Death toll texas freeze12/11/2023 ![]() ![]() Three-quarters of people had difficulty obtaining groceries, with 71 percent not being able to access internet service, and 63 percent even lacking access to bottled water. Half of Texans lost access to water during the same period with the average time without potable water being 40 hours. According to the same study, 4.5 million homes and businesses were without power at the peak of the blackout, with the economic toll expected to be as high as $295 billion. The outages affected 69 percent of Texans during the week of the storm with the average length of time without power being 42 hours according to a University of Houston study, with some people losing power for up to five days. The death spike was not recorded in surrounding states which did not have widespread and prolonged power outages. The lowest estimate is nearly three times the state’s current numbers. The analysis, reviewed by three independent experts, estimates between 426 and 978 died, using the mortality data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) which tracked the number of excess deaths after the storm in order to establish the number killed by the storm and ensuing blackout catastrophe. “You just have to know that things can happen that can impact you and there’s just a few things that really improve your outcome and your ability to survive and thrive in those circumstances.People wait in line to fill propane tanks Wednesday, Feb. “It almost becomes a preparedness lifestyle here,” he said. Regarding emergency preparedness for another potential freeze, Murray said being prepared for severe weather should be something Harris County residents do throughout the year. Remember to turn portable heaters off when leaving the room or going to bed.Create a "kid-free zone" three feet from open fires and space heaters.Keep anything that can burn at least three feet away from heating equipment, like the furnace, fireplace, wood stove, or portable space heater.Plug space heaters directly into wall outlets, don't use an extension cord or power strip.Check space heaters for cracked or damaged cords and plugs.Also, make sure your space heater has an automatic shut-off in case it tips over. Place space heaters on solid, flat surfaces.The release listed these safety tips for heating to prevent fires and carbon monoxide poisoning: “We want everyone to stay warm and be safe,” Christensen said. In a press release about heating and carbon monoxide safety, Harris County Fire Marshal Laurie Christensen said following proper heating safety is essential. The other 98 deaths were listed as indirectly or possibly caused by the winter storm, including 18 carbon monoxide poisoning deaths. “You really want people to stay at home as much as possible.” “It’s kind of like flooding,” Murray said. Murray added that the safest thing for people to do is stay inside. ![]() Harris County is currently looking to create warming centers to help prevent cold exposure deaths during a freeze, said Brian Murray, a spokesperson with the Harris County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. Of the deaths recorded in the updated DSHS report, 148 were a direct result of extreme cold exposure, with 146 hypothermia deaths and two frostbite deaths, according to the report. Non-Hispanic white people made up 53.7% of the total deaths, and Hispanic people made up 21.5%. Men accounted for 65.4% of the deaths, and people aged 60 and up made up 59.8%. The report found that most of the recorded deaths related to the storm were among white, non-Hispanic men aged 60 and up. A Buzzfeed News analysis published in May 2021 estimated that the freeze and resulting power outages could have caused as many as 700 deaths. ![]() The DSHS report added 36 more deaths to the department’s total death toll for the freeze, which was previously reported as 210 deaths in July 2021. Harris County accounted for 43 out of the 246 deaths in Texas that were related to the February 2021 winter storm, followed by Travis County with 28 deaths. 15, 2021, in Houston.Ī total of 246 Texans lost their lives due to last February’s deadly winter storm, according to a new report the Texas Department of State Health Services. Phillip A man peers out from under a blanket while trying to stay warm in below freezing temperatures Monday, Feb. ![]()
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