SEATTLE (AP) Residents across the Western U.S. endured a blistering heat wave on Saturday, with soaring temperatures leading to hospitalizations. The sweltering conditions were projected to persist through the weekend in regions including Washington, Oregon, Southern California, Nevada, and Arizona.
Around 1.2 million individuals faced an extreme heat risk, characterized by dangerously high temperatures with little to no cooling relief during the nights. The most extensive area under this warning was in Tucson, Arizona, where the National Weather Service predicted highs ranging from 102 to 107 degrees Fahrenheit (39 to 42 degrees Celsius). Inland areas of Southern California were also under significant threat.
Another 18.6 million were under major heat risk nationwide, affecting workers and anyone without regular cooling and hydration, including in Miami.
Portland, Oregon, experienced a potential record-breaking high for August 22, reaching 102 degrees (38.9 Celsius) based on preliminary figures. This, if confirmed, would surpass the previous record of 98 degrees (36.7 degrees Celsius) for that date, established in 1942, according to the NWS.
In the middle of this oppressive heat, participants in Portland’s annual Hood to Coast relay race, extending from Mt. Hood to the Pacific Ocean, faced extreme conditions. One runner, part of a team of athletes aged over 50, fainted after covering a distance of 4 miles (6.4 kilometers).
David Loftus mentioned he couldn’t recall collapsing but was informed by his teammates that it occurred just after he passed the baton. “A passerby noticed me staggering and caught me before I hit the ground,” Loftus stated.
Upon regaining consciousness, Loftus found an ambulance waiting for him. A writer and amateur actor from Portland, he recounted that he had made efforts to stay hydrated and cool before his segment of the race, yet it was insufficient. Following a night of observation at a hospital, he was fortunately able to recover.
Around the time Loftus took the baton, a notice of extreme heat emergency was posted for Portland and the surrounding county. Emergency visits and 911 calls were up.
“Typically, we see a single visit or no visits. Yesterday, we had 16 visits, six of them from Hood to Coast participants,” Brendon Haggerty of the Multnomah County Health Department said via email. “The Portland metro area is facing the highest heat risk of 2025.”
In June 2021 the city recorded a high of 116 (46 Celsius) during a heat wave that resulted in more than 100 deaths. Most of the victims lived alone, and the vast majority were 60 or older, but the youngest was 37, officials said at the time.
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The quote from David Loftus has been corrected to show that someone caught him before he “hit the ground,” not “left the ground.”
