Gov. Stein has declared this week Heat Safety Week as the hottest part of the year kicks off. Extreme heat is the country’s number one weather-related killer, outranking hurricanes and other natural disasters.
High temperatures sent more than 5,700 people in North Carolina to the emergency department last year.
Stein said in a statement that, “Our state agencies and local governments are working hard to help keep people cool and safe.”
However, heat safety advocates say state and local governments could do more to protect vulnerable populations, such as mandating water breaks and stronger worker protections for farm laborers.
In Charlotte, rental units are not required to have reliable air conditioning, while some residents avoid running AC to save on energy costs.