El Paso Heat Deaths Hit Records in 2023 and 2024 as Officials Face Scrutiny Over Preparedness

Community advocates are sounding alarms after back-to-back record years of heat deaths in El Paso County and a surge in heat-related illness across the region.

At a Jan. 13 county commission meeting, retired Catholic priest Arturo Bañuelas urged action on rising deaths in the desert just miles from downtown. “These deaths are occurring right here,” he said. “Close to our homes, churches and community. We cannot turn away.” Commissioners unanimously passed a resolution recognizing the crisis of migrant deaths, but the vote did not commit the county to specific actions.

Record Fatalities Amid Rising Temperatures

El Paso recorded a county high of 39 deaths attributed directly or indirectly to heat in 2024, surpassing the previous record set in 2023, when 26 people died. Those two years were also the hottest on record locally. Inside Climate News’ review found that migrants, the elderly, and hikers were among the most vulnerable.

Examples included a 75-year-old Lowrider enthusiast found in his trailer, a 39-year-old Army veteran who died while hiking, and a 27-year-old Guatemalan man who died after crossing the border. In 2024, the El Paso sector was the most deadly along the U.S.–Mexico border.

Climate Signal and Local Context

According to Climate Central, El Paso’s average annual temperature has risen 5.7°F since 1970. Reporters noted that temperatures are rising faster in El Paso than in almost any other U.S. city.

The increase in migrant deaths has coincided with higher numbers of attempted border crossings in recent years. While the number of migrants and asylum seekers declined in 2024 and has fallen further in 2025, advocates and humanitarian groups say lessons from the record-setting years are still urgent. So far in 2025, fewer heat deaths have been reported than in the previous two years.

Data Gaps and Limited Dedicated Staffing

Despite statewide reporting tools, neither the city nor the county publishes weekly data on heat-related illnesses that is available from the state. El Paso’s health information exchange denied a request from Inside Climate News for data it collects. Public records did not always include key contributing factors, such as whether decedents had access to air conditioning, obscuring trends that could inform prevention.

Unlike other heat-impacted jurisdictions such as Phoenix and Miami-Dade County, El Paso has no staff positions dedicated to heat mitigation. Instead, the area relies on an unfunded high-heat task force made up of volunteers and government employees. This comes as the Trump administration cut $3.5 million in public health grants to the city this year.

Statewide Trend: Deadly Years Across Texas

Heat mortality has trended upward statewide over the past decade. 2023 was Texas’s deadliest year on record, with 334 deaths directly attributed to heat. In 2024, heat killed 171 people and contributed to an additional 281 deaths, according to preliminary state data.

What Advocates and Officials Have — And Haven’t — Done

The Jan. 13 resolution from county commissioners was described as a rare public acknowledgment of rising deaths. However, no specific mitigation steps were adopted in tandem with the vote. Advocates say not enough is being done to protect the region’s most vulnerable residents, including migrants traveling through remote desert terrain, older adults, and people recreating outdoors during extreme heat.

The Bottom Line

• 2023 and 2024 set records for heat deaths in El Paso County; 2024 recorded 39 deaths, 2023 recorded 26.
• El Paso’s average temperature has risen 5.7°F since 1970; local temperatures are increasing faster than in most U.S. cities.
• Data transparency is limited, with no local weekly illness reporting and denied access to certain datasets.
• No dedicated heat-mitigation staff positions exist locally; an unfunded task force is in place amid a $3.5 million public health grant cut.
• Texas statewide: 334 heat deaths in 2023; 171 heat deaths and 281 heat-contributing deaths in 2024 (preliminary).
• Migration context: crossings have declined in 2024 and 2025; fewer heat deaths reported so far in 2025 than in the previous two years.

Reporting based on Inside Climate News, in collaboration with the San Antonio Express-News and Public Health Watch.