Hundreds may have died from the record-breaking heat wave that struck Oregon, Washington and the Canadian province of British Columbia this past week as …
Hundreds may have died from the record-breaking heat wave that struck Oregon, Washington and the Canadian province of British Columbia this past week as temperatures hit all-time highs in typically moderate cities. At least 63 people died from a heat wave in Oregon, according to media reports that cited state health officials. The majority of those deaths occurred in Multnomah County, where 45 people died from extreme high temperatures over the weekend, many of them alone and without air conditioning or a fan, the county’s medical examiner said, Oregon Public Broadcasting reported. The preliminary cause of death was hyperthermia, when the body overheats possibly due to extreme weather conditions. The victims ranged from 44 to 97 years old. Officials are investigating 100 or more deaths in the Northwest for links to the heat wave. Meteorologists say a dome of high pressure over the Northwest coupled with climate change caused the heat wave, warning that more intense and frequent extreme weather events could occur. Portland and Seattle among other cities set new heat records with temperatures exceeding 115 degrees Fahrenheit in some places.
