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Maricopa County is now reporting at least 180 heat deaths so far this summer

In a lot of places, Labor Day marks the unofficial end of summer — but here in metro Phoenix, summer is not done with us yet.

Temperatures this upcoming weekend are expected to reach 113 degrees, and, in a lot of ways, the summer of 2023 will continue to haunt us for a long time. The historic heatwave this July has left us continuing to learn more about the toll extreme weather has taken on our community.

Last week, Maricopa County officials updated the number of heat deaths for summer 2023, so far. The figure is up to 180 — with hundreds more cases to be investigated. 

The Show spoke with Dr. Geoffrey Comp, an emergency room physician at Valleywise Health Medical Center in Phoenix, about the most extreme results of extreme heat.

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Lauren Gilger, host of KJZZ's The Show, is an award-winning journalist whose work has impacted communities large and small, exposing injustices and giving a voice to the voiceless and marginalized.