The Nineties in America - Salem Press (2009)

ban setting, and the temperatures recorded do not
necessarily reflect the more severe heat that the in-
ner city experienced.
The Chicago heat wave of 1995 was a complex
event, and the high death toll can be attributed to
several other factors. Many look at the social reasons
for the high death rate. Those hardest hit were the
elderly of lower socioeconomic standing. There can
be various explanations for this. One is that they
lacked the means of escaping the lethal heat and
were essentially trapped, depending on city officials
for help. Another reason is that a fear of crime made
people reluctant to open doors and windows, con-
trasted to the heat waves of the 1930’s when many
residents slept outside near Lake Michigan or in city
parks. Although some of the low-income elderly citi-
zens had air conditioners, many could not afford to
use them.
Furthermore, a study led by sociologist Christo-
pher Browning published in the August, 2006, issue

ofAmerican Sociological Reviewexamined the high

death rate of the elderly living in low-income neigh-

borhoods during severe heat waves. This study

found that more deaths occurred in areas that were

considered run-down. While other research focused

on inadequate services or the isolation of many se-

niors as causes for the high loss of life, this study

looked at the commercial decline of certain areas.

The conclusion was that businesses did not attract el-

derly customers or promote a feeling of security to

lure them from their overheated dwellings. Many

buildings were abandoned, boarded up, or marred

with graffiti, and the elderly felt safer inside their

own apartments than outside on the street. Never-

theless, others cite an unprepared city government

as contributing to the disaster.

The City’s Role Also fueling the situation was a

breakdown in the city’s response and inadequate

emergency relief services. A severe heat warning was

162
Chicago heat wave of 1995 The Nineties in America

Emergency personnel wheel a body outside Chicago’s Cook County morgue on July 18, 1995. Most of those who died because of the heat
wave were poor or elderly. (AP/Wide World Photos)