CNN has a story about the heat wave in the Southeast and the Midwest, stating that at least 44 people have died as a result.

Last summer, a heat wave killed at least 50 people in the Midwest and East. California officially reported a death toll of 143, but authorities last month acknowledged the number may have been far higher. A 1995 heat wave in Chicago was blamed for 700 deaths.

We talked about that Chicago heat wave over at Metroblogging a little while back — before this current heat wave started. I told my story in the comments:

I lived through that miserable heat wave. Street vendors sold T-shirts that said “I Survived Heat Wave ‘95.” It was crazy.

So I guess there’s a way to keep perspective, after all.