Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Record Heat Likely To Blame For Hundreds Of Deaths In Northwest
USA Today: Heat Wave In Northwest Linked To Hundreds Of Deaths
Authorities from Oregon to British Columbia are investigating hundreds of deaths in connection to the historic heat wave in the Pacific Northwest corridor. Temperatures in Oregon topped 117 Monday, according to the National Weather Service, due to a heat dome trapping hot air over the state and its neighbors. At least 63 people have died since Friday, the State Medical Examiner's office said, and "preliminary investigation suggests may be associated with the Pacific Northwest heatwave," said Oregon State Police Captain Tim Fox. That number was based on reports from each county's medical office and could fluctuate as more information becomes available. (Aspegren, 6/30)
AP: Historic Northwest Heat Wave May Have Killed Hundreds
Hundreds of deaths in Canada, Oregon and Washington may have been caused by the historic heat wave that baked the Pacific Northwest and shattered all-time temperature records in usually temperate cities. Oregon health officials said late Wednesday more than 60 deaths have been tied to the heat, with the state’s largest county, Multnomah, blaming the weather for 45 deaths since the heat wave began Friday. British Columbia’s chief coroner, Lisa Lapointe, said her office received reports of at least 486 “sudden and unexpected deaths” between Friday and 1 p.m. Wednesday. Normally, she said about 165 people would die in the province over a five-day period. (Selsky and Morris, 7/1)
The Oregonian: At Least 63 People Died In Oregon Heatwave, Including 45 In Multnomah County, Officials Say
Capt. Tim Fox, an Oregon State Police spokesperson, said the death toll as of Wednesday was based on reports from each county’s medical examiner office, but that number could go up as agencies conduct more investigations and determine causes of death. (6/30)
Reuters: Deaths Surge In U.S. And Canada From Worst Heatwave On Record
"This was a true health crisis that has underscored how deadly an extreme heat wave can be," Multnomah County Health Officer Dr. Jennifer Vines said in the statement. "As our summers continue to get warmer, I suspect we will face this kind of event again." The heat dome, a weather phenomenon trapping heat and blocking other weather systems from moving in, weakened as it moved east, but was still intense enough to set records from Alberta to Manitoba, said David Phillips, senior climatologist at Environment and Climate Change Canada, a government agency.(Warburton and Olmos, 6/30)
And in the Northeast —
The Washington Post: Record Heat In Northeast Bakes Boston And New York
When one side of the Lower 48 is dealing with hot weather, it tends to be relatively cool on the opposite end. Not this week. Heat domes situated over both corners of the contiguous United States on Tuesday promoted record-high temperatures in the Northeast at the same time the Pacific Northwest sizzled amid unprecedented temperatures. Numerous records were set across New England and parts of the Mid-Atlantic region on Tuesday. Both Boston and Hartford, Conn., hit 99 degrees, each setting high marks for the date. Newark matched its highest temperature recorded in June. Records extended from the eastern Great Lakes region to Maine. (Livingston, 6/30)
The New York Times: New York City Alerts Residents To Conserve Energy To Avoid Outages
If four days of sweltering temperatures had not already distressed some New Yorkers, the emergency alert that jolted residents’ cellphones on Wednesday afternoon surely did. “Conserve energy: NYC is urging all households and businesses to immediately limit energy usage to prevent power outages as the intense heat continues,” read the alert, which was sent out citywide around 4 p.m. “Please avoid the use of energy-intensive appliances such as washers, dryers and microwaves. Limit unnecessary use of air conditioning.” (Zaveri and Wong, 6/30)
In related news about the heat wave —
The New York Times: How To Stay Cool In A Heat Wave
Staying cool and hydrating often are the two most important things you can do to avoid feeling sick and discomfort when it’s extremely hot. If you don’t have an air conditioning unit, or if your A.C. has been on nonstop and you still feel hot, here are ways to cool your body and home. (Blum, 6/29)
The Oregonian: How Heat Kills 700 In The U.S. Annually
Nationwide, excessive heat has killed or contributed to killing an average of 702 people annually in the 15 years leading up to 2018, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In that time, researchers have expanded their understanding of how it wreaks havoc on the body and who is most likely to die from it. (Green, 6/30)
NBC News: Heat Wave On West Coast Hints At Climate Change, Scientists Say
Larry O'Neill knew a heat wave was coming, but he still couldn't believe what the climate models were telling him. The projected temperatures for this week were so unusually high — between 115 and 120 degrees Fahrenheit across parts of the Pacific Northwest — that O'Neill, Oregon's state climatologist, felt something must be off." The predictions seemed completely outlandish," said O'Neill, an associate professor at Oregon State University. "They were so crazy insane that professional forecasters and people like myself thought something must be wrong with the models." (Chow, 6/29)
