Americans are moving to places besieged by extreme heat

AMY SCHWABENLENDER has a front-row seat to suffering. From the windows of her office in downtown Phoenix, she can see rows and rows of tents. Their inhabitants keep inside, hiding from the heat that is scorching the desert city. On July 18th Phoenix experienced its 19th straight day with temperatures of at least 43°C (110°F), breaking an 18-day record set in 1974. Ms Schwabenlender runs Phoenix’s Human Services Campus, a consortium of groups that serve almost 2,000 people who are homeless. “There’s people with burns on various body parts” from the hot pavement, she says. “Maybe they fall asleep, maybe they’re just laying there waiting for the next day.” Her voice gets quiet, almost to a whisper. “I don’t know how more people don’t die,” she adds.