KENNEWICK — Three more Tri-Cities residents have died from heat-related causes, bringing the total to four in the current heat wave.
An elderly couple and a 70-year-old man were discovered in Richland in the past two days, all believed to be linked to the heat, Benton County Coroner Bill Leach told the Tri-City Herald.
Luis Saavedra Vieyra was found by his family at home in a Richland mobile home park at 611 Columbia Park Trail, Leach said.
Family last talked to Vieyra the day before he was found. The mobile home had no air conditioning and it appeared he may have been trying to leave the home when he was overwhelmed. The temperature inside was about 100 degrees when he was found.
He was a retired Tyson Foods worker who had lived in the Tri-Cities for 40 years, according to a funeral home notice.
On Tuesday, David Rhodes, 90, and his wife, Alice Rhodes, 85, were found dead in their home on Sedgewick Place near the Highway 240 bypass about 9 p.m., Leach said.
The couple were a constant fixture at Sterling’s Restaurant, and employees became concerned when they didn’t show up for breakfast for a couple of days, Leach said.
An employee reached out to a family member, who went to check on them. When the Rhodes didn’t answer the door, police and medics were called.
Officials believe they may have been dead for at least a week.
Leach said an autopsy is scheduled for the couple because it’s unusual to have two people die from the heat at the same time.
The air conditioning was on but appeared to be blowing hot air, and there were several fans set up in the bedroom. It was 99 degrees inside the home at the time.
All three had underlying health conditions that contributed to their deaths, he said.
The first death of this Tri-Cities heat wave was a 61-year-old man who likely died Wednesday, July 10, in his motor home in a farming area about five miles east of Pasco. The temperature in the Tri-Cities reached 108 that day.
Franklin County Coroner Curtis McGary said intoxication appeared to contribute to his death.
The man was last seen on July 10, and friends found his body when they checked on him three days later. The coroner said mid-morning Saturday that the temperature in some areas of the motor home was as hot as 112.
Tri-Cities weather forecast
High temperatures in the Tri-Cities are expected to continue to be at least 100 degrees through Monday, dropping to 98 on Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service forecast.
This weekend highs of 105 to 106 are forecast in the Tri-Cities.
But cooler weather is coming.
Highs have been at least 100 and has hot as 109 for 12 days — from July 5 through Tuesday in Tri-Cities.
The Weather Channel, which gives a longer forecast than the weather service, expects Monday to be the last day with triple digit highs through the end of July.
Normal highs for the middle of July are 93 degrees and normal lows are 57 degrees.
Hotter than normal temperatures at night don’t give much relief at night. Lows are forecast at 67 to 72 degrees at night, cooling to 65 on Monday night.
The Tri-Cities is seeing some haze from Northwest wildfires. Air quality was rated as “moderate” for part of Wednesday.
