Updated July 9th, 2021 at 21:16 IST
Record breaking US Pacific northwest heatwave claims lives of almost 200 people
The health authorities have reported 116 deaths in Oregon and 78 in Washington state. The heatwave swept through these states and Canada’s British Columbia.
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Nearly 200 people have died in two US states due to the record-breaking heatwave in the Pacific Northwest region. The health authorities have reported 116 deaths in Oregon and 78 in Washington state. The heatwave swept through these states and Canada’s British Columbia.
Deaths in the US due to heatwave
In Oregon, most deaths were reported in Portland’s Multnomah county. Many people who died lacked air conditioning or fans and died alone, reported AP citing health officials. The Oregon Governor, Kate Brown on Twitter said that she has directed agencies to expedite their review process as to how the local and state emergency response can improve its handling of heat emergencies.
I met today with @OregonOEM Director Phelps about Oregon's recent unprecedented heat wave. I have directed OEM to expedite their review process as they assess local and state emergency response efforts and determine what worked well & what we can do better when extreme heat hits.
— Governor Kate Brown (@OregonGovBrown)
We must do everything we can to be better prepared for these types of weather events by making sure vulnerable Oregonians are connected to information and available resources, and that all Oregonians are prepared for severe weather events.
— Governor Kate Brown (@OregonGovBrown)
The health authorities said that there were seven heat-related deaths in Washington from mid-June to the end of August. The Washington health authorities have revealed that between 2015 to 2020, there were a total of 39 deaths from May through September. Scott Lindquist, Acting State Health Officer of Washington in the statement said that the rise in deaths due to the heatwave is "tragic".
"This huge jump in mortality due to heat is tragic and something many people thought they’d never see in the Pacific Northwest with its mostly moderate climate,” said Scott Lindquist in the statement.
"But climates are changing, and we see the evidence of that with dramatic weather events, major flooding, historic forest fires, and more", Scott Lindquist added.
The data on fatalities comes at a time when a study has revealed that the scorching heatwave that hit Canada and the US in June was "virtually impossible" without climate change. A team of climate researchers from the World Weather Attribution group said that extreme heatwave, which is supposed to be a once-in-a-1000-year-event is now likely to appear about 150 times more than its normal routine. The study revealed that in the Pacific Northwest and Canada climate change was responsible for about 3.6 degrees of the heatwave.
IMAGE: AP/Unsplash
Inputs from AP
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Published July 9th, 2021 at 21:16 IST