PORTLAND, Ore. — At least 17 people in Oregon have died in the last 11 days from suspected heat-related causes as temperatures in the state remain high.
Washington County reported its fourth death on Monday. An 81-year-old man was found in the 97140 ZIP code on Saturday.
Earlier this month, at least 9 people died of heat-related causes connected to the record-breaking heat wave, which saw multiple rounds of 100-degree temperatures or higher in the days around Fourth of July weekend.
Temperatures dropped out of the triple digits later last week, enough for the National Weather Service on July 9 to lift the Excessive Heat Warning that it had put in place for much of the state. But the deaths continued, with temperatures in the mid 90s and upper 80s.
On Thursday, Washington County said two people had died overnight Wednesday: An 87-year-old man in the 97124 ZIP code, and a 73-year-old woman in the 97006 ZIP code. That same day, Jackson County also had its second death, a 55-year-old man, and Linn County its first, a 56-year-old man.
Multnomah County reported its seventh heat-related death Friday, a 62-year-old man found dead in the 97219 ZIP code on Thursday.
The Multnomah Medical Examiner's Office is investigating each of the deaths. It could take several weeks or months for investigators to confirm the causes of death. Additional tests and investigations will determine whether the deaths were heat-related.
In an update on Friday, Oregon State Medical Examiner's Office reported two more deaths that had occurred Wednesday in Douglas County: A 76-year-old man and a 74-year-old woman.
With temperatures expected to climb again into the upper 90s on Tuesday, with the potential to approach 100 degrees in the Portland and Salem metro area, KGW is issuing a Weather Impact Alert Day for the afternoon and evening hours of Tuesday, which is showing a high of 97 degrees.
