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

Texas froze
(Image credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

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.

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Peter Weber, The Week US

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.