Current:Home > MyTexas officials put the final death toll from last year's winter storm at 246 -Elevate Capital Network
Texas officials put the final death toll from last year's winter storm at 246
View
Date:2025-04-12 10:31:18
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! (2234)
Related
- McKinsey to pay $650 million after advising opioid maker on how to 'turbocharge' sales
- Why break should be 'opportunity week' for Jim Harbaugh's Chargers to improve passing game
- Plans to build green spaces aimed at tackling heat, flooding and blight
- Giants name former catcher Buster Posey new President of Baseball Operations, replacing Farhan Zaidi
- Former longtime South Carolina congressman John Spratt dies at 82
- Best tech gadgets for the fall: Gear up for the season with these new gadgets
- Best Early Prime Day Home Deals: Prices as Low as $5.98 on Milk Frothers, Meat Thermometers & More
- Martin Short Details Nervous First Day on Only Murders Set with Meryl Streep
- Average rate on 30
- Ariana Grande Reveals Every Cosmetic Procedure She's Had Done
Ranking
- Jorge Ramos reveals his final day with 'Noticiero Univision': 'It's been quite a ride'
- 'Surreal' scope of devastation in Asheville, North Carolina: 'Our hearts are broken'
- Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs appeals for release while he awaits sex trafficking trial
- Drake Hogestyn, ‘Days of Our Lives’ star, dies at 70
- Apple iOS 18.2: What to know about top features, including Genmoji, AI updates
- Murder in a Small Town’s Rossif Sutherland and Kristin Kreuk Detail “Thrilling” New Series
- Photos and videos capture 'biblical devastation' in Asheville, North Carolina: See Helene's aftermath
- Dikembe Mutombo, NBA Center Legend, Dead at 58 After Cancer Battle
Recommendation
Romantasy reigns on spicy BookTok: Recommendations from the internet’s favorite genre
5 dead, including minor, after plane crashes near Wright Brothers memorial in North Carolina
Criminals set up fake online pharmacies to sell deadly counterfeit pills, prosecutors say
Alleging landlord neglect, Omaha renters form unions to fight back
Jorge Ramos reveals his final day with 'Noticiero Univision': 'It's been quite a ride'
Many small businesses teeter as costs stay high while sales drop
Inside Frances Bean Cobain's Unique Private World With Riley Hawk
A Black man says a trucking company fired him because he couldn’t cut off his dreadlocks