Florida experienced extreme heat throughout the summer season. In addition, a severe drought hit the state as the rainy season failed to arrive.
And it wasn’t just Florida—much of the United States was affected by a heat dome that kept temperatures dangerously high. Extreme heat is quickly becoming a major threat to residents of the Sunshine State.
The NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) recorded a water temperature of 101 degrees Fahrenheit (38°C) at a depth of five feet in Manatee Bay. Heat indexes exceeding 110°F (43°C) were reported in several cities.
This worsening of extreme weather conditions comes amid federal budget cuts to environmental protection and climate research agencies.
Key scientific institutions like NOAA have faced staffing and funding reductions, forcing them to operate at limited capacity despite growing weather threats. “Hundreds of meteorologists have left the National Weather Service in recent months,” reports The Guardian. Weather analysis and forecasting services have been scaled back across the country.
“Slow Violence” for Affected Communities
Excessive heat is a form of “slow violence” that worsens other threats by amplifying pre-existing health conditions, notes climatologist Sylvia Dee of Rice University in Houston. She warns: “We’re going to have more people at risk. We’re overwhelmed and trying to sound the alarm.”
According to NOAA, extreme heat is the leading cause of weather-related deaths in the United States. Between 1999 and 2023, 21,500 deaths were recorded, according to a report published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The annual death toll rose by 117% over the course of the study.
Extreme weather is rapidly becoming a public health emergency. NASA confirms the long-term trend is clear: 2024 is the hottest year ever recorded on Earth.
Some states, like California since 2006, have implemented heat protection regulations for outdoor workers, requiring employers to provide access to clean water, rest breaks, and shade to help lower body temperature.
Florida’s situation is different. Legislation signed by the governor in 2024 prohibits cities and counties from establishing standards that would require employers to protect workers from extreme heat hazards.
Public Citizen, an advocacy group for consumer rights, estimates that nationwide, 2,000 workers die and over 100,000 are injured each year due to extreme heat. Heat draws blood away from the brain, impairing alertness and increasing the risk of accidents.
Miami-Dade County alone has approximately 300,000 outdoor workers.
