Las Vegas broke yet another heat record on Wednesday, reaching temperatures of 115 degrees or above for more than four consecutive days. That comes less than a week after the city broke its all-time high temperature of 117 by three degrees.
Local outreach groups are mobilizing to help those living on the streets survive the heat.
While many Las Vegans have air conditioning, the city’s nearly 8,000 unhoused people do not. That’s why nonprofit HELP of Southern Nevada conducts street outreach nearly every morning, passing out water and referring people to resources.
The organization’s crisis team director Louis Lacey says the heat wave is hard on everyone living on the streets, but especially the growing senior population.
"We had an 81-year-old out there in the heat, laid out in her encampment. And the dogs that she had were laid out in the encampment, and they were dead. That was yesterday. And we got her to a shelter and got her some help."
Mario Lopes is a Navy veteran who’s been unhoused on and off for 30 years. At 67 years old, he’s worried about having another heat stroke. He said it’s not uncommon to witness people succumb to the heat.
"Yeah, I’ve had a few friends die out here. In their tents, not coming out of their tents, and it gets really hot and no one ends up checking on them. And they end up dead."
The Clark County Coroner hasn’t yet released information indicating how many Las Vegans have died or been injured in the current heat wave.
The National Weather Service expects to lift its excessive heat warning July 12 at 11 pm, but temperatures will likely remain above 100 degrees for the foreseeable future.
