Experts Point at Extreme Heat Wave for the Hundreds of Deaths Across Northwest US

911 calls have been relentless over the past few days in Portland, Oregon as a historic heat wave takes its toll in the Pacific Northwest and kills hundreds of people.

The State Medical Examiner's office had reported at least 63 deaths in the state of Oregon since Friday. 45 of the deaths were from Multnomah County ranging from 44 to 97 years old with underlying health conditions. Authorities are in alert as weather patterns suggests that more frequent and intense heat waves are coming.

"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," said Multnomah County Health Officer Dr. Jennifer Vines.

(Photo : Photo by Nathan Howard/Getty Images)
PORTLAND, OR - JUNE 27: Austun Wilde rests with her two dogs, Bird Is The Wurd and Fenrir at a cooling center in the Oregon Convention Center on June 27, 2021 in Portland, Oregon. Record breaking temperatures lingered over the Northwest during a historic heatwave this weekend.

Heat Deaths as Health Crisis

In the state of Washington, dozens of sudden deaths were suspected to have caused by the extreme heat. Without air-conditioning in most households in the area including Seattle, with lowest rate of air-conditioned homes. People mostly in old age with existing health problems had suffered from heat stroke and eventually died in the area.

The King County medical examiner's office reported at least 13 deaths in Seattle and three men in the neighboring Snohomish County.

Meanwhile, the Spokane Fire Department found two dead people in an apartment located in western Washington with the cause mainly linked to heat-related stress.

With the current loaded capacity of hospitals due to COVID-19, the wave of patients dying from heat wave and drought season has overwhelmed health centers and medical institutions. Dr. Steve Mitchell, medical director of the emergency department at Harborview Medical Center described the event similar to the initial days of the coronavirus outbreak.

"We got to the point where facilities were struggling with basic equipment, like ventilators," he added.

Also read: Wildfire Season 2021: California in State of Fire as it Burns More Frequently Than Ever 

Extreme Heat Breaks the Record

"We have never seen anything like this," said Vince Hlavaty, Bremerton's medical officer, while describing the event as truly 'unprecedented'.

In the far north of British Columbia, around 486 deaths were recorded from Friday to Wednesday afternoon, and 98 of those deaths were from Vancouver, with two-thirds of the victims at the age of 70 or older. Vancouver Police said that while investigations are ongoing, the heat was definitely played a record-breaking role, setting the record earlier this week.

According to data from World Meteorological Organization, a record of 104 degrees was felt in Seattle as of Sunday and broke the record on Monday with 107 degrees. Meanwhile, Portland set the record twice with 108 on Saturday and 112 on Sunday.

The highest temperature ever recorded was set by Lytton, British Columbia being 121 degrees on Monday.

According to Dr. Caroline King-Widdall, the more the temperature rises, the higher the risks heat exhaustion. When this happens, the human body eventually becomes unable to regulate its own temperature, which can lead to heatstroke.

"This can happen when you're working out rigorously or when you're doing yard work outside on a hot day," she added.

Also read: The Earth's Heat Has Doubled over the Past 14 Years, NASA Warned