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In what’s becoming a tragic rite of Portland metro summers, two people died from what the medical examiner suspects was heat exposure late last week in Multnomah County.
The first victim, a 59-year-old man, died in the 97233 ZIP code, which includes Rockwood and Mill Park, on or before Aug. 14, according to the county medical examiner. The second, a 57-year-old woman, was found dead a day later in 97214, home to the Inner Eastside industrial area and the Hawthorne District.
Once very rare in the Northwest, deaths from heat stroke and related illnesses have been rising along with summer temperatures. The June through August period of 2024 was the hottest on record in North America, according to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. June 2025 was the third hottest June.
The mercury soared early last week in Portland, hitting 99 degrees Fahrenheit for three straight days starting Sunday, Aug. 10.
None of those temperatures were records, but they were high enough to kill people without access to air conditioning and proper hydration. Both deaths occurred east of the Willamette River, where tree cover is half of that on the West Side.
The fatal July heat wave followed a record-breaking one in June. Portland hit 96 degrees on June 8, breaking the old record for that date of 94 degrees in 1955.
The deadliest month on record for heat fatalities was June 2021, when a freak, three-day heat dome settled over the Metro area, driving temperatures to an all-time high of 116 degrees on June 28. Sixty-nine people died during that event, according to Multnomah County, and a total 72 died that summer.
This year’s two deaths are under investigation as potential heat-related deaths. Confirmation will take several weeks to months, the county said.
