ER Visits 'Extremely High' In NJ During Heat Wave: CDC Data

NEW JERSEY — Heat-related visits to emergency rooms in New Jersey skyrocketed during the current heat wave, according to federal health data.

The CDC's heat health tracker data, which was updated Saturday, shows "extremely high" rates of heat-related illnesses across the region. The data, based on a scale of per 100,000 visits, showed emergency room visits shot past the 95th percentile of what is typical.

In New Jersey and New York, those visits exceeded the 95th percentile (254 per 100,000 emergency room visits) last Tuesday — toward the start of the heat wave. The figure peaked at a rate of 537 visits on Friday before falling to 486 the following day.

Before the heat wave, the region primarily showed daily rates of fewer than 100 emergency room visits per 100,000 for heat-related illnesses.

The story was much the same across much of New England, the Midwest, the Rockies and the Mid-Atlantic states as the unusually early heat wave broke records. Relief is expected in the coming days in most of those areas later in the week, but Monday's heat risk high for most of New Jersey, according to CDC data.

Atlantic and Cape May are the only New Jersey counties showing moderate heat risk as of Monday. (View the state's forecast below.)

In the United States, extreme heat kills more people than hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, floods and other natural disasters. More than 2,300 Americans died of heat-related illnesses last year, the most in 45 years of record-keeping, according to the CDC. That’s up from about 1,700 heat-related deaths in 2022 and 1,600 in 2021.

People become ill from the heat when their bodies can’t naturally cool off due to a combination of factors, including high humidity. When the humidity is high, sweat doesn’t evaporate as quickly and keeps the body from releasing heat as fast as it may need.

Personal factors such as age, obesity, fever, dehydration, heart disease, mental illness, poor circulation, sunburn, and prescription drug and alcohol use all can affect the ability of the body to naturally cool off.

To avoid heat-related illnesses, including heat exhaustion, health officials advise people to limit time outdoors if possible during the heat of the day, and be sure to drink plenty of water and wear loose-fitting clothes and a hat.

Here's the National Weather Service's latest New Jersey forecast:

• Monday afternoon: Sunny, with a high near 84. Northwest wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
• Monday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 62. West wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
• Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 91. West wind 5 to 10 mph.
• Tuesday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 71. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph.
• Wednesday: A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2pm. Mostly sunny and hot, with a high near 97. Southwest wind 10 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20 percent.
• Wednesday night: A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms before 8 p.m., then showers and possibly a thunderstorm between 8 p.m. and 2 a.m., then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2 a.m. Low around 69. Chance of precipitation is 80 percent. New rainfall amounts between three quarters and one inch possible.
• Thursday: A chance of showers before 8 a.m. Mostly sunny, with a high near 87. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent.