'Her body temperature was 106': How heat is killing Americans in their homes
An NPR investigation reveals that heat-related deaths in the U.S. are significantly undercounted in official records. The series highlights how vulnerable populations, particularly those in manufactured housing, face disproportionate risks from rising temperatures.
Why it matters
Accurate data is essential for developing effective public health policies to protect citizens from the increasing frequency and severity of extreme heat events.
An NPR investigation finds that heat kills thousands of Americans every year. But official records radically undercount the toll. In this series, we are bringing you stories that reveal why this happens and what can be done.
Heat kills thousands of people across the U.S. every year. But not everyone faces the same risk. Some of those most in danger are the millions of Americans who live in manufactured housing like mobile homes and trailers.
That's not news to many mobile home residents. But research and policy are only recently catching up to that reality.
Patricia Solis discovered it almost by accident.
Only on NPR NPR spent 2 years tracking deaths from heat. We found a staggering hidden toll Solis is a geographer at Arizona State University, which means she uses maps to sleuth out patterns that might otherwise be invisible.
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