By Kris McDowell
Summer is here and as we’ve seen in recent years, we can expect high heat days in our future. Summer 2024 was the hottest year on record in North America and here in Oregon we experienced extremely hot temperatures throughout the summer. Starting with record-breaking heat in early May, through our hottest July ever and even into September (the second hottest ever) we saw multiple days of heat.
Multnomah County has put together information and resources around heat that includes when people are at risk, who experiences the worst effects of high heat and what actions can be taken to help keep the community safe. They also highlighted other hazards we need to keep in mind during the summer.
Heat-related emergency room and urgent care visits, hospitalizations and fatalities have continued to remain higher than normal since the 2021 heat dome. Heat-related illness includes a wide range of conditions and symptoms caused by continuous exposure to warm temperatures, with every person’s sensitivity to heat being different and changing over time.
The National Weather Service has a HeatRisk tool (wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/heatrisk) that identifies potential heat risks in the seven day forecast. The five-category, color-coded tool identifies who is at risk at each category level. It doesn’t have to be that hot for illness to strike and as such, Category 2 (Moderate-Risk), should be noted by heat-sensitive groups, especially those without cooling or hydration; those not acclimated to this level of heat; and even healthy people exposed to heat for longer amounts of time. Additionally, heat effects are cumulative. In 2024, 82 percent of heat-related emergency room and urgent care center visits occurred during a heat event where there were two or more days in a row of Category 2 or higher. Abe Moland, senior environmental health research evaluation analyst with Multnomah County, said, “The longer heat goes on, the greater risk of heat-related illness. Even when temperatures drop after a multi-day event of high heat, warm weather can still stress the body and cause illness.”
Heat-sensitive groups include people ages 50+; people with certain health conditions; people using certain medications; people without reliable A/C access; people working in hot environments; young children; people doing strenuous exercise; and people not acclimated to the heat expected. People in these groups should monitor conditions and take action when Category 2 (Moderate Risk) or higher is forecast.
It’s not just unhoused people that are at risk; in fact over the last three years, 79 percent of deaths associated with heat occurred at the resident’s home. “Indoor conditions can be as dangerous as outdoor conditions if there isn’t reliable air conditioning,” said Moland. Many people wait until it’s hot before considering getting a cooling unit and many people are worried about the cost of running air conditioning. Fans can help cool, but only when the temperature is below 90F inside. Above that threshold, A/C is worth the cost.
Even cooling off for a little while makes a big difference in a person’s risk of heat-related illness. In addition to cooling centers, which are only open on the hottest days, there are multiple other locations Multnomah County suggests to cool off. They include movie theaters, libraries, arcades, pools, malls, grocery/hardware/garden/bookstores, shaded park areas and a neighbor’s house with A/C.
Beyond heat, air quality is a summer health hazard, especially for people with respiratory sensitivity. Brendon Haggerty, Healthy Homes and Communities Manager in the Health Department, said, “There are a couple of ways air quality commonly deteriorates in our area during the summertime. The first one, of course, is wildfire smoke. We often see that coming in from other parts of the Pacific NW or even further. Sometimes that comes in way up high in the atmosphere and doesn’t really have health effects when it’s that high up, it just looks hazy. Other times it blows in at ground level and that’s when people who have a respiratory sensitivity really need to start paying attention and taking protective measures.”
He continued that, “The other way our summer air quality can deteriorate is ozone. It’s great when ozone is way up high but it’s harmful when it’s at ground level. Ozone is basically smog and it’s a respiratory irritant.” Multnomah County monitors air quality every day and will issue red day advisories when poor air quality is expected. Individuals can monitor air quality by entering their zip code at airnow.gov.
Waterways can also prevent a summer health hazard. As the weather warms, people tend to spend more time around water for recreation or to cool off, increasing the risk of drowning. Drowning is preventable and even when it isn’t fatal, water submersion can have a range of outcomes from mild to severe. Wearing a life jacket and avoiding intoxicants is always a good idea in the water. Early in the season, mountain snowmelt keeps natural waterways cold and running fast, even as air temperatures rise.
By being aware of summer hazards and knowing what can be done to mitigate the most severe outcomes, we can keep ourselves and our community safer. Visit multco.us/hot for information about cool spaces, cooling centers and other resources during hot weather and for tips to stay safe in and around lakes and rivers, visit oregonmetro.gov/parks/water-safety.