July Heat Deaths Reach Decade High in Cook County

Six people have died from heat-related causes in Cook County this July, making it the area’s deadliest month for extreme heat in more than a decade.

The latest victim identified by the Cook County medical examiner’s office was Victor Ferguson, 48. Ferguson died July 2 from heat stroke, with ethanol intoxication listed as a contributing cause.

Four of the six victims were under the age of 60. Temperatures ranged from 88 to 95 degrees on the days the victims died or were hospitalized, according to an analysis of National Weather Service data by WBEZ and the Chicago Sun-Times. Cook County was under an extreme heat warning during the first week of July, leading into the Fourth of July weekend.

The other victims were identified as Stephanie Rodriguez, 45; David Gonzalez, 44; Barbara Whigham, 71; Mike Rodriguez, 57; and Daniel Machnikowski, 69.

Chicago has experienced several deadly heat events in recent decades. More than 700 people died during the historic 1995 heat wave. Another 10 deaths were recorded during a heat wave in 1999, while 22 people died in 2012.

Marc Raifman of the Extreme Weather Planners Coalition said city officials should work with residents to review the circumstances surrounding each of the recent deaths.

“Why aren’t we looking at these cases, figuring out in some level of detail the same way they do in the medical field, what went wrong that led someone to experience a heat or cold injury that in some awful cases took their life?” Raifman asked. “And what can we do to prevent that next time and save the next person?”

Ferguson lived in the East Garfield Park neighborhood on Chicago’s West Side. His relatives could not immediately be reached for comment.

Neighbors said Ferguson lived with family members in a limestone two-flat and was often seen walking his two dogs. Air-conditioning units were visible on both floors of the building.

Neighbors of Mike Rodriguez said he shared a home with several relatives and lived in an attic with limited air circulation. An air-conditioning unit was visible in an attic window Monday morning.

Relatives and friends of the other victims either declined to speak or could not be reached.

One of the six deaths occurred in Evanston. The other five victims lived on Chicago’s South and West sides, areas that are particularly vulnerable during periods of extreme heat, according to Daniel Horton, an associate professor at Northwestern University who helped create a heat vulnerability index for the city.

Horton said financial and environmental conditions can increase the danger. Some residents may be unable to afford the higher electricity costs associated with cooling their homes, while others may not have adequate air-conditioning. Neighborhoods with fewer trees also offer less protection from the sun, prompting community organizations to call for additional shade near bus stops.

Social isolation presents an even greater challenge, Horton said. The issue was also identified as a major factor during the 1995 disaster. Residents without close connections to neighbors were less likely to have someone check on them or provide a fan and other cooling supplies.

“That social infrastructure piece of it is also really key to increasing a community’s resilience,” Horton said.

Community organizations have called for a cooling center that remains open around the clock, including on weekends and holidays. Raifman said the city has standards for launching emergency weather responses, but the thresholds can be difficult to reach.

The city sometimes keeps its community service center at 10 S. Kedzie Ave. open until 8 p.m., according to the mayor’s office.

Mayor Brandon Johnson’s office said officials were closely tracking high temperatures and viewed police districts, libraries, community colleges and Chicago Park District facilities as part of the city’s cooling network.

The mayor’s office said it was “deeply saddened by any weather-related loss of life in our city” and extended condolences to the victims’ families.

“There are leaders and individuals at the city who are certainly working hard, in the moment, to address these things,” Raifman said. “But I think what they lack and what we lack is any kind of planning and understanding of what gets deployed where.”