Oregon Heat Wave Kills 63, 45 In Portland Area

PORTLAND, OR — For three straight days, the temperature climbed to points no one imagined possible. Certainly not in June. Certainly not in Portland in the Pacific Northwest, a region known for its temperate climate.

Portland's previous record – 107 degrees in 1965 – was surpassed on Saturday when the temperature hit 108. That was knocked down on Sunday when thermometers showed 112 degrees, a record that didn't even last a day.

On Monday, the National Weather Service said the high was 116 degrees.

Everyone knew that it was bad. Just how bad became clear on Wednesday when the state medical examiner released data saying that 63 people across the state under circumstances linked to the heatwave.

Of those deaths, 45 occurred in Multnomah County, the state's largest and home to Portland.

Officials there said that those who died ranged in age from 44 to 97. Many had underlying conditions and many did not have air conditioning.

The 45 deaths in Multnomah County is nearly four times the total of 12 deaths starting in 2017 and through 2019. Statewide. Officials say that these are only preliminary numbers as death investigations continue.

Over the weekend, emergency rooms and urgent care clinics saw 131 visits for heat-related issues. The normal amount for that time in June is one.

"This was a true health crisis that has underscored how deadly an extreme heat wave can be, especially to otherwise vulnerable people," Multnomah County Health Officer Dr. Jennifer Vines said.

"I know many county residents were looking out for each other and am deeply saddened by this initial death toll."

The county says that around a quarter of its employees were involved in emergency response. A large part of that response was handing out bottles of water – more than 60,000 since the heat moved in on Friday.

"As our summers continue to get warmer, I suspect we will face this kind of event again," Dr. Vines said.

In January, a statewide climate report that since 1940, the number of days exceeding 90 degrees in Portland increased by roughly 33 percent – to 31 in 2020 from 23 in 1940.

The state medical examiner said that in addition to the 45 people who died in Multnomah County, nine people died in Marion County, five in Washington County, two in Clackamas County, and one each in Columbia and Umatilla counties.