Nature’s Fury: The Science of Natural Disasters

Nature’s Fury

The Science of Natural Disasters

The 1980 Heat Wave

Image source: The highest temperature on record for Kansas City was 113 degrees on August 14, 1936. Chaston, Peter. “A Long, Hot Summer.” Weatherwise, vol. 37, no. 1, 1984, p. 18. View Source

The 1980 Heat Wave

The deadliest natural disaster in the history of Kansas City was the 1980 heat wave. From July 4 to July 29 of that year, the city experienced 17 days of temperatures above 100 degrees. There were 176 reported deaths that summer, making it the most severe heat-related weather event in the city since 1936.