Current:Home > ScamsTexas officials put the final death toll from last year's winter storm at 246 -消息
Texas officials put the final death toll from last year's winter storm at 246
View
Date:2025-04-14 07:04:56
Nearly a year after a deadly winter storm left Texans freezing and in the dark, state officials say they know the final death toll.
The Texas Department of State Health Services adjusted the number of people who died from last February's storm to 246 people — up from July's tally of 210. The victims, who spanned 77 counties in Texas, ranged in age from less than one year old to 102.
Last February's massive winter storm spread ice, snow, and freezing temperatures throughout Texas. The state's weak utility grid couldn't stand up to the record-breaking cold and left millions without power for days.
Most of the storm's victims died from hypothermia, according to the state's report.
Dozens of people also died from accidents on roads, falls, and fires. The prolonged loss of power also led to some victims losing access to necessary medical equipment, such as oxygen tanks or dialysis machines. At least 19 people died from carbon monoxide poisoning as they tried to heat their homes or cars as the unrelenting cold continued.
The state's new report counts victims of the storm as those who were found after the storm passed and people who were injured during the storm, but died at a later date.
Since the deadly blackout, regulators in Texas have implemented changes forcing power companies to ramp up weatherization requirements at their facilities. So far, officials there are feeling confident that the "lights will stay on," according to Texas Public Radio.
The state's Public Utility Commission says it is enforcing those new regulations. Power plants had until December to file winter preparedness reports, though 13 of them did not do so.
veryGood! (67749)
Related
- House passes bill to add 66 new federal judgeships, but prospects murky after Biden veto threat
- World’s Leading Polluters Have Racked Up a $10 Trillion Carbon Debt
- Olivia Wilde Reacts to Wearing Same Dress as Fellow Met Gala Attendee Margaret Zhang
- Resolution Opposing All New Fossil Fuel Infrastructure Passes in Portland
- Why we love Bear Pond Books, a ski town bookstore with a French bulldog 'Staff Pup'
- There's a bit of good news about monkeypox. Is it because of the vaccine?
- Poll: One year after SB 8, Texans express strong support for abortion rights
- Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story Costume Designers Reveal the Wardrobe's Hidden Easter Eggs
- North Carolina trustees approve Bill Belichick’s deal ahead of introductory news conference
- California Makes Green Housing Affordable
Ranking
- Jamie Foxx reps say actor was hit in face by a glass at birthday dinner, needed stitches
- Migrant Crisis: ‘If We Don’t Stop Climate Change…What We See Right Now Is Just the Beginning’
- Dancing With the Stars' Lindsay Arnold Gives Birth, Welcomes Baby Girl With Sam Cusick
- Shop the Best Silicone-Free Conditioners for All Hair Types & Budgets
- Rylee Arnold Shares a Long
- It's definitely not a good year to be a motorcycle taxi driver in Nigeria
- Jamie Foxx Breaks Silence After Suffering Medical Emergency
- Fumes from Petroleum Tanks in this City Never Seem to Go Away. What Are the Kids Here Breathing?
Recommendation
Buckingham Palace staff under investigation for 'bar brawl'
Today’s Climate: May 4, 2010
Today’s Climate: May 21, 2010
Whatever happened to the Botswana scientist who identified omicron — then caught it?
Arkansas State Police probe death of woman found after officer
Climate Policy Foes Seize on New White House Rule to Challenge Endangerment Finding
EPA Science Advisers Push Back on Wheeler, Say He’s Minimizing Their Role
Today’s Climate: May 18, 2010