NOAA News || NOAA Home Page

July 26, 2000 — A cold front moving south from the northern Plains states will set the stage for slightly cooler temperatures and bring a chance for much-needed rain for northern and eastern Texas over the weekend, according to forecasters at NOAA's National Weather Service. Western and southern Texas, however, still face the prospect of temperatures at, or above, 100 degrees for days to come.

While the humidity and heat indices likely will not warrant heat advisories, Rick Smith, a senior meteorologist at the National Weather Service's Southern Region headquarters in Fort Worth, Texas, continues to caution residents to guard against being victims of "the silent killer" —heat waves.

From 1989-1998, heat-related deaths outpaced fatalities in other severe weather
categories nationwide, according to National Weather Service statistics. Based on this 10-year average, hurricanes killed 14 people annually, tornadoes 57, lightning strikes 58 and floods 99. people respectively. Excessive heat, however, killed an average of 193 in the same time period. In 1999, there were 497 heat related deaths—more than five times the 92 deaths caused by tornados.

"Heatwaves, caused by consecutive days of excessively high temperatures, are nothing new to residents of the south," Smith said. "But everyone must take precautions and heed the advice of public health officials to stay indoors as much as possible, drink plenty of water and keep cool."

Relevant Web Sites
NOAA's National Weather Service's Southern Region — Links to Weather Forecast Offices in this region

NOAA's Heat Safety Tips

All About Heat Waves

What to Do When Heat Waves Strike

Are You Ready for a Heat Wave? — American Red Cross

NOAA's Drought Information Center

NOAA's Climate Prediction Center

NOAA's Excessive Heat Index

Media Contact:
John Leslie, NOAA's National Weather Service, (301) 713-0622.