Texas death toll from February storm, outages sits at 111, could rise
AUSTIN, Texas - February's winter storms were more deadly than previously thought. In fact, the state says the death toll has nearly doubled from what was originally reported.
The death toll for those winter storms last month now sits at 111. The Texas Department of State Health Services says these numbers could rise as its investigation continues.
The number one cause of death was hypothermia, with other causes including vehicle crashes, carbon monoxide poisoning, medical equipment failure, lack of home oxygen, and falls.
Out of the 111 lives lost, 15 were from Central Texas, with nine in Travis County, two in Williamson County, and one each in Fayette, Lee, and San Saba counties.
There are three ways the department is notified of a disaster-related death:
- Medical certifiers submit a DSHS form specifying that particular death was related to a disaster
- Medical certifiers flag a death record as disaster-related
- DSHS epidemiologists match public reports of disaster-related deaths to death certificates
Central Texans could get relief from massive electric bills due to winter storm
February's winter storm and power outages left many looking at huge electric bills but relief could be on the way. State lawmakers are looking to reduce overcharges to utility companies which in many cases were passed down to customers. FOX 7 Austin's John Krinjak has details.
While the numbers have risen, DSHS continues to investigate other deaths that happened during those storms. DSHS says it will be updating this information weekly.