Heat was a factor in the deaths of at least 29 people so far this year in Southern Nevada, according to the Clark County coroner’s office.
The update was released Wednesday as temperatures push into the 110s this week, with 90-degree or 100-degree lows providing little overnight relief. The coroner’s list includes 13 summer deaths, all of which took place in June, though it can take up to 90 days for investigators to determine a cause of death.
The coroner’s office widened its umbrella in 2021 for determining when heat should be considered during a death investigation, and temperatures above 95 degrees are generally when investigators will consider heat illness. It’s widely believed that even the most inclusive standard leaves out deaths from counties’ official counts.
Experts say the three biggest risk factors for heat-related death are old age, drug use and homelessness.
According to the data, the average age among recorded 2026 deaths was 57, and 10 people were homeless. Eighteen of the deaths involved drugs or alcohol.
The staggering numbers of heat-related deaths since 2024 has spurred action. In 2024, the deadliest summer on record, the coroner reported that 527 people died because of the heat. That number decreased in 2025, a more moderate summer when officials recorded 279 heat-related deaths.
For the better part of the last decade, a team of three Desert Research Institute researchers at the Nevada Heat Lab has worked with local governments, agencies and nonprofits to fine-tune policies and solicit adaptation measures, such as trees, shade over bus stops and more awareness of the valley’s cooling stations.
Clark County hosted an inaugural extreme heat summit earlier this year, when many pointed to a disjointed response to the threat of heat with a lack of sustainable funding sources for mitigation.
A state law that took effect this year required Nevada’s biggest cities and counties to update their master plans to address extreme heat, though some said an unenforceable language shift doesn’t effect much change.
Assemblymember Cinthia Moore, D-North Las Vegas, has said in interviews that she plans to introduce a bill in the 2027 Legislature to create a statewide Nevada office to deal with extreme heat. Cities and counties in places like Los Angeles, Phoenix and Miami have similar offices that direct response year-round.
Contact Alan Halaly at ahalaly@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlanHalaly on X.
