EXPLAINER: Heat, humidity a perilous mix in migrant deaths

Jun 29, 2022, 3:24 PM | Updated: Jul 1, 2022, 1:57 am

The combination of heat and humidity would have quickly created life-threatening conditions inside the packed, un-air-conditioned tractor-trailer where dozens of migrants were found dead, an expert said.

Although it’s unclear how long the people had been inside the trailer, it likely would only take an hour or less for temperatures to climb as high as 125 degrees Fahrenheit (51 Celsius) or hotter, said Jennifer Vanos, an assistant professor in climate and health at Arizona State University who has studied child deaths in cars.

The death toll rose to 53 on Wednesday, two days after the tractor-trailer — packed with more than 60 people — was found abandoned on the edge of San Antonio, marking the nation’s deadliest smuggling episode on the U.S.-Mexico border.

WHAT MADE THE SITUATION SO DANGEROUS?

The tractor-trailer likely would have been hot – perhaps 105-110 degrees – when people got in because the outdoor heat and humidity already were high, Vanos said.

Once inside, their bodies would have created even more heat and humidity, and because there was no air flow, their sweat could not evaporate to cool their bodies and they would dehydrate quickly. The migrants did not have water.

“All those things together are going to drive a quicker heat death,” Vanos said.

It can take less than one hour for a car left in the sun to heat up from air-conditioned temperatures to 125 degrees, partly because windows create a greenhouse effect, said Vanos. Though the tractor-trailer was windowless, the temperature inside could have reached 125-130 degrees fairly quickly because of the number of people and because the trailer would have continued absorbing heat from the sun, she said.

It’s unclear when or where the migrants boarded the truck, but Homeland Security investigators believe they got on near or in Laredo, on U.S. soil, about two hours from San Antonio, U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar told The Associated Press Wednesday. It’s also unclear how long the trailer was sitting in San Antonio.

HOW LONG COULD THEY HAVE SURVIVED?

That depends on their health and other factors, including age, medications and their clothing, Vanos said.

Heatstroke can set in when body temperature exceeds 104 degrees, and organs can begin to fail when the body’s core temperature reaches a critical high of 107-108 degrees, Vanos said. But cardiovascular failure could happen at a lower body temperature if someone has a pre-existing heart or cardiovascular disease.

Some people also might have died of renal collapse, especially if they had existing kidney disease, because the lack of water led to dehydration, she said.

Some of the more than a dozen people transported to hospitals were suffering from injuries such as brain damage and internal bleeding, according to Rubén Minutti, the Mexico consul general in San Antonio. Several people died at the hospital. Vanos said that indicates their body couldn’t regulate its temperature and the organs were already failing.

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

AP

FILE - Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer speaks inside the Recorders Office, Nov. 9, 2022, in...
Associated Press

Dominion conspiracies highlighted by Fox lawsuit have election officials concerned for safety

Maricopa County officials are bracing for what could happen when it comes time to replace its contract for voting equipment.
2 days ago
A building is damaged and trees are down after severe storm swept through Little Rock, Ark., Friday...
Associated Press

Tornado causes widespread damage to buildings, vehicles in Little Rock

A tornado raced through Little Rock and surrounding areas Friday, splintering homes, overturning vehicles and tossing trees.
2 days ago
FILE - Former President Donald Trump speaks with reporters while in flight on his plane after a cam...
Associated Press

Worries grow that Trump indictment could undermine public confidence in other investigations

Trump’s attempts to overturn those results amid false claims of widespread fraud are at the heart of two other ongoing investigations.
2 days ago
(Facebook Photo/Superior Court of Arizona in Yavapai County)...
Associated Press

Arizona judge has cases reassigned following DUI arrest

The Arizona Supreme Court has ruled that all cases currently assigned to a Yavapai County Superior Court judge recently arrested on suspicion of extreme DUI will be reassigned to other judges.
6 days ago
Haitian migrant Gerson Solay, 28, carries his daughter, Bianca, as he and his family cross into Can...
Associated Press

US, Canada to end loophole that allows asylum-seekers to move between countries

President Joe Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday announced a plan to close a loophole to an immigration agreement.
9 days ago
Expert skateboarder Di'Orr Greenwood, an artist born and raised in the Navajo Nation in Arizona and...
Associated Press

Indigenous skateboard art featured on new stamps unveiled at Phoenix skate park

The Postal Service unveiled the “Art of the Skateboard" stamps at a Phoenix skate park, featuring designs from Indigenous artists.
9 days ago

Sponsored Articles

(Photo: OCD & Anxiety Treatment Center)...

Here’s what you need to know about OCD and where to find help

It's fair to say that most people know what obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders generally are, but there's a lot more information than meets the eye about a mental health diagnosis that affects about one in every 100 adults in the United States.
...
Fiesta Bowl Foundation

Celebrate 50 years of Vrbo Fiesta Bowl Parade magic!

Since its first production in the early 1970s, the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl Parade presented by Lerner & Rowe has been a staple of Valley traditions, bringing family fun and excitement to downtown Phoenix.
...
Day & Night Air Conditioning, Heating and Plumbing

Prep the plumbing in your home just in time for the holidays

With the holidays approaching, it's important to know when your home is in need of heating and plumbing updates before more guests start to come around.
EXPLAINER: Heat, humidity a perilous mix in migrant deaths