Record-Breaking Heat Causes Havoc Throughout Pacific Northwest

Posted: July 5, 2021 10:36 am

Dozens of Deaths Blamed on Heatwave in the Pacific Northwest

The record-breaking heat has finally started to subside in the Pacific Northwest. However, the heat left a wake of destruction in its path.

Portland Infrastructure Cracks Under the Heat

While the heat was undoubtedly uncomfortable for people living in Portland, the infrastructure of the city also took a beating. After three days of record-breaking temperatures, Rose City is now dealing with streets that buckled under the heat as well as melted power cables.

Part of the problem was that the temperatures at night did not drop below the 75-degree mark. This delivered little relief to the region needing a break to cool off before the sun rose again.

Prior to this heatwave, the city’s all-time high recorded temperature was 107 degrees, going all the way back to August of 1981. Saturday barely topped that with a high of 108. However, the heat was just getting started. Sunday reached a high of 112 degrees while Monday came in at an astonishing 116 degrees.

Average high temperatures this time of the year hover in the high 70s and low 80s, proving this heatwave was truly one for the record books.

Heat-Related Illnesses Deaths Reported in Oregon

In an area of the country where many homes do not have air conditioning, it is no surprise to learn that the heat brought on many illnesses. According to the Oregon Health Authority, over 600 people made visits to emergency departments over the course of four days to seek help for heat-related illnesses.

Sadly, Oregon authorities have reported that the heatwave is to blame for at least seven deaths in the state. Bend, Oregon, Mayor Sally Russell declared a local state of emergency on Tuesday after multiple heat-related deaths were reported at a homeless camp in the area.

Washington Does Not Fare Any Better

Up the road in Washington, the situation was not much better. Officials in the Evergreen State are reporting at least 676 emergency room visits due to heat-related symptoms. At least 80 of these visits led to admission to the hospital because of the severity of the symptoms. So far, there have been two fatalities in Washington because of the heat. Both confirmed cases were at the hands of hyperthermia, otherwise known as overheating of the body.

Like Portland, Seattle also experienced a string of triple-digit temperatures that shattered a handful of long-standing records. The Emerald City reached 108 degrees on Monday, gaining the distinction of being an all-time high for the city. The average high at the end of June in Seattle is only 74 degrees.

Also similar to Portland, Seattle was forced to deal with issues in the infrastructure because of the relentless heat. The major thoroughfare of Interstate 5 buckled in places because of the heatwave. Transportation authorities were also spotted spraying bridges to keep the metal from expanding.

Canadian Scorcher

The US was not only the country dealing with this record heat. As the heat spread to the north, western Canada was also under the grips of scorching temperatures. Starting on Sunday and continuing through Tuesday, the British Columbia town of Lytton broke the all-time high temperature in Canada for three straight days. The high on Sunday was 116 degrees, only to be topped the next day with a recording of 118 degrees. But the real heat came on Tuesday when the town recorded a high of 121 degrees.

This reading shattered the previous all-time record for Canada of 113 degrees, going all the way back to July 5, 1937, in Saskatchewan.

Although the temperature never reached triple digits in the city of Vancouver, the area was still dealing with major issues because of the 90-degree heat. In a city that is not accustomed to this type of heat, the residents were caught off guard. Like Seattle and Portland, most homes in Vancouver are not equipped with central air conditioning. This makes it difficult for people to escape the heat.

Recent Posts