The late June heat wave that scorched the Pacific Northwest, with triple-digit temperatures breaking records in multiple states, is now being blamed for nearly 100 deaths in Oregon, according to the state’s medical examiner office.
The somber news follows an unprecedented blast of heat from June 25 to 28 that included temperatures of at least 100 degrees in counties across the state. Portland, the largest city in the Beaver State, broke its all-time temperature record for three straight days, topping out at 116 degrees – significantly warmer than the average June highs in the 80s, according to National Weather Service data.
Gilliam and Marion counties showed the state’s highest temperature of 117 degrees,