Heat in Maryland, July 2 to 4, 2002

High pressure remained stationary off the Delmarva coastline during the 1st week of July. This resulted in a prolonged period of hot and humid weather across the Mid Atlantic region. Between July 2nd and 4th, high temperatures rose into the lower to middle 90s and dew points reached into the lower 70s. This resulted in heat index values reaching 100 to 110 degrees during the afternoon. In addition, heat index values only dropped into the middle 80s overnight in downtown Baltimore on the 4th and 5th, resulting in little relief for people without air conditioning. These conditions led to several heat related deaths and illnesses, especially in people already suffering from pre-existing medical conditions. In Baltimore City, 12 people died in their non air-conditioned homes between July 3rd and 9th. On the 3rd, an 85 year-old man died from heat stroke. On the 4th, two men, age 65 and 72, and one woman who was 90 years old succumbed to the heat. On the 5th, three men, age 52, 56, and 86, and two women, age 53 and 67, died. On the 6th, an 80 year-old man and an 82 year-old woman died. On the 7th, a man of unknown age was found dead in his residence. On the 8th, an 88 year-old man was found dead in his home. On the 9th, an 83 year-old woman and a 53 year-old man died from exposure to the heat. Several other people were treated for heat illnesses in city hospitals during the period. In Baltimore County, a 78 year-old man died in his home on the 4th of July and a 48 year-old man was found dead at a construction site on the 10th. Also on the 4th, ten people were treated for heat exhaustion at a parade in Dundalk. In Montgomery County, a 55 year-old man died on the 4th and a 74 year-old man died on the 8th. In Harford County, a 69 year-old woman was found dead in her non-air-conditioned Aberdeen home on the 5th. In Frederick County, a 23 year-old firefighter who was participating in a jogging exercise on the morning of the 3rd collapsed and went into cardiac arrest. By the time he arrived at the hospital, his body temperature had reached 107 degrees. He died of heat stroke a short time later. Twenty other people were treated at hospitals for heat illnesses countywide between July 2nd and 4th. In Washington County, a woman in her 60s was treated at a Hagerstown hospital for heat exhaustion. Her body temperature reached 105 degrees and she suffered from dementia. A 67 year-old man was overcome for a time by heat while changing a tire near Hancock. A firefighter was also treated for heat exhaustion on the 3rd after fighting a blaze in Hagerstown.