Heatwave in Oregon tied to at least 116 fatalities [Video]

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• The heatwave death toll in Oregon has reached 116, according to the state’s medical examiner as of Wednesday.
• Gov. Kate Brown has urged state officials in Oregon to amplify its emergency response amid the soaring temperatures.
• The heatwave had broken all-time records in several US cities and in British Columbia in Canada.

Amid the continuous heat wave that has been progressing in the Pacific northwest, the number of fatalities in the state of Oregon has reached 116.

The death toll data was updated by the state’s medical examiner on Wednesday, who added another nine new deaths due to the extreme heat.

Based on the latest tracking, the youngest deceased individual was 37 while the oldest victim was 97.

At Multnomah County in Portland city, where the highest fatalities were recorded, authorities said that those victims who passed away had no air conditioners or even fans in their homes. They just simply succumbed to the heat. 

Oregon Gov. Kate Brown (D) on Tuesday requested concerned agencies to determine how the state can cope up with the ongoing heatwave phenomenon. She has directed the state to beef up its emergency response and other initiatives to prevent residents from dying from the extreme heat following a report of a deceased farm laborer collapsing due to the weather. The worker passed away last June 26 at a nursery in rural St. Paul.

In the previous three-day heat wave across the Pacific northwest, soaring temperatures have surpassed all-time records in Oregon and Washington, as well as in British Columbia in Canada. Per authorities, the recent fatalities that had already reached to hundreds could be pointed to the severe hot weather being experienced across the region.

According to meteorologists, the heat wave was caused by what they call a ‘dome of high pressure’ over the Northwest, which was made even worse by climate change. Such an occurrence would result in extremely hot weather.

Temperatures have soared to over 115 degrees Fahrenheit (about 46 Celsius), surpassing the all-time heat records in Portland, Seattle and other neighboring cities across the Northwest region.

Source: AOL.com