A winter storm battered Texas in February, leaving many residents with no water or electricity. Scientists attributed the natural disaster to climate change and are devising ways to prevent another deadly one in the state. During the week of February 13-17, Texas’record–low temperatures and increasing snow totals forced schools to close their doors, and the state’s power grids began to shut down.
Millions were left without heat and clean water also became scarce, and many were unable to boil water without power in their homes. The situation grew so dire that people fled to grocery stores not just to stock up on supplies, but for warmth as well. “During the storm, at least 4.5 million electricity customers in Texas lost power, an estimated 57 people died due to hypothermia, and about 12 million people received ‘boil notices’ because of water quality issues,” according to PBS. Months later, the death toll from the winter storm continues to grow, with 151 dead as of April 30. Causes of death ranged from hypothermia to exacerbation of preexisting health conditions.
Worst of all, the storm brought the deadliest carbon monoxide poisoning crisis in recent history, according to ProPublica. In order to warm up during the storms, many Texans sought refuge in their running cars in garages attached to their homes. Car fumes spread into homes, and since carbon monoxide detectors aren’t required in Texas, people continued breathing in the poisoned air for weeks after the storms. To view the full article visit the Ticker.