Current:Home > reviewsTexas officials put the final death toll from last year's winter storm at 246 -Wealth Momentum Network
Texas officials put the final death toll from last year's winter storm at 246
View
Date:2025-04-17 11:14:29
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! (6982)
Related
- 'Squid Game' without subtitles? Duolingo, Netflix encourage fans to learn Korean
- A court might hear arguments before the election on Fani Willis’ role in Trump’s Georgia case
- Why Miley Cyrus Can't Stop Working Out In Heels
- Brittany Mahomes Encourages Caitlin Clark to Shake Off the Haters Amid WNBA Journey
- IRS recovers $4.7 billion in back taxes and braces for cuts with Trump and GOP in power
- Jason Kidd got most out of Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving as Mavericks reached NBA Finals
- Should you buy Nvidia before the 10-for-1 stock split?
- Florida ends Oklahoma's 20-game postseason win streak with home-run barrage at WCWS
- Retirement planning: 3 crucial moves everyone should make before 2025
- Minnesota prosecutor was reluctant to drop murder charge against trooper, but ultimately did
Ranking
- $73.5M beach replenishment project starts in January at Jersey Shore
- Atlanta water woes extend into fourth day as city finally cuts off gushing leak
- Skier Jean Daniel Pession and Girlfriend Elisa Arlian Die After Mountain Fall, Found in “Final Embrace
- Janis Paige, star of Hollywood and Broadway, dies at 101
- Intel's stock did something it hasn't done since 2022
- Two fetuses discovered on city bus in Baltimore, police say
- Hailey Bieber Shares Timeline Update on Her Pregnancy
- Poppi sodas 'are basically sugared water' due to low prebiotic fiber content, lawsuit says
Recommendation
Meet the volunteers risking their lives to deliver Christmas gifts to children in Haiti
How To Prepare Your Skin for Laser Hair Removal
'Holy cow': Watch as storm chasers are awe-struck by tornado that touched down in Texas
Sally Buzbee, executive editor of The Washington Post, steps down in 'abrupt shake-up'
In ‘Nickel Boys,’ striving for a new way to see
Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Starter Home
Indiana Fever legend Tamika Catchings weighs in on Caitlin Clark, cheap shot, WNBA pressure
Poppi prebiotic soda isn't as healthy as it claims, lawsuit alleges