According to state police, sixty-three Oregon people died in the heat wave that started last Friday.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the death rate from extreme heat in a given year is about 140 across the country.
However, 45 Oregon’s most recent deaths occurred in Multnomah county, which also includes Portland.
The state police stated that they had received data from each of the 36 counties’ medical examiners.
Marion had nine deaths, which was second in the death toll. Washington had five deaths. Clackamas had two fatalities, while Columbia and Umatilla had one each.
“We need people who check on their neighbors, especially seniors, who may require a helping hand,” President Biden stated earlier Wednesday in the day during a meeting with local and state leaders about the Western drought. “Outdoor workers like our farmers and builders will need frequent water breaks.
According to KOIN, some victims were alone in their homes without fans or air conditioning.
Many victims died of hyperthermia (or a dramatic rise in body temperatures, which is the opposite of hypothermia).
This news comes after reports that over 1,000 people in the Pacific Northwest were hospitalized during a heat wave that has ravaged the West Coast for more that a week. The temperatures have remained well above 100 at times.
Wild fires are also a concern in this region, which is prone to epidemics due to the heat and low humidity.
