Buzz Mills
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130 Deaths Appear Linked To California Heat WaveCypros said:
FRESNO, Calif. The death toll from California's record-breaking heat wave reached 132 Friday, the first day in nearly two weeks that temperatures were expected to be below 100 degrees across most of the state. The big jump in the death count came primarily from Los Angeles, Merced, and Stanislaus counties, where coroners struggled to keep up.
"This is unprecedented for the county," said Stanislaus County Office of Emergency Services spokesman David Jones. The county typically sees one heat-related death a year, he said. On Friday, he reported 29.
The vast majority of the deaths believed linked to the heat deaths involved elderly people whose bodies don't cope as well in the heat. But there have also been younger victims: A 38-year-old gardener collapsed on the job and died last week; on Wednesday, two brothers, ages 57 and 68, were found dead in a Bakersfield home without air conditioning.
Many of the victims likely underestimated the potential for harm, county coroners said. "They've dealt with heat forever," said Sgt. Sue Norris, supervisor of the Merced County coroner's office. "They don't think that it could be a real danger."
http://kutv.com/topstories/topstories_story_209135709.html
