At least 111 Texans died from February winter storm, mostly due to hypothermia, state says


The Texas Department of State Health Services said Thursday its latest count shows 111 Texans died during last month's brutal winter storm and accompanying blackouts, nearly double the earlier estimate of 57 deaths. Most of the fatalities were from hypothermia, health officials said, but "multiple deaths" were attributable to motor vehicle accidents, "carbon monoxide poisoning, medical equipment failure, exacerbation of chronic illness, lack of home oxygen, falls, and fire."
The number of deaths will rise again as officials comb through death records and some of the state's larger counties, including Tarrant County (Fort Worth), start reporting storm-related fatalities. The highest number of deaths so far are from Harris County (Houston), with 31, followed by Travis County's (Austin) nine deaths. "The toll now officially exceeds that of Hurricane Harvey in 2017, which was blamed for 68 deaths in Texas," The Associated Press reports.
Hypothermia happens when a body loses more heat than it produces, AP explains. "The body first tries to generate heat by shivering and boosting one's heart rate, but if internal temperatures keep dropping, that slows and the body will restrict blood circulation to extremities to maintain blood in the core and keep internal organs warm." Then, "as people get colder, their mental status can change, and they can become unresponsive and not think as clearly," adds Dr. Deborah Diercks, chair of emergency medicine at UT Southwestern in Dallas.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Those who died of hypothermia include an 11-year-old boy in the Houston area, a man who froze to death outside in San Antonio after apparently falling en route to a dialysis appointment, and a man in Abilene who reportedly froze in his recliner, The Texas Tribune reports. As many as 4 million Texans were without power during the storm as multiple failures pushed the state's independent power grid to the brink of collapse. The state legislature is focusing much of its biennial session on shoring up the grid and addressing other concerns exposed by the storm.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
'Wonder drug': the potential health benefits of creatine
The Explainer Popular fitness supplement shows promise in easing symptoms of everything from depression to menopause and could even help prevent Alzheimer's
-
What's next for Elon Musk?
Today's Big Question The world's richest man has become 'disillusioned' with politics – but returning to his tech empire presents its own challenges
-
Quiz of The Week: 24 – 30 May
Have you been paying attention to The Week's news?
-
EPA is reportedly killing Energy Star program
speed read The program for energy-efficient home appliances has saved consumers billions in energy costs since its 1992 launch
-
US proposes eroding species protections
Speed Read The Trump administration wants to change the definition of 'harm' in the Environmental Protection Act to allow habitat damage
-
Severe storms kill dozens across central US
Speed Read At least 40 people were killed over the weekend by tornadoes, wildfires and dust storms
-
Rain helps Los Angeles wildfires, risks mudslides
Speed Read The weather provided relief for crews working to contain wildfires, though rain over a burn area ups the chances of flooding and mudslides
-
Death toll rises in LA fires as wind lull allows progress
Speed Read At least 24 people have died and 100,000 people are under mandatory evacuation orders
-
Biden cancels Italy trip as raging LA fires spread
Speed Read The majority of the fires remain 0% contained
-
Fast-spreading Los Angeles wildfires spark panic
Speed Read About 30,000 people were under an evacuation order as the inferno spread
-
Hundreds feared dead in French Mayotte cyclone
Speed Read Cyclone Chido slammed into Mayotte, a French territory in the Indian Ocean