While major catastrophic storms like Sandy and Ida will long be remembered for the tragic and rapid loss of life in New Jersey, dangerous heat waves like the one gripping the state this week have been a more silent and consistent killer.
New Jersey has had at least 181 heat stroke deaths between 2000 and 2020, according to state Department of Health statistics. The worst years came in 2002 and 2011, when 21 people died each summer.