CHESTERTOWN — A Kent County resident died last week of heat-related causes, county Health Officer William Webb confirmed in a series of text messages and a telephone interview with The Evening Enterprise on Thursday, July 18.
Webb said he was notified by the Maryland Department of Health’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner earlier this week of the death.
“All I am allowed to disclose is that the death involved a Kent Citizen over the age of 45,” Webb wrote in a text message.
Webb said this was the first heat-related death in Kent County since he became health officer in December 2018.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention define “extreme heat” as summertime temperatures that are much hotter and/or humid than average. Because some places are hotter than others, this depends on what’s considered average for a particular location at that time of year. Humid and muggy conditions can make it seem hotter than it really is.
There have been multiple days this month in Maryland where the heat index, which measures temperature and humidity, has been in triple digits.
The Maryland Department of Health monitors temperature conditions and incidents of heat-related illness and death from May through September.
The state health department on Wednesday reported the heat-related death in Kent County and two others in Baltimore City, bringing the total this year in Maryland to nine — the same number as 2023.
The heat-related death in Kent County is the only one on the Shore, according to the Maryland Health Department.
Kent County Sheriff Dennis Hickman told The Evening Enterprise that deputies were dispatched at about 7:40 p.m. on July 11 to the northern part of the county for an unattended death reported by a family member. Hickman identified the man as someone in his 50s who had preexisting medical conditions. The man had been cutting grass at some point that day.
The death was “tragic,” said Webb, who also acknowledged that this was an opportunity to remind the public about the health risks associated with extreme heat.
In a news release, the Kent County Health Department encouraged following these tips to help cope with extreme heat:
• Drink plenty of fluids.
• Avoid alcohol, caffeine and overly sweetened beverages.
• Wear loose-fitting, lightweight and light-colored clothing.
• Avoid direct sunlight and wear sunscreen.
• Stay in the shade when possible.
• Avoid salt tablets unless advised by a doctor to take them.
• Schedule physical activity in the morning or evening when temperatures are cooler, and take breaks when
necessary.
You should never leave children or pets unattended in a vehicle during hot weather, even if windows are cracked.
Always check twice to ensure that children or pets are not in a vehicle on an 80-degree day; within one-half hour, the temperature inside the vehicle can climb to more than 100 degrees.
Kent County has cooling centers available at all public library branches, as well as the Kent County Community Center in Worton.