Additional fatalities confirmed in Multnomah County's June heat wave total

PORTLAND, Ore. — The number of people who died during June's heat dome in Multnomah County is rising six months after the initial extreme weather event.

Earlier this year, Multnomah County identified 62 people who died due to the June heatwave. As of this week, that number is now 68, county officials confirmed.

Additionally, the county reported that there are five other heat deaths that fell outside of the dates of the June heat event -- two that occurred earlier in June and three that occurred in August. Multnomah County has seen a total of 73 heat deaths this year.

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This news comes as the City of Portland is taking steps to make sure that fatalities like these don't happen in the future.

The city council has just approved the Heat Response Program, which will allow them to give 15,000 air conditioner units to at-risk people across Portland.