Asphalt burns, delirium, body bags: extreme heat overwhelms ERs across US

More than 120,000 heat-related ER visits were tracked in 2023, as people struggle in record-breaking temperatures

In his 40 years in the emergency room, David Sklar can think of three moments in his career when he was terrified.

“One of them was when the AIDS epidemic hit, the second was Covid, and now there’s this,” the Phoenix physician said, referring to his city’s unrelenting heat. Last month was the city’s hottest June on record, with temperatures averaging 97F (36C), and scientists say Phoenix is on track to experience its hottest summer on record this year.