Matthew Carr dries himself after cooling off in the Salmon Street Springs fountain before returning work cleaning up trash on his bicycle in Portland, Oregon, on Tuesday, July 26, 2022.
Craig Mitchelldyer/Associated Press
Record heat and flooding are the latest extreme weather events in the US this summer.
A man in St. Louis died after record rainfall submerged parts of the city.
Pacific Northwest temperatures topped 100 degrees in places, and more than 85 million people were under heat advisory.
Extreme weather events have dominated this summer in the US, with some regions seeing record-breaking heat, while others experienced fatal flooding.
A man in St. Louis died after record rainfall caused flash flooding, submerging his car in more than 8 feet of water, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported. Area fire departments rescued more than 400 people during the flood, while 10 puppies drowned at a dog-rescue center in a St. Louis suburb, the newspaper reported.
Parts of the city’s light-rail system were damaged in the flood when waters covered the tracks. Residents who use the damaged areas of the public transit system were advised to seek alternate transportation “until further notice,” likely for two weeks, according to the Post-Dispatch.
The impact of Tuesday’s rainfall and flooding is expected to be felt by St. Louis residents for weeks, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.
Meanwhile, residents of the Pacific Northwest are coping with grueling heat. The governor of Oregon declared a state of emergency in 25 of the state’s counties on Tuesday, with temperatures expected to top 100 degrees for most of the week, KGW8 reported. In western Washington, temperatures on Tuesday broke records.
More than 85 million Americans were under heat warnings as of Sunday, NPR reported.
“I encourage everyone to take proactive steps to keep themselves and their families safe, including drinking plenty of fluids, taking advantage of cooling centers, and checking in on neighbors, friends, and loved ones,” Oregon Gov. Kate Brown said in a statement.
Seattle’s previous record temperature for July 26 was 92 degrees, but this year it reached 94 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. The city of Bellingham saw a 4-degree increase, from its 1988 record of 86 degrees, to this year’s 90 degrees.
Heat in the region isn’t expected to let up for the rest of the week, ABC News reported. Parts of California, Nevada, and Idaho are under heat alerts until Saturday.
Curry Mayer, Seattle’s director of emergency management, offered resources to those struggling with the heat, and warned residents that high temperatures become more common due to climate change.
“Extreme heat is a deadly hazard we will see more of in Seattle as a result of climate change,” Mayer said in a statement. “We ask residents to take extreme heat seriously by understanding the danger and learning how to protect yourself, your family, and your neighbors.”