2 Tri-Cities area deaths tied to Northwest heat wave

Two Tri-Cities area people have died due to the heat, according to local coroners.

Franklin County Coroner Curtis McGary said a Kahlotus woman in her early 70s died Wednesday evening.

Emergency responders were called to the house on Thursday morning.

McGary said the house had no air conditioning.

Heat was the primary cause of death for the woman, whose name has not been made public, but she also had underlying health conditions, McGary said.

In Benton County, the family of a 73-year-old woman called 911 for help at her Kennewick home.

She also did not have air conditioning, said Dennis Morris, chief deputy coroner for Benton County.

Paramedics were unable to revive her and the coroner’s office was called, he said.

The woman, whose name was not released, appeared to die of hyperthermia, he said. She had some underlying health conditions.

At least 20 deaths in Washington state and more than 60 deaths in Oregon have been tied to the current heat wave, according to the Associated Press.

Highs not as hot

Temperatures are starting to cool some in the Tri-Cities area, but highs may remain about 10 degrees above normal for as long as two weeks.

An excessive heat warning remains in effect until 8 p.m on the Fourth of July.

The forecast for Thursday in the Tri-Cities put the high at just 99, after earlier forecasts called for several days more of triple digit highs.

However, highs should be back to 101 to 102 through July 4. Then highs are forecast to start to slide to 95 on Wednesday.

More tripe-digit temperatures are expected after that, according to the Weather Channel, which has a two-week forecast.

Temperatures should range from 100 to 104 from Thursday, July 8, to Thursday, July 15, it predicts.

Normal average highs in July in Tri-Cities are about 90 and normal lows are about 59.

This story was originally published July 1, 2021 at 12:09 PM.