PHOENIX — If you’ve spent any time walking in downtown Phoenix, you know how hot it can feel. Heat radiates from the black asphalt and the tall buildings. There’s not a breeze to cool you off and even if there was, it feels more like opening an oven door than a moment of relief.
Experts say it is not just the unrelenting heat and months of triple-digit temperatures that are contributing to heat-related deaths across the Valley – it’s how long people spend in the heat without cooling off.
“What studies are finding is that the challenge isn’t really associated with the hottest parts of the day,” Programs Manager of Homelessness Response at St. Vincent de Paul Jennifer Morgan said. “What they’re finding is the constant strain on the body that is associated with not ever having a break or a period of rejuvenation from the heat throughout the summer… people who are unsheltered don’t ever get respite from that.”…