The summer concerts, markets and festivals are in full swing all over the Portland metro area. Due to the extreme heat, however, some celebrations have been cancelled. The heat advisory continued through Sunday. Organizations began cancelling or modifying events because of safety reasons. Some added water misters, shade canopies, and allowed attendees to bring in two outside water bottles.
The extreme heat has already caused several outdoor concerts and events to be dropped altogether. Others chose to modify schedules or add extra safety measures to keep people cool. The heat has also caused deaths over the weekend.
The Friday, July 29 concert at the Waterfront Park was cancelled due to extreme heat. The performance of Curtis Salgado, who was set to headline the concert with special guest Bobby Torres, has not been rescheduled.
Some decided to brave the high temperatures but still took the heat seriously. An Excessive Heat Warning was extended for the northern Willamette Valley, parts of Southwest Washington, Columbia Gorge and Upper Hood River Valley until Sunday night. Forecasters were saying all weekend that Portland could hit triple-digit heat again this weekend.
Experts say if it’s 80 degrees or warmer inside your home, it is dangerous and you should seek out air conditioning. Cooling centers, shelters, and groups distributing cool weather supplies are critical in offering life-saving relief during this heat wave, health officials said.
Multnomah County is extending its emergency declaration through Monday. The county is still adapting to the heat, with cooling shelters open. They say capacity could change as needed. The state said the suspected heat deaths from this weekend could take months to confirm an official cause of death.
