Should FEMA And U.S, Presidents Declare Heat Waves Disasters Like They Do Tornadoes And Floods?

Heat waves are the deadliest kind of weather. 
So why don't we declare disasters during huge
heat waves, like the one baking the nation's center now. 

We all know the sad routine. A hurricane, flood, tornado or some other weather calamity strikes a part of the nation. 

The President steps in and declares the storm zone a federal disaster area. This frees up the Federal Emergency Management Agency to provide resources and reimburse affected towns, cities, counties and states for their response to the disaster.  

You never hear of a disaster declaration for a heat wave. No U.S. President has ever made a disaster declaration due to a heat wave. 

 There have been three request in the past for disaster declarations centered on heat waves, but all three were denied. 

At first glance, you'd thing, why would you bother with a heat wave disaster declaration?  

Heat waves rarely cause much physical damage. Sure, you get wildfires and droughts during heat waves, but a disaster is declared for the wildfire and the drought, not the temperature.  Heat waves don't destroy buildings or cause all that much damage to infrastructure, other than some warping of railroad tracks and some heaving on concrete roads. All minor stuff. 

This week, a brutal heat wave is broiling in the middle third of the nation.  A massive area from Louisiana to Minnesota and from Kansas to Indiana is under an excessive heat warning. About 143 million people are under heat alerts, so the chances that this hot weather could kill somebody are pretty high. 

Given there's currently a record breaking heat wave is baking the middle of the nation, consider this, as the Washington Post did: 

Heat waves are the biggest killer in the United States among all weather hazards. Sure, you don't get photogenic video of wreckage or dramatic wind or flooding on the news when there's a bad heat wave, but the human toll is terrible.  

The huge purple and orange area in the middle of this
United States map are the areas under heat 
warnings and alerts today. 

Deaths from various forms of weather vary greatly from year to year. But 2021, which has the most complete data, is fairly representative. 

That year, 104 people died in tornadoes, 106 from extreme cold, 111 from rip currents, 135 from flash floods and 190 from hot weather.  

The year 2021 wasn't a one-off. According to the National Weather Service, the 30-year average annual deaths in the United States from heat was 168. The second highest cause of weather-related deaths in that 30 year average was floods, with an average of 89 deaths over those 30 years between 1993 and 2022.

So if something can be done to prevent heat deaths, especially since heat waves are getting more intense, longer lasting and more deadly with climate change, that would be a good thing. 

Per the Washington Post: 

"A disaster declaration by the president could allow states to be reimbursed for taking action that could save lives - such as opening cooling centers, distributing water and checking in with residents door-to-door.

States could also ask the Federal Emergency Management Agency to launch an emergency response, such as supplying medical teams or rounding up generators."

"Some local and national politicians are hoping to add extreme heat to the list of major disaster-qualifying events to better reflect its threat. In early June, Reps Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Mark Amide (R-Nev.) and Sylvia Garcia (D-Tex.) introduced a bill to add extreme heat to the list."

The legislation, if enacted, would likely help the federal government save lives in heat waves. And in my estimation at least, the legislation would be relatively easy to implement. Mostly because there's no legal prohibition in declaring heat waves major disasters.

Heat waves are rather predictable, more so than events like tornadoes and flash floods. So resources can be brought in ahead of a torrid hot spell to mitigate the effects on people, and likely reduce deaths. After all, preparation for any disaster -  including heat waves - is key to saving lives.