Current:Home > ScamsTexas officials put the final death toll from last year's winter storm at 246 -CapitalCourse
Texas officials put the final death toll from last year's winter storm at 246
View
Date:2025-04-15 15:02:39
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! (33362)
Related
- Trump invites nearly all federal workers to quit now, get paid through September
- Despite indefinite landing delay, NASA insists Boeing Starliner crew not stranded in space
- Terry Dubrow and Heather Dubrow's Family Photos Are Just What the Doctor Ordered
- NASCAR at Nashville 2024: Start time, TV, streaming, lineup for Ally 400
- How to watch the 'Blue Bloods' Season 14 finale: Final episode premiere date, cast
- 4 dead, 9 injured after a car crashes into a Long Island nail salon; driver arrested
- Gabby Thomas wins 200 at Olympic track trials; Sha'Carri Richardson fourth
- Hurricane Beryl, super-charged by warm seas, stuns experts
- The city of Chicago is ordered to pay nearly $80M for a police chase that killed a 10
- Houston LGBT+ Pride Festival and Parade 2024: Route, date, time and where to watch events
Ranking
- As Trump Enters Office, a Ripe Oil and Gas Target Appears: An Alabama National Forest
- ‘A Quiet Place’ prequel box office speaks volumes as Costner’s Western gets a bumpy start
- Massive roof section at Delhi international airport collapses in storm, crushing cars and killing one driver
- MLB trade deadline 2024: Another slugger for Dodgers? 4 deals we want to see
- Sam Taylor
- US Olympic gymnastics trials live updates: Simone Biles, Suni Lee highlight Paris team
- See them while you can: Climate change is reshaping iconic US destinations
- Stock market today: Asian stocks log modest gains as economic data are mixed for Japan and China
Recommendation
Retirement planning: 3 crucial moves everyone should make before 2025
The high price of summer: Daycare and camp costs are rising. Here's how to save money
Noah Lyles wins 200 at Olympic trials, qualifies for sprint double
How To Survive a Heat Wave on a Fixed Income
McConnell absent from Senate on Thursday as he recovers from fall in Capitol
The Republicans who want to be Trump’s VP were once harsh critics with key policy differences
Why Normani Canceled Her 2024 BET Awards Performance at the Last Minute
Tia Mowry's Ex-Husband Cory Hardrict Shares How He's Doing After Divorce