Pierce County sees its death toll from June’s extreme heat nearly double with new count
Pierce County’s death toll from the recent extreme heat wave nearly doubled with a revised count issued Tuesday by the Pierce County Medical Examiner’s Office.
In a statement, the office said Pierce County confirmed deaths from the extreme heat in late June was now at 23.
The office noted: “There are still deaths under investigation and this number may change. Publicly releasable information will be released after next-of-kin notifications have been made.”
In its last update July 2, the office announced 12 had died in Pierce County from the heat.
The Department of Health has said that the majority of heat-related deaths occurred in Pierce and King counties. In an update July 12, the state reported 25 deaths in King County, and a total of 91 statewide.
This story was originally published July 13, 2021 at 11:19 AM.
