The Multnomah County Medical Examiner Program has identified 45 deaths related to excessive heat since Friday, June 25. The preliminary cause of death is hyperthermia. Hyperthermia is an abnormally high body temperature caused by a failure of the body to deal with heat coming from the environment.
The people who died ranged in age from 44 to 97; and include 17 women and 27 men. (records regarding gender were not complete). Many had underlying health conditions. Many of those who died were found alone, without air conditioning or a fan.
For comparison, for all of Oregon between 2017 and 2019, there were only 12 deaths from hyperthermia.
“This was a true health crisis that has underscored how deadly an extreme heat wave can be, especially to otherwise vulnerable people,’’ said Multnomah County Health Officer Dr. Jennifer Vines. “I know many county residents were looking out for each other and am deeply saddened by this initial death toll. As our summers continue to get warmer, I suspect we will face this kind of event again.’’
The deaths occurred as County officials recorded the highest-ever number of 911 calls for medical emergencies and a dramatic spike in heat-related emergency department and urgent care care visits.
Between Friday, June 25, when the National Weather Service excessive heat warning went into effect, and Monday, June 28, there were 131 emergency department and urgent care clinic visits for heat illness in Multnomah County.
