The Kansas Department of Health reported that thousands of cattle have died over the past few days due to extremely hot weather conditions.
The department said that they’ve recorded at least 2,000 cattle dead and that number is based on calls they received from people who needed help disposing of carcasses.
Kansas State University, which tracks daily temperatures and their potential impact on animals, also said that temperatures were said near or above 100 degrees across the majority of the state, mainly in the western part of the state.
Scarlett Hagins, spokesperson for the Kansas Livestock Association said as the heat and humidity spiked, cooling winds disappeared, it created the perfect storm.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Kansas had 6.5 million head of cattle last year and is one of the biggest beef producers in the United States.
More than twelve states, along with Kansas, were under heat advisories and residents received warnings to stay inside and make sure their livestock are in a safe place.
Ohio was one of those states that was hit the hardest because not only was the heat beating down residents, but power outages across the state caused more than 50,000 homes and businesses to remain without electricity and air conditioning.