Residents of Multnomah, Clackamas, and Washington counties now have access to a clearer picture of how climate change impacts health, thanks to the release of five new health dashboards that track local effects of extreme weather and poor air quality. Per a news release from Multnomah County, these tools build upon previous data reports, forming a more comprehensive picture of the region's climate and health status over fourteen years.
The dashboards, updated with data from 2014 through 2024, showcase newly monitored variables such as mental health impacts, specific diseases like Valley Fever, and the effects of extreme cold, including injuries from ice falls and carbon monoxide poisoning during power outages while still maintaining tabs on factors like emergency department visits for respiratory illnesses, which have steadily increased and rates of communicable diseases which have surged since 2020. The new dashboards also delve into socioeconomic disparities, showing, for instance, that "climate change unequally impacts the most vulnerable communities," according to Multnomah County Healthy Homes & Communities Manager Brendon Haggerty, noting that the affected demographics vary by county.
Tracking climate change's toll on human health has emerged as a priority, with the dashboards revealing heightened incidents of heat-related illness post-2021's heat dome and more frequent days of unhealthy air quality, culminating in 2024 with a significant rise in emergency department visits for respiratory issues. Dr. Sarah Present, Clackamas County's health officer, underscored the value of such data for public health action stating, "Having this information about how and where we are seeing the effects will improve our whole community’s ability to prepare," emphasizing the importance of identifying at-risk communities for targeted support, as per the Multnomah County website.
One disturbing trend is the growth in mental health issues linked to climate events, with a multi-lingual survey indicating a majority of respondents experiencing extreme weather-related stress though reflective of an impacted demographic particularly amongst youth and frontline communities the same survey highlighted strategies like community engagement that could foster resilience. Kathleen Johnson, Washington County’s senior environmental health coordinator, envisions the dashboards as a means for regional partners to "coordinate and focus our resources on communities that need more support in building their resilience," as mentioned on the Multnomah County website.
