SEATTLE (AP) — The Western U.S. faced a scorching heat wave on Saturday, resulting in hospitalizations, with temperature predictions remaining dangerously high through the weekend across Washington, Oregon, Southern California, Nevada, and Arizona.
Around 1.2 million individuals were under severe heat warnings, anticipating persistently high temperatures without any overnight cooling. The most affected region was Tucson, Arizona, where the National Weather Service predicted temperatures between 102 and 107 degrees Fahrenheit (39 to 42 degrees Celsius). Inland Southern California also encountered extreme heat risks.
Another 18.6 million were under major heat risk nationwide, affecting workers and anyone without regular cooling and hydration, including in Miami.
Preliminary data indicated that Portland, Oregon, reached a record temperature of 102 degrees (38.9 Celsius) on August 22, potentially surpassing the previous high of 98 degrees (36.7 Celsius) set in 1942, as per the NWS.
The oppressive heat posed challenges for participants in Portland’s annual Hood to Coast relay race, which spans from Mt. Hood to the Pacific Ocean. At least one runner in a team of athletes over 50 fainted after running 4 miles (6.4 kilometers).
David Loftus, part of the relay, mentioned that he does not recall collapsing, but his teammates informed him that it happened shortly after passing the baton. “A stranger noticed me staggering and caught me before I fell,” Loftus stated.
Upon regaining consciousness, Loftus saw an ambulance ready to assist him. A writer and amateur actor from Portland, he explained on Saturday that he had hydrated and cooled himself with water before his segment of the race, yet it wasn’t enough. He was observed overnight in a hospital but has since recovered.
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.”
