More Than 300 Suspected Heat-Related Deaths in Arizona County as Temperatures Soar

Maricopa County officials are investigating hundreds of deaths they suspect are related to record high temperatures, many among the homeless population.

People try to cool down with chilled water outside the Justa Center, a day center for homeless people 55 years and older, in downtown Phoenix on July 14, 2023. Matt York/AP Photo

More than 300 deaths could be linked to the scorching temperatures in Maricopa County, Arizona, according to official data.

Maricopa County, which includes the city of Phoenix, operates a heat report dashboard showing that 322 deaths that have occurred over the summer are under investigation as possibly being heat-related. Maricopa is the fourth most populous county in the United States, with more than 4.6 million people.