Jul 13, 2021
Multnomah County today released a preliminary report on excessive heat deaths from the June 2021 heat wave.
At least 54 people died from hyperthermia during the historic June 25-28 heat dome, which shattered records as temperatures rose to 108 degrees, then to 112 and finally to 116, with overnight lows so warm that people without air conditioning had little chance to cool off between.
As of July 9, the Multnomah County Medical Examiner’s Office had identified 71 deaths in which the suspected cause of death was hyperthermia. Of those so far, 54 have been formally ruled hyperthermia deaths. The Medical Examiner’s Office will be working to finalize the data in the coming weeks as toxicology and additional housing information become available.