Press Herald- Residents of cold-weather states like Maine feel the health effects of heat at much lower temperatures than those in hotter states, a 2015 Harvard University study found, yet most do not believe local heat waves to be that dangerous, according to a 2019 study from Yale University and University of Utah.
Maine’s demographics and infrastructure make it especially vulnerable. Nearly a quarter of the population is 65 or older and the housing stock is among the oldest in the nation. And although the increasing use of heat pumps is helping, the number of Mainers with some form of cooling in their homes continues to lag behind the rest of New England — 78% compared with almost 90%.
While Maine has taken some steps to address the growing issue, including funding new cooling centers and passing a law to prevent utilities from cutting off power during heat waves, lawmakers have passed up opportunities to set temperature limits for nursing homes and workplaces.
So far this year, 294 Mainers have gone to the hospital to seek heat-related treatment, according to Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s public health tracker. The largest number of those, 46, occurred on June 24, the hottest day Maine has recorded so far this year.