This long-lasting heat wave began in the center of North America in the Plains and the Midwest on July 15th, 2006. By July 21st, the heat had moved to the West Coast and then returned to the Plains on July 28th. The high temperatures spread to the East Coast and made its way to the South by August 4th, 2006.
Many temperature records were broken. Fresno, California had six consecutive days of 110 degree-plus Fahrenheit temperatures. Rochester, New York peaked at 100 degrees and with the humidex rating, it reached 110 degrees.
Lytton, British Columbia had temperatures reaching 41 °C (105 °F) for over three days.
Drought Conditions July and August 2006
Along with the heat wave, there was a shortage of rainfall. According to the National Ocean Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), “51 percent of the United States, mostly in the Plains states and Southeast, was in moderate-to-extreme drought. This percentage ranks with the biggest droughts of the last 50 years. The most extensive drought occurred in July 1934 when 80 percent of the country was affected by moderate-to-extreme drought. ”
Dry conditions also caused an outbreak of wildfires in the Rockies and the West Coast. Although there was extensive damage by fire, it did not break the record which was set in 2002.
Damage Caused by the 2006 Heat Wave
As the temperatures soared, there was a greater demand on electricity due to the continued use of air conditioners and fans. Power transformers were damaged and the worst blackouts were experienced in Southern California where record breaking temperatures were widespread and in St. Louis where a wind storm blew down power lines.
The famous Queens Blackout in New York occurred on July 17th and continued for more than five days. LaGuardia Airport was closed along with subway lines. Residents experienced unsavoury living conditions.
Central and eastern Ontario had a series of storms that caused power outages and wind damage. Eight tornadoes touched down in that region.
Many areas had buckled roads and ruptured water lines with the hardest hit cities being Oklahoma City, Dallas and Shreveport.
Crops dried up and livestock perished in the heat. A blanket of smog covered the populated areas and the ozone standards were exceeded. As a result, there was an increase in asthma attacks and other respiratory illnesses which attributed to the death toll.
According to weather expert Dr. Heidi Cullen, “July’s heat wave killed over 200 people nationwide. There were at least 160 in California, 21 in Chicago, 37 in New York City, 12 in Missouri and 10 in Oklahoma. At least half of the victims of the triple-digit temperatures were elderly.”
It is interesting to note that Western Europe also had a heat wave from June 26th to July 30th, 2006. In the UK, Ireland, Germany, Belgium and The Netherlands, July 2006 was the warmest month on record since official measurements began.
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