People struggled to tap resources during Northwest heat wave

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Oregon officials say people struggled to get rides to cooling centers during the recent heat wave that’s believed to have killed hundreds across the Pacific Northwest. And staffing shortages prevented callers from reaching operators at an information line. State authorities are examining their response to scorching temperatures that broke all-time records across the region late last month. Oregon, Washington state and British Columbia believe hundreds of deaths are likely due to extreme temperatures. Oregon officials contacted providers, set up cooling centers and connected with vulnerable populations. But community members complain they didn’t know where to go to cool down and struggled to find that information.