Multnomah County seeks billions in damages from fossil fuel companies over deadly 2021 heat dome.

Multnomah County in Oregon is suing 17 fossil fuel companies for nearly $52 billion in damages and future costs for climate adaptation, alleging that their products contributed to the deadly heat dome event in 2021 that killed 69 people in the county. The lawsuit claims that the companies "rapaciously sell fossil fuel products and deceptively promote them as harmless to the environment," leading to disasters like the heat dome. The county is seeking $50 million in actual damages, $1.5 billion in future damages, and $50 billion to better prepare for the changing climate. The lawsuit is part of a growing list of similar lawsuits filed by cities and counties across the US attempting to hold fossil fuel companies accountable for their role in causing human-caused climate change.