In broiling cities like New Orleans, the health system faces off against heat stroke

When patients arrive with heat stroke, medical teams quickly cover them from head to toe with bagged or even loose ice to lower their core temperatures back below 100 Fahrenheit, according to Dr. Jeffrey Elder, who leads emergency management at the New Orlean's largest hospital, University Medical Center. ER staffers also use misting fans on patients and administer IV fluids for rapid rehydration. (Drew Hawkins/Gulf States Newsroom)

As the hour creeps past three in the afternoon, New Orleans' streets are devoid of tourists and locals alike. The heat index is over 105 degrees.

At the city's ambulance depot, the concrete parking lot seems to magnify the sweltering heat, circulating the air like a convection oven.