It has been so hot in Portland, Ore., in recent days that streetcar power cables are melting, bringing transit service to a halt for days.
Portland Streetcar shared a photograph of one of the damaged cables on Twitter on Sunday, and the image is quickly becoming a symbol of an anomalous heat wave that has gripped the Pacific Northwest for days.
"In case you're wondering why we're canceling service for the day, here's what the heat is doing to our power cables," the tweet read.
Amid the heat, street cars have also been hindered by sagging overhead wires and power issues, according to a statement from Portland Streetcar. TriMet's regional MAX light rail system also suspended service due to similar issues with overhead wires and extreme heat.
Temperatures in the Pacific Northwest have soared to unfathomable levels amid a historic heat wave, and the blistering heat has exposed a region with infrastructure not designed for it. Blackouts were reported throughout the region as people trying to keep cool with fans and air conditioners strained the power grid.
“We are not meant for this,” Washington Gov. Jay Inslee said of the Pacific Northwest in an interview Monday on MSNBC. “This is the beginning of a permanent emergency ... we have to tackle the source of this problem, which is climate change.”
Heat-related expansion caused road pavement to buckle or pop loose in many areas, including on Interstate 5 in Seattle. Workers in tanker trucks in Seattle were hosing down drawbridges with water at least twice a day to prevent the steel from expanding in the heat and interfering with their opening and closing mechanisms.
Monday marked the hottest day of the unprecedented and dangerous event scorching the Pacific Northwest, with temperatures obliterating records that had been set just the day before.
Seattle hit 108 degrees by evening — well above Sunday’s all-time high of 104 F. Portland, Oregon, reached 116 after hitting records of 108 on Saturday and 112 on Sunday.
The temperatures were unheard of in a region better known for rain, and where June has historically been referred to as “Juneuary” for its cool drizzle. Seattle's average high temperature in June is around 70, and fewer than half of the city's residents have air conditioning, according to U.S. Census data.
The heat forced schools and businesses to close to protect workers and guests, including some places like outdoor pools and ice cream shops where people seek relief from the heat. COVID-19 testing sites and mobile vaccination units were out of service as well.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
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Portland streetcar power cables melt in extreme heat - SFGate
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