Heat is the number one weather-related killer in the United States with Arizonans living on the frontlines, disproportionately feeling the impacts of extreme heat than compared to states outside of the American Southwest. In 2023 alone, there were over 4,000 heat-related emergency department visits and over 900 heat related deaths occurring across the state. In May of 2023, Governor Katie Hobbs proclaimed the first Monday in May to mark Arizona Heat Awareness Week and in 2024, she appointed Dr. Eugene Livar as Arizona’s first Chief Heat Officer to oversee the implementation of her administration’s Extreme Heat Preparedness Plan.
Heat preparedness is an ongoing effort in which tribal, state, county health departments, and other partners engage in planning and forecasting throughout the year.
