Pacific Northwest officials continue to gather more information about the death toll. They want to understand who is most at-risk to make certain a heat-related mass casualty event doesn’t ever happen again.
A number of safeguards are in the planning stages. Potential solutions include climate-friendly air conditioning. And improvements to the electrical grid are also being considered. Planting more trees might mitigate the heat island effect. And better social service programs to check on the elderly and the homeless are being planned to protect residents if the next heatwave strikes.
