At least 70 people across the United States have died of weather-related causes after more than a week of frigid winter storms and frigid temperatures, according to reports from government officials, police departments, medical examiners and the media.
The number is likely to rise as authorities scramble to assess the death toll from the extreme cold, icy roads and high winds, especially in parts of the country unaccustomed to long bouts of deep freezes.
A man died Monday in Tennessee after falling through a skylight while removing snow from the roof of a business. In Pennsylvania, five women from the same family were killed in a collision with a trailer, just moments after they met on the side of a snow-covered highway after a separate accident. On Wednesday in Oregon, a tree limb weakened by wind and ice toppled a live power line, killing two adults and a teenager.
Tennessee has suffered a particularly high number of deaths. At least 25 people appear to have died from weather-related causes, including hypothermia, falls and traffic accidents, according to state health officials. In Oregon, at least 11 people were reported to have died from weather-related causes, including three killed by a power line. Both states declared a state of emergency last week, as did Kentucky, where at least five people died during the cold snap.
“Please take some time today to check in on your family, friends and co-workers and make sure they have what they need to stay safe and warm,” Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said in a statement on Friday.
Traffic accidents — often caused by cars spinning out of control on icy and snowy roads — are among the most common causes of death during cold snaps. Hypothermia is another threat, especially for people who do not have access to shelter or heat. Downed power lines can also increase the risk of fire or electrocution.
But deaths caused by cold weather are difficult to count. Causes of death vary widely, and it may take some time for authorities to determine the exact circumstances of a traffic accident, heart attack, or fall.
“It's very difficult to compile this kind of information, because there's a lot of ambiguity,” said Alan W. Black, a climate and extreme weather expert at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.
He added: “There is still a lot of research to be done to understand the exact impact of winter weather in the United States, and I think it is a very important topic to explore because we simply do not know the impact.” “
The weather remained cold across the country on Sunday, with the temperature in Nashville reaching 3 degrees Celsius. Parts of Texas saw temperatures in the 30s on Sunday, and Chicago and Milwaukee saw temperatures in the teens.
But the freeze promises to collapse starting Monday. Temperatures are expected to rise across the country, reaching above-average levels in many places, said Bob Oravec, chief meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Maryland.
Instead of hail and snow, many areas could see heavy rain, including eastern Texas to the lower Mississippi Valley, which includes Louisiana, Arkansas and Tennessee. The West Coast will also have humid weather conditions. California expects heavy rain and snow in the Sierra Nevada.
People tend to underestimate the risks of extreme temperatures, said James Marshall Shepherd, a weather and climate expert at the University of Georgia. But cold snaps like the one that swept the country this month are often more deadly than hurricanes and other relatively dramatic weather events.
Dr Shepherd said people in the South can be particularly vulnerable to severe weather, especially in low-income areas, those with high population densities or not accustomed to the cold.
During summer heatwaves, which are hotter than they used to be, many people in the South feel at least somewhat acclimated, Dr Shepherd said. But the decades-old infrastructure common in Southern states is often ill-suited to the type of icy weather much of the region has seen over the past week. He added that many residents may not have the necessary resources — such as reliable heating or warm clothing — to stay safe.
“When everyone gets a cold, we get the flu,” he added.
