Amy Dishion’s experience underscores the severe risks posed by extreme heat as global temperatures continue to climb. On September 5, 2022, Dishion’s husband, Evan, 32, set out for a sunrise hike with friends near Phoenix, Arizona. The group planned to return by afternoon, but as temperatures soared to 109 degrees Fahrenheit, conditions became perilous.

Evan sent a text message around 11 a.m. reporting the heat but indicating that he was doing well. However, by the afternoon, the hikers had reached the summit of Elephant Mountain but became disoriented and ran out of water. The intense heat led to hallucinations and physical disorientation among some of the group. When Evan passed out, there was no cell phone signal to request emergency assistance. Later that day, Amy received a call from Abrazo Cave Creek Hospital informing her that Evan had died from severe heat stroke.

Following her husband’s death, Dishion, who was caring for their newborn daughter, returned to Oregon and moved in with Evan's family. She described the emotional toll as overwhelming, leaving her incapacitated for years. In the wake of her loss, she has sought to raise awareness about the dangers of extreme heat, which scientists link to climate change.

In 2023, Dishion shared her story during a virtual town hall meeting held with lawmakers. Among the viewers was Sierra Lindsey Kos, who co-founded Extreme Weather Survivors, a support group for individuals affected by climate-related disasters. Kos and her co-founder, attorney and social organizer Chris Kocher, established the group three years ago to connect those impacted by natural catastrophes.

Kos was motivated in part by her own experience during the 2020 Labor Day wildfires in Oregon. At the time, her newborn son was hospitalized with a serious illness, and she had to drive through a landscape engulfed in fire and ash, with skies tinged red. That ordeal heightened her awareness of the urgent human consequences of extreme weather events and inspired her efforts to assist survivors.

As climate-driven heat waves and wildfires increase in frequency and intensity, advocates like Dishion and Kos emphasize the importance of public education and policy action to address the growing health threats posed by extreme weather.