Cook County records 13th heat death of 2026, more than doubling previous decade high

Cook County has recorded its 13th heat death of the year, now more than doubling the highest counts of the last decade, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office. The 69-year-old Chatham man died July 2 of cardiovascular disease, ethanol poisoning and heat exposure A WBEZ and Chicago Sun-Times analysis of medical examiner data previously found Cook County has had more deaths related to the heat in 2026 than any other year in the last decade, and the number continues to go up. Heat…