News Update on the Heat

Getting water from cemeteries

— The hottest summer on record! — August 13, 2003 —

The record heatwave has caused a critical health and environmental situation in France. Originally reported to be the hottest summer since 1946, the meteorologists have updated their report, saying that this is the hottest summer ever on record in France.

Forest firest have been frequent and numerous and so far, there have been 3000 deaths and an increase in the mortality rate of 37% due to the heat. Of course, it affects mostly the elderly, but even the medical staff at the hospitals are not equipped properly to handle the problem. There is no air conditioning or fans, and even the staff are having difficulty working in overcrowded hospitals in 100° heat.

To make matters worse, many hospitals (or at least certain sectors) close down in July and August, when a lot of the staff leaves on vacation. They have run out of hospital beds in many hospitals and even the funeral homes cannot handle the unexpected surge in deaths. They have declared that they are unable to conduct any new funerals in all of Paris and the surrounding region for the next week and a half.

People have started talking about a veritable social problem, where society does not take care of its aging population. The media has been reporting that the hospitals are unable to locate family members of many of the deceased persons, and that there have even been several cases where families refuse to cut their vacation short to take care of their deceased parents or grandparents.

It has been predicted that the situation will only get worse in the weeks ahead.

— 5000 Deaths — August 20, 2003 —

To date, 5000 people have died in France due to the heat, which has reached all-time records. The funeral homes are over-booked and the demand for coffins has been so high that they have run out. The public notaries are trying to locate family members of the deceased. An effort is being made to educate aging seniors on the importance of staying hydrated.

— Drought Takes a Toll on the Environment — August 24, 2003 —

Environmentalists have reported that the drought and the heat has taken an overwhelming toll on the environment. It has been forecasted that this summer’s heat and drought has caused severe damages in certain regions. For example, in the Vincennes Woods of Paris, the trees have undergone more destruction this summer than during the devastating tornado of 1999, which destroyed a large part of the woods. The drought is expected to having last consequences for the next several years.

— A Refreshing Breath of Fresh Air — August 30, 2003 —

The rain of the last couple of days has cooled things off considerably. The storm of August 29 brought a drop in temperature of 30°F. As fall approaches, things should continue to cool off.

— 15,000 Dead after Heatwave hits France — September 9, 2003 —

At the end of this summer’s heatwave, it was reported that 15,000 French citizens perished, 12,000 during the first two weeks of August alone.

A report was published on the affair, starting a public debate as to why, in the large cities, the doctors all go on vacation in August, leaving the cities drained of medical help.