King County reports 11 heat-related deaths

The King County Medical Examiner's Office reports that as of Wednesday, June 30, there have been at least 11 heat-related deaths, and one drowning.

As temperatures rose to record-breaking levels during Seattle's heatwave, the number of emergency department visits and emergency medical service responses in King County also spiked.

According to Seattle & King County Public Health, 94 King County residents visited the emergency department for heat-related illness on Sunday, June 27.

During Monday, as temperatures in Seattle soared to a record-breaking 108 degrees, emergency departments in King County saw 226 visits for heat-related illnesses.

The heat wave brought more than just record-breaking temperatures, it also shattered King County's record of single one-day high of heat related illnesses since Jan. 2018, which was nine visits.

But even as temperatures began to drop on Tuesday, 105 King County residents visited emergency rooms for heat-related illnesses. Of those reported visits, 32 patients were admitted to the hospital; 27 were ages 65 and older.

The most common discharge diagnoses among admitted patients were heat exhaustion, heatstroke and sunstroke, acute kidney failure, and fever.

EMS responses for heat-related illnesses also surged. From Saturday to Monday, EMS services in King County responded to 338 incidents linked to heat-related illnesses.

According to KCMEO, EMS systems typically respond to around 600 incidents per day, but the number of EMS incidents spiked during the heatwave, peaking on Monday at 1,053 responses in a single day.

Authorities in Oregon say they're investigating 60 deaths possibly linked to the heat.