KANSAS CITY, Missouri -- A heat wave smothering the nation's midsection has claimed dozens of lives, from a professional football player to the elderly trying to save money on electricity.
Authorities encouraged residents to drink plenty of water, avoid strenuous activity and check on elderly neighbors as the mercury climbs.
"Seniors are often thrifty and want to save on air conditioner bills," said Brian Quinn, a Missouri Department of Health spokesman. "So they turn their air conditioner off and rely on fans."
Thunderstorms were forecast for the region Thursday, offering the potential for a brief respite, although temperatures were still expected to be in the 90s.
Four deaths were attributed to the heat in the Chicago area Wednesday, bringing the total to 19 this year, a Cook County medical examiner's spokeswoman said.
There have been six heat-related deaths in the Houston area this year, according to officials with the Harris County medical examiner's office.
A record for consecutive days with 100-degree temperatures was set in Austin, Texas. Wednesday marked the 21st consecutive day with temperatures above 100, shattering the former record of 19 days set in 1925.
Heat contributed to the death Wednesday of Korey Stringer, an All-Pro offensive lineman for the Minnesota Vikings. Stringer, 27, died of complications from heat stroke, a day after collapsing at training camp.
Missouri has already recorded its 13th victim this summer when a 79-year-old man was found dead over the weekend in his Raytown house, where temperatures had reached 98 degrees inside.
And the Milwaukee County medical examiner's office listed heat as a possible factor in the death of a 56-year-old man Monday, a week after a heat wave claimed the lives of four other city residents.
In Kansas, some 498 fans have been given to needy families, up from 350 during all of last year, said Tina Labellarte, chief executive officer of the Kansas Capital Area Chapter of the American Red Cross, which serves Topeka and a seven-country region in northeast Kansas.
"We find that more people are trying to keep utility costs down because they're still paying off high bills from the winter heating season," Labellarte said.
Hot St. Louis residents who can't afford fans or air conditioners have flocked to the New Life Evangelistic Center. The group, which advocates for the poor, has distributed more than 100 free fans and about 60 air conditioners this summer.
