‘Heartbreaking’: Deadly Heat Sets Off Public Health Disaster
Despite local officials' efforts to reach vulnerable people as temperatures hit historic highs in the West, the official death toll continues to rise, with hundreds more possible.
CBS News:
Hundreds Of Deaths Blamed On Heat Wave In U.S. And Canada
Hundreds of deaths in Canada and the U.S. are being blamed on a historic heatwave broiling the West. About 100 deaths have been confirmed so far in the Western U.S., while in British Columbia, Canada, nearly 500 sudden deaths have been reported. Officials believe the fatalities are likely linked to the extreme weather. "I worried that people were just going to think of it as a nuisance but it really has been life-threatening," said Multnomah County health officer Dr. Jennifer Vines. (Luciano, 7/1)
AP:
Hundreds Believed Dead In Heat Wave Despite Efforts To Help
Many of the dead were found alone, in homes without air conditioning or fans. Some were elderly — one as old as 97. The body of an immigrant farm laborer was found in an Oregon nursery. As forecasters warned of a record-breaking heat wave in the Pacific Northwest and western Canada last weekend, officials set up cooling centers, distributed water to the homeless and took other steps. Still, hundreds of people are believed to have died from Friday to Tuesday. (Selsky, 7/2)
The Oregonian:
Heat-Related Death Toll Rises To 79 In Oregon
The Oregon State medical examiner on Thursday reported another 16 deaths likely due to heat, bringing the statewide toll from the spate of extreme weather to 79. In Multnomah County, a total of 52 deaths are now linked to the severe heat. The preliminary cause of death is hyperthermia, county officials said. (Crombie, 7/1)
The Oregonian:
Gov. Brown Was Unaware Of Heat Deaths During Oregon’s Reopening Celebration
As the state celebrated its grand reopening Wednesday in Portland, medical examiners were working on a grim tally of the lives lost during Oregon’s record-breaking heat wave. “Welcome back, Oregon,” Brown said, as she ended her speech at Providence Park around noon Wednesday, pumping her fist in the air. “Let’s make it happen.” (Acker, 7/1)
Also —
Reuters:
U.S. West Faces Little-Known Effect Of Raging Wildfires: Contaminated Water
Early this spring, water bills arrived with notes urging Fort Collins Utilities customers to conserve. The Colorado customers may have thought the issue was persistent drought in the U.S. West. But the problem was not the quantity of water available. It was the quality. Utilities are increasingly paying attention to a little-known impact of large-scale fires: water contamination. (Bryson, 7/1)
WLRN 91.3 FM:
Health Effects Of Extreme Heat Underscore Equity Gap
In May, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava appointed a chief heat officer. The position is the first of its kind statewide and nationally. Levine Cava says the role was created due to the rising heat index and its disproportionately adverse effects on marginalized communities in South Florida. The rising heat index is part of the overarching issue of climate change in South Florida. Extreme heat affects all Floridians on some level. (Salazar, 7/1)
