Missouri Health Department warns residents about dangerous heat wave

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services urges residents of all ages to take precautions as heat and humidity rise to dangerous levels. 

The department says heat-related illnesses often affect the very young, the elderly and the chronically ill, but summer temperatures can also take a toll on healthy young and middle-aged adults. 

Medications, as well as use of drugs or alcohol, can impair a body’s response to heat, making one more vulnerable to the heat. 

According to the state agency, 23 residents died last year due to heat-related illnesses, ranging in age from 2-83 years old. 

Four of Missouri’s heat-related deaths in 2022 were people in vehicles.