Multnomah County Death Toll Rises to 59 From Heat Wave

The state tally is now up to 95 heat-related deaths—a number likely to climb.

Heat Wave A Portland man tries to cool down in the Willamette River. (Wesley Lapointe) (Wesley Lapointe)
By Sophie Peel

Update: On Sunday, July 4, Multnomah County said the death toll from the previous weekend’s heat had risen by five people to 64 fatalities.

The number of Multnomah County residents who died from heat-related illness during the past week has risen to 59. Across Oregon, the death toll stands at 95.

For the past three days, Multnomah County health officials have updated the public on how many known deaths have been found to be related to the historic heat wave that enveloped the Pacific Northwest earlier this week.

On Friday, the number of deceased was at 59. That’s up from 51 on Thursday and 45 on Wednesday.

Those determined to be dead from the heat wave are overwhelmingly men—39 men and 19 women—and the mean age is 68.

“There’s much we don’t yet know about the people who died, including how many were experiencing homelessness,” spokesperson Julie Sullivan-Springhetti said in the county’s press release. “The overwhelming majority of people died in their homes, but at this stage, we are not able to release the exact number of people experiencing homelessness because of missing information and because establishing homelessness takes intensive death investigation and follow-up.”

On Thursday, the county declined to provide names or addresses to WW of those who have died from the heat, saying the request does not serve the greater public interest. State officials have similarly denied media requests for the addresses or race of people who died from the heat.

In Friday’s press release, the county said it would be analyzing the deaths and disseminating that information once it’s compiled.

“[The cases will] take time to review and finalize; and that deeper analysis will take time. The county plans to share those findings with the public, as it will help all of us plan for and respond to emergencies,” the county wrote.

The state tally is now up to 95 heat-related deaths—a number likely to climb. The Oregon medical examiner’s office today identified the age, gender and county of those who have died so far.



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