LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — Friday, Las Vegas hit 100 degrees for the first time this year, marking the start of what is expected to be another season of extreme heat.
Last year, Las Vegas had 77 days where temperatures reached 100 degrees or hotter. In 2024, there were 112 triple-digit days, and Las Vegas reached its all-time record high of 120 degrees.
Senator Jacky Rosen is spearheading an effort to bring federal dollars to southern Nevada to help during heat emergencies.
Push for federal disaster designation
During destructive natural events like fires, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes and earthquakes, the president can declare a natural disaster area, meaning federal dollars are immediately available for help. Rosen wants extreme heat waves added to that list.
“Extreme heat kills in the same way that extreme cold does. We have vulnerable populations. How do we make sure that they’re okay?” Rosen said.
Federal funding for heat emergencies could be used for things like temporary cooling centers, polar pods to quickly cool down people experiencing heat-related illness and portable air conditioning units or fans for vulnerable Nevadans.
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“So how do we open up those cooling centers? How do we check maybe on our senior citizens who get meals on wheels, vulnerable communities? Maybe they don’t have the air conditioning in their apartment. Are they going to be okay?” Rosen said in an interview with FOX5.
Heat deaths rising
527 southern Nevadans died from heat-related causes during the record heat in 2024.
Dr. Steffen Lehmann, director of the Urban Futures Lab at UNLV, is studying how Las Vegas continues to get hotter.
“We always say extreme heat is the silent killer. Not only the air pollution but also heat stroke, dehydration, people especially the elderly, children, people working outside also homeless people are clearly suffering,” Lehmann said.
Rosen introduced legislation in Congress to declare extreme heat as a natural disaster and is working to pass it to bring help to Nevadans when they need it most.
“I don’t want to see any heat-related deaths, and this gives us the ability to plan and prepare and then activate those plans when we declare that emergency,” Rosen said.
Drought relief available now
While Rosen works to address extreme heat, the government is providing relief now to those impacted by extreme drought.
The USDA has recently declared drought emergencies in several Nevada counties, including Clark County and Nye County, which allows ranchers and farmers to access additional resources.
The SBA is offering low interest federal disaster loans to small businesses and private nonprofits in southern Nevada to offset economic losses caused by drought.
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