As temperatures surge across Oregon, the National Weather Service has issued an Extreme Heat Watch, Heat Advisories and Extreme Heat Warnings for parts of Oregon, Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS), and the Oregon Department of Emergency Management (OEM) are urging all residents to take precautions against the dangerous heat affecting the region. Heat of this intensity poses serious health risks for everyone—particularly older adults, children, people with disabilities, outdoor workers, pregnant people, and those without air conditioning.  Erin McMahon, Director of the Oregon Department of Emergency Management, emphasized that one of the most serious risks during extreme heat is how easily people underestimate its effects over time. “It’s not just about a single hot day,” she said. “The real danger comes from the ongoing impact of several days of high temperatures without a break, which can have deadly consequences.” She noted that during the July 4–7 heatwave last summer, 11 people in Oregon lost their lives—making it one of the most lethal weather events in the state’s history. “Heat is deadly,” she warned, “and we must respond to it with the seriousness it demands.”