A new state report finds that more Oregonians are suffering from respiratory, cardiac and mental health issues due to extreme weather linked to climate change, with rural, elderly and minority communities being hit hardest.
But new investments in portable air conditioners, home air purification systems and gardens and green spaces are helping to mitigate the effects, according to a new report from the Oregon Health Authority. Oregon Climate and Health report.
In their analysis of 2023, officials found that higher-than-expected numbers of people across the state visited emergency rooms for respiratory illnesses and heatstrokes, and suffered mental health issues long after a natural disaster occurred. The impacts of air pollution from wildfires were particularly severe among older adults, rural residents and Oregonians of color. American Indians, Alaska Natives, Black residents, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders were twice as likely as the statewide average to seek medical care for respiratory illnesses related to air pollution, according to the report.
But since the first annual report was released in 2020, required by executive order from former Gov. Kate Brown, the Legislature has invested in programs to help Oregonians adapt.
Health officials aim to reduce emergency room visits for smoke-related respiratory illnesses by 20 percent, heatstroke-related hospitalizations by 60 percent and heatstroke-related deaths by 70 percent by 2030.
To help meet the state’s goals, the 2023 Legislature allocated nearly $100 million for climate adaptation and health resilience programs, including improving access to green space and healthy, sustainable food, and paying for home air purifiers and air conditioners. Health officials are also charged with educating the public about climate risks and modernizing health services to meet climate challenges.
“Climate change poses a significant and growing threat to public health,” Department Director Sejal Hathi and Interim Public Health Director Kara Biddlecomb wrote in a letter accompanying the report. “Anything less than a public health system that is equipped, resourced and coordinated to prevent, mitigate and adapt to the health impacts of climate change is acceptable.”
According to the report, smoking-related asthma emergency room visits and hospitalizations are expected to increase health care costs in Oregon by nearly $100 million by the 2050s.
The hottest year on record
Globally, 2023 was the hottest year on record, but Oregon avoided the exceptional wildfires of 2020 and the “heat dome” heatwaves of the summer of 2021, when temperatures reached triple digits from late June through mid-July. The Oregon Health Authority did not expect such an event to occur in the Portland metropolitan area until 2050, the report said.
In Oregon, 139 people are expected to die from heat-related causes between 2020 and 2023, including more than 100 deaths in 2021, three times as many deaths during this period as in the previous decade. According to the report, 25% of deaths were due to cardiovascular disease, and 87% of those were people aged 50 or older.
We also looked at the long-term impacts of the 2020 wildfire season and the 2021 heat dome.
The 2020 Labor Day fires burned more than 1 million acres, destroyed 5,000 homes, largely destroyed the towns of Gates, Detroit, Phoenix and Talent, and killed nine people.
Researchers found that mental health disorders, such as uncontrollable anxiety, were more prevalent among wildfire survivors, even years after the events. Authorities said making communities more resilient to climate change and adapting to heat and wildfires must be integrated into recovery and rebuilding efforts after such disasters.
Health officials are trying to reach different demographics in different parts of the state, according to the report. Surveys show older Oregonians would prefer to hear about upcoming extreme weather events on local television, while many other residents prefer text messages. But more resources are needed, especially to help households get filters, wildfire emergency supplies, and upgrade their doors and windows to ensure they’re completely sealed.
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