Extreme weather from coast to coast

An update on the weather extremes impacting Americans from coast to coast.

Transcript

00:00 A tornado packing 150 mile per hour winds destroyed homes and businesses northeast of

00:06 Raleigh, North Carolina.

00:09 Tearing apart this Pfizer plant in Rocky Mount, scattering medicine around the complex.

00:13 There's obviously going to be impacts to Pfizer's operations here, how much potential medicine

00:18 or health care supplies may be lost as a result, potential impacts on the supply chain.

00:23 Southwest Kentucky, up to a foot of rain flooded neighborhoods, prompting the governor to declare

00:28 an emergency.

00:29 The storms fueled by triple digit heat baking much of the country.

00:32 In Phoenix, the low temperature was 97 yesterday, an all time record.

00:37 Officials in Maricopa County, Arizona, say at least 18 people have died from the heat

00:41 so far this summer.

00:43 We're starting to see those individuals with other medical problems and even those that

00:47 are healthy that are exposed to these extreme temperatures come in with a variety of conditions.

00:53 In Florida, a farm worker's death in the heat this month is prompting change.

00:57 The Miami-Dade County Commission is supporting new protections for workers, which would include

01:01 the right to a 10 minute paid rest and shaded water breaks every two hours.

01:06 It's not just hot air in Florida.

01:09 The ocean temperature is in the 90s, about six degrees above average, threatening the

01:14 coral reefs.

01:15 It doesn't happen like that.

01:16 It takes a lot for water to heat up.

01:19 No, I mean, even breaking an air temperature by six degrees is pretty impressive.

01:22 You know, to break a record by, so to do it in the ocean is just incredible.

01:27 There are problems inside too.

01:29 Many air conditioners can't keep up.

01:31 Experts say most AC units are only designed to work in heat up to 95 degrees, but with

01:36 temperatures well above 100 in so many places, repair calls are surging.

01:41 Andrew Dimbert, ABC News, New York.