By: Boya Hu

On June 17th, 2023, a heat wave hit the South from a tornado in Texas, ultimately traveling to the beaches of the United States. This wave is very dangerous. According to NPR, the temperature in the Dallas area at the time was 94 F, but high humidity would make it 11 F higher.

The location of the tornado was in Perryton, Texas. People lost homes, businesses, and rental properties — “most of that town was knocked out,” reported NPR. The Perryton Ochiltree Chamber of Commerce opened a cooling center in a town of 8000 people, which is about 115 miles away from the northeast of Amarillo. This is an effort intended to counteract the effects of the wave. Events like these have caused Texans to come together the face of tragedy.

The governor was shocked when he saw how powerful the storm was. Due to the treatment of 160 hurt people in a hospital with only 25 beds, the governor deemed the efforts of healthcare providers to be “non-stop heroic”. W. Nim Kidd, chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management, cautioned that more dangerous weather was forecasted for the area on late Saturday, possibly affecting more victims.

This heat wave could have caused deadly heat illnesses to occur. The temperature in Miami and Fort Lauderdale, Florida, was expected to reach 92 degrees this Saturday, June 17th, 2023. Clearwater said in an email that a waterspout came ashore in Friday afternoon and injured 2 people. Authorities said the 70-year-old grandma and 63-year-old grandpa were treated for small injuries at a hospital.