Nearly 250 people in the northwestern part of the United States and British Columbia have died amid a historic heatwave that has broken or gotten close to record temperatures.
In Canada, the chief coroner, Lisa Lapointe, said at least 223 deaths were reported from last Friday through Monday afternoon and warned that the “number will increase as data continues to be updated” in a statement.
“Since the onset of the heat wave late last week, the BC Coroners Service has experienced a significant increase in deaths reported where it is suspected that extreme heat has been contributory,” she said. “The Coroners Service would normally receive approximately 130 reports of death over a four-day period.”
PORTLAND STREETCAR SERVICE REOPENS AFTER CLOSING DUE TO RECORD HEAT WAVE
People are prepared with umbrellas to shield the sun during a heat waveLapointe also warned that “environmental heat exposure can lead to severe or fatal results, particularly in older people, infants and young children and those with chronic illnesses.”
The Vancouver Police Department has decided to redeploy “dozens” of officers as “heat-related deaths have depleted front-line resources and severely delayed response times throughout the city,” the department said in a statement.
“Vancouver has never experienced heat like this, and sadly dozens of people are dying because of it,” Sgt. Steve Addison of the department explained. “Our officers are stretched thin, but we’re still doing everything we can to keep people safe.”
From Friday through Monday, the police force responded to more than 65 “sudden deaths,” however, there were “more than a dozen others waiting for police to be dispatched” at the time the statement was released. Comparatively, the department said, they usually respond to “between three and four” such calls.
“Until this subsides, our priority will be responding to crimes-in-progress and calls that involve an immediate risk to the public,” Addison added. “We’re asking everyone to be patient and to understand that we’re doing everything we can to respond to your calls for help.”
The Pacific Northwest has also been experiencing record highs in recent days.
Portland, Oregon, set new record-high temperatures three days in a row, reaching 116 degrees on Monday, while Seattle, Washington, reached 108 degrees, also a record high, and two other locations in Washington got as hot as 118 degrees, which if confirmed, would tie the state’s record high that dates back to 1928, according to CNN.
A fire department Capt. and ambulance personnel treat a man with heat exposureIn Washington, 676 people visited an emergency room with heat-related symptoms, while the Oregon Health Authority said there were 506 such visits there.
Officials have said 12 residents of the Pacific Northwest have died during the heatwave, per the Associated Press.
Many climate activists are raising sirens about the belief that the heat wave is tied to climate change.
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The heat is also creating concerns for the Pacific Northwest’s infrastructure. The Portland Streetcar closed temporarily over the weekend, and on social media, they posted a photo of a power cable with a hole in it, which they said was a result of the heat. There have also been reports of asphalt streets buckling in the heat.
