Excessive Heat — Lower Columbia, Washington

2014-07-01 · Lower Columbia, Washington

Event narrative

An injury from swimming in the Toutle River, WA during a hot weather spell could be indirectly related to the hot temperatures on July 1, 2014. A man and two children were swimming in the Toutle River when a strong current took the three of them under water. The girl's mother jumped in to help, and also got caught in the current. The man was able to get the woman, her two daughters, and himself to shore and was later airlifted to the hospital for injuries received during the process.

Wider weather episode

An upper level ridge combined with a surface thermal trough and low level offshore winds resulted in a hot day across Southwest Washington where inland temperatures peaked in the upper 90s inland and the upper 80s along the coast. The NWS Portland office had a heat advisory in effect. Many people flocked to the rivers to cool from the heat and there were unfortunately a drowning. Another man was hospitalized after rescuing a woman and two children from the Toutle River.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 517402. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.