Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer was hospitalized and treated for dehydration Wednesday as Washington, D.C., and most of the East Coast battled the first major heat wave of the year.
Schumer, 74, was hospitalized early Wednesday morning after a visit to the Senate Gym, said spokesperson Ryan Martin.
“Out of an abundance of caution, he went to the hospital to be treated for dehydration and is now back at work in the Capitol,” Martin said in a statement.
According to USA TODAY, temperatures in Washington, D.C., have reached above 100 degrees in the last three days. The heat index, which is how bodies feel the combination of heat and humidity, made temperatures feel like 109 degrees.
In New York, Schumer’s home state, most of the downstate region, including the Lower Hudson Valley, New York City and Long Island, have been battling similar temperatures.
Central Park recorded its hottest day since 2012 on Tuesday with a 99-degree thermometer reading and a 102-degree heat index. Many parts of New York City have experienced minor brownouts and blackouts throughout the three-day heatwave.
Who is most at risk for heat illnesses?
Excessive heat in the U.S. can cause serious health issues to at-risk populations, including older people, children, pregnant women, people with chronic medical conditions and low-income or unhoused populations with limited access to places to keep cool.
The National Weather Service says extreme heat is one of the “leading weather-related killers” in the U.S., with over 1,000 fatalities every year. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said 119,605 people were hospitalized for heat-related illness between May and September 2023.
Schumer said he wants to remind everyone to “drink some water and stay out of the heat,” Martin said.
Contributing: Savannah Kuchar of USA Today
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Chuck Schumer hospitalized during heat wave as DC, NY saw record-breaking temps
Reporting by Alexandra Rivera, Rockland/Westchester Journal News / Rockland/Westchester Journal News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
