Heat — Denton, Texas

1998-07-01 to 1998-07-31 · Denton, Texas

Wider weather episode

A prolonged excessive heat event continued across north Texas in July. This heat wave was the result of existing drought conditions combined with a persistent upper level ridge of high pressure. For the month of July, Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) recorded an average high of 102.4 degrees, which was the second warmest for the month on record and the fourth warmest ever. The average low of 80.8 degrees was the warmest average low for any month. The monthly average temperature of 91.6 degrees was the second warmest month on record, second only to the 92.0 degrees recorded during the heat wave in July of 1980. DFW reported 28 days with high temperatures at or above 100 degrees and 26 days with low temperatures at or above 80 degrees. The high temperature of 110 degrees reported at DFW on July 12th was the warmest high temperature recorded since July 18, 1980. In Waco, the average temperature of 90.4 degrees was the third warmest on record, with highs averaging 102.4 degrees and lows averaging 78.3 degrees. Waco also reported 26 days with highs at or above 100 degrees. The warmest high temperature for the month for north Texas was reported in Fort Worth on July 13th, when the mercury topped out at 112 degrees.During July, the heat wave claimed at least 32 lives in north Texas, with most of the fatalities occurring in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex. Most of the fatalities were elderly, and many fatalities listed other complicating factors, such as heart disease and hypertension. Below are the dates and listings of each fatality.July 3: An 85 year old woman was found dead in her home in east Dallas. Cause of death was hyperthermia, with hypertension and severe heart disease listed as contributing factors. A 34 year old man collapsed and died while working on a roof in Denton. Cause of death was hyperthermia.July 5: A 70 year old man was found dead in his home in northwest Dallas. Cause of death was hyperthermia, with heart disease and hypertension listed as contributing factors.July 8: A 63 year old woman was found dead in her home in east Dallas. Cause of death was hyperthermia, with severe heart disease listed as a contributing factor.July 9: An 80 year old woman was found dead in her home in Lancaster (Dallas County). Cause of death was hyperthermia, with severe heart disease listed as a contributing factor.July 10: An 83 year old man was found alongside a road near his home in Irving (Dallas County). Cause of death was hyperthermia, with Parkinson's Disease listed as a contributing factor.July 12: A 59 year old man was found dead in a boarding house in east Dallas. The cause of death was hyperthermia, with heart disease listed as a contributing factor. A 37 year old man was found dead in his home in southeast Dallas County. Cause of death was hyperthermia, with heart disease listed as a contributing factor. An 82 year old woman was found dead in her home in the Oak Lawn area of Dallas. Cause of death was hyperthermia, with heart disease listed as a contributing factor. A 58 year old man was found dead in his home in the Pleasant Grove area of Dallas. Cause of death was hyperthermia, with arthritis listed as a contributing factor. A 64 year old woman was found dead in her home in the Pleasant Grove area of Dallas . Cause of death was hyperthermia, with heart disease and cirrhosis listed as contributing factors. An 83 year old man was found dead in his home in the Pleasant Grove area of Dallas. Cause of death was hyperthermia, with congestive heart failure and emphysema listed as contributing factors. An 85 year old man and his 80 year old wife were found dead in their home in Sanger (Denton County). Hyperthermia was listed as a contributing factor.July 13: An 85 year old woman was found dead in her home in east Dallas. Cause of death was hyperthermia, with heart disease listed as a contributing factor. A 62 year old man was found dead in a field in the Oak Lawn area of Dallas. Cause of death was hyperthermia, with heart disease listed as a contributing factor.July 14: A 75 year old man was found dead in his home in Kaufman County. Hyperthermia was listed as a contributing factor. A 76 year old man was found dead in his home in Denton County. Hyperthermia was listed as a contributing factor.July 15: An 80 year old woman was found dead in her home in south Dallas. Cause of death was hyperthermia, with heart disease listed as a complicating factor. An 81 year old man was found dead in Fort Worth. Hyperthermia was listed as a contributing factor.July 16: A 39 year old man was collapsed and died while working on his car in Fort Worth. Hyperthermia was listed as a contributing factor. A 64 year old male was found dead in his home in Garland (Dallas County). Cause of death was hyperthermia, with hypertension and heart disease listed as contributing factor. A 90 year old woman was found dead in her home in Lancaster (Dallas County). Cause of death was hyperthermia, with heart disease listed as a contributing factor.July 17: A 75 year old man was found dead in his home in Irving (Dallas County). Cause of death was hyperthermia, with heart disease listed as a contributing factor.July 19: An 83 year old woman was found dead in her home in the Knox-Henderson area of Dallas. Cause of death was hyperthermia, with heart disease listed as a contributing factor. A 67 year old woman was found dead in her home near Fair Park in Dallas. Cause of death was hyperthermia, with heart disease and hypertension listed as contributing factors.July 20: A 76 year old man was found dead in his home in south Dallas. Cause of death was hyperthermia, with heart disease listed as a contributing factor.July 26: An 87 year old woman was found dead in her home in Fort Worth. Hyperthermia was listed as a contributing factor.July 28: An 87 year old woman was found dead in her home in Fort Worth. Hyperthermia was listed as a contributing factor. A 98 year old woman was found dead in her home in the Pleasant Grove area of Dallas. Cause of death was hyperthermia, with heart disease listed as a contributing factor.July 29: A 48 year old man was found in his east Dallas home suffering from hyperthermia and later died at a hospital. Cause of death was hyperthermia.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 5660939. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.