Deadly NW heat wave prompts effort to boost air conditioning

By SARA CLINE
Associated Press/Report for America

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — After a historic heat wave killed at least 220 people in Oregon and Washington, lawmakers in the Pacific Northwest are eyeing several emergency heat relief bills aimed at helping vulnerable people. The measures would provide millions in funding for cooling systems and weather shelters during future extreme weather events. Extraordinary temperatures in the Pacific Northwest sent public health officials scrambling between June 25 and June 28. Temperatures in Portland, Oregon, reached triple digits for three days, peaking at 116 degrees Fahrenheit. In Seattle, Washington, temperatures reached a record of 108 degrees. One of the bill’s sponsors says swings in weather are getting more extreme, and nowadays a lack of air conditioning can be fatal.