Cities

Newsweek - Cities in the South continued to report the largest population growth in the entire country last year, according to the latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau, with Texas alone accounting for eight of the 15 fastest-growing cities in the region. The fastest-growing city among the ones with a population of 20,000 or more was Celina, Texas, whose population grew by 26.6 percent in 2023—more than 53 times the growth rate of the country, 0.5 percent. The other 14 fastest-growing cities were Fulshear, Texas (+25.6 percent); Princeton, Texas (+22.3 percent); Anna, Texas (+16.9 percent); Lathrop, California (+13.6 percent); Centerton, Arkansas (+11.2 percent); Haines City, Florida (+10.8 percent); Georgetown, Texas (+10.6 percent); Prosper, Texas (+10.5 percent); Forney, Texas (+10.4 percent); Kyle, Texas (+9.0 percent); Lebanon, Tennessee (+8.9 percent); Fort Mill, South Carolina (+8.8 percent); Leesburg, Florida (+8.7 percent); and Athens, Ohio (+8.6 percent).

NBC -Last year’s summer heat was one for the record books — and the months ahead are expected to be just as hot, if not hotter. NBC News climate reporter Denise Chow shares three numbers that illustrate just how unbelievably hot the last few summers have been:

11: The number of consecutive months since June 2023 with record-breaking global temperatures, according to the European Union’s climate change service. This worrisome streak could continue as the Northern Hemisphere gears up for what are typically the hottest months of the year.

150,000+: The number of deaths across 43 countries tied to extreme heat each year from 1990 to 2019, a new study found. In the U.S., heat kills more people than any other extreme weather event. 

2,000: The number of consecutive years with cooler summers than last year's record season, according to new research. Scientists had known that June to August 2023 was the warmest summer since record-keeping began, but these findings offer an even more dramatic reminder of how unusually hot the planet was last year.

Officials in cities across the South and the Southwest are working on projects aimed at shielding people from the scorching heat. In Phoenix, for example, where at least 645 people in Maricopa County died from heat-related causes in 2023, officials are creating “cool corridors” — think more trees and resurfaced pavement to reduce urban heat. Here are other ways cities plan to keep residents safe.