Texas power outage, winter storm leaves many residents dead

While snow covered much of Texas on Sunday, an 11-year-old boy in the Houston area played happily outside. Seeing the snow was the first time for the boy, who came to the United States from Honduras two years ago with his mother, she told the Houston Chronicle.

Less than 24 hours later, when temperatures dropped to almost single digits and homes across the state were without power, the boy died.

Early that morning, a man from San Antonio left his home for a dialysis appointment – but he never arrived. His wife found him unanswered almost two hours later, in the cold climate, according to KSAT. Local officials said the man’s death may have been from exposure to the cold.

In Abilene, first aid found a 60-year-old man dead at his home on Wednesday. His wife, who was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment, said they had no light for three days. Fire department members told KTXS that it was both cold inside and outside.

Across Texas, winter storm-related deaths continued to rise this week amid freezing temperatures, widespread power outages and shortages of drinking water. Although there are reports that dozens of deaths are related to the Texas storm, experts say the death toll is probably much higher. And it may take weeks or months before the true magnitude is known.

“It is a slow process. We can have preliminary information in weeks, not days, ”said Chris Van Deusen, a spokesman for the Texas Department of Health Services. A statewide survey of deaths caused by the storm is underway, he said. But the state will not have a good indication until death certificates are filed.

A spokesman for the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences, which performs autopsies, was unable to provide the total number of deaths associated with the storm on Thursday and had no idea when that information would be available.

Likewise, in Travis County, a spokesman estimated that a count of storm-related deaths could be available in 30 to 90 days.

The Houston Chronicle reports that more than two dozen people in Harris County alone have died from events related to this week’s freezing weather. And the threat is far from over. Thousands of Texans are still without electricity, food and drinking water.

As with any natural disaster, this week’s storms have left a “disproportionate effect” on homeless people, said Eric Samuels, president of Texas Homeless Network. He asked Texans to provide help to support local shelters and advocacy groups, which have already been depleted by the coronavirus pandemic.

“Unfortunately, in many of our communities, [local organizations] they are the ones who assume most of the responsibility and burden of helping people during these times, ”he said.

Authorities reported an increase in hypothermia, as power outages meant that people lived days in sub-zero temperatures. A handful of deaths have already been attributed to hypothermia, including three people who died in their homes in Harris County, the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences said on Thursday.

Hypothermia is caused by prolonged exposure to cold, when a person’s body loses more heat than it produces. Low body temperature affects a person’s brain and can cause confusion, memory loss or death.

Public officials are also warning Texans talk about the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning, citing an alarming increase in visits to the emergency room due to the dangerous, odorless gas.

Most of the cases were caused by the internal use of heating sources, such as charcoal grills and gas generators. These machines release carbon monoxide which, if not used in a well-ventilated area, can be fatal in minutes.

Two people died in Houston and two others were rushed to hospital after the family took their car to warm up in a closed garage, NPR reported.

Harris County judge Lina Hidalgo called the rise in carbon monoxide poisoning cases “a disaster within a disaster.”

Dr. Justin Fairless, a board member of the Texas College of Emergency Physicians, also warned that the transmission of COVID-19 remains a real threat as people gather in shelters and in the homes of friends and family. He urged Texans to continue to take precautions such as wearing masks and socializing when interacting with people outside their home or at large gatherings, such as water distribution points.

Above all, Fairless warned the Texans not to delay seeking treatment if they felt bad.

“If you think something is going on medically, don’t just sit at home waiting for it to pass,” he said. “Get medical care.”

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