The sweltering heat appears to have caused at least five deaths in Oregon since Friday.
On Monday, the Multnomah County Medical Examiner鈥檚 office reported it is looking into three possible heat-related deaths of county residents.
The first suspected heat-related death was reported on Friday, when a man was found dead in the Cully neighborhood. Two more deaths were reported on Sunday: One man was found dead in the Mt. Scott area and another was found in the Hazelwood neighborhood.
Additionally, on Saturday, a man from outside of Multnomah County died from a suspected heat-related illness after he was taken to a Portland hospital. Officials confirmed Monday, the man was a resident of Clackamas County.
A fifth heat-related death was also reported over the weekend in Coos County.
Nearly all areas of Oregon are expected to remain under excessive heat alerts through at least Tuesday night. Gov. Tina Kotek declared a state of emergency for all of Oregon last week.
Temperatures soaring into the triple digits has historically been rare in Oregon. But the latest heat wave is part of a that has been more evident in the past four years.
The National Weather Service says temperatures are expected to peak Tuesday when highs could reach 105 degrees in the Willamette and Hood River valleys. Tuesday's temperature in Medford is forecast to peak at 108 degrees.
Officials are not releasing any additional details about the four men鈥檚 deaths in Multnomah County. They added that the causes of death are preliminary and more tests are needed to confirm.
Heat-related illnesses are among the leading causes of death related to extreme weather. In 2021, 96 people died in a heat wave extending across the state. Most of those people lived in Multnomah County.
A fifth heat-related death was also reported over the weekend in Coos County, according to the Oregon State Medical Examiner鈥檚 office. He was found in Coos Bay and was 33 years old. At this time, no additional details surrounding his death have been released.
Additional reporting contributed by Liam Moriarty/JPR News
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