How many residents take advantage of these programmes, however, is unclear. The BBC briefly visite …
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