As Texans are still reeling from Hurricane Beryl’s damage (and many are still without power), it becomes clear that the excessive heat is also responsible for many deaths.
Still Not Over
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It has been nearly two weeks since Hurricane Beryl hit southeast Texas, knocking out power for millions of residents.
However, the death toll from the storm is still climbing…
Tallying Lives Lost
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On July 8th, the hurricane ushered in damaging winds, heavy rain, widespread flooding, and multiple power outages across southeast Texas when it slammed into the state.
As of Sunday, the death count of people who died from various storm-related causes (which includes heat illnesses, drowning, and injuries sustained during the storm and cleanup) is at least 23, as per local officials.
One Major Storm
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Beryl might have reached the Texas Gulf Coast as a Category 1 hurricane, but almost 3 million homes, schools, and businesses were left without power during the storm’s peak.
Don’t Forget the Heat
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While hundreds of thousands of Texans were left in the dark for more than a week, heat index levels climbed into the triple digits in some regions.
Attempting to fight off the heat, many residents checked into hotels, stayed at family and friends’ homes, sought shelter at cooling centers, and even slept in their cars.
Could Some Deaths Have Been Prevented?
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According to an update on Thursday by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences, 14 people aged between 50 and 78 died between July 8th and 14th.
Seven of those deaths occurred because of “environmental heat exposure due to loss of electricity during and after Hurricane Beryl.”
Power Out
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Officials in the Galveston-, Matagorda-, and Montgomery counties reported a minimum of 9 other storm-related fatalities, with 6 of them linked to the extended power outage.
This One Was Worse
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These statistics mean that, technically, Beryl claimed more lives in the Houston area than Hurricane Ike, as reported by the Houston Chronicle on Friday.
According to the Harris County Flood Control District, Ike hit Galveston Island, located about 55 miles southeast of Houston, in September 2008 as a Category 2 hurricane, leaving 11 people dead.
Not Good Enough
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The utility company CenterPoint Energy was criticized by state- and local officials, including Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, because of the Houston area’s prolonged power outages.
Explain Yourselves
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CenterPoint Energy was given a deadline by Abbott last week to devise a strategy for minimizing future outages. Failure to comply may lead to the issuance of executive orders to tackle the company’s inadequacies.
Fatal Temperatures
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On Monday, Abbott stated at a news conference in Houston: “The lack of power (from) CenterPoint continues to compromise lives here in the Greater Houston-Harris County area.”
He reiterated the severity of the situation by adding: “If you are without power in the extreme heat that we are facing, that alone can cause challenges.”
Unable to Help
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During the height of the storm, hospitals reported an increase in heat-related illnesses after Beryl knocked out the power to over 3 million homes and businesses.
Light for Some
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Last week, most of those affected by blackouts finally had their electricity turned back on.
However, CenterPoint Energy has been placed under mounting scrutiny over whether it was properly prepared for the storm in the first place.
Helping the Needy
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According to Abbott, state- and local agencies are busy providing necessities, such as ready-made meals and access to food and water, to those who are still without power.
Studying the Deaths
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The death toll will likely continue to rise, as power outages and cleanup efforts are still underway.
Officials are still busy examining whether some deaths that have already happened should be categorized as storm-related or not.
Still Counting
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The Texas Department of State Health Services uses data from death certificates to identify storm-related deaths. According to one of its spokespersons, Lara Anton, they may not even have a preliminary count before the end of July.
Lots of Work Ahead
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Specialists suggest that although a tally of storm-related deaths recorded from death certificates is valuable, examining the additional deaths that happened during and after the storm can provide a more comprehensive understanding of the impact.
To calculate that figure, researchers compare the number of lives lost during that period to the projected number of deaths under typical circumstances.
Covering All Bases
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Dr. Lynn Goldman, dean of the Milken Institute School of Public Health at George Washington University, says the excess death analysis is valuable in helping to calculate deaths that might have gone unnoticed.
Both Could Work
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As stated by Gregory Wellenius, director of the Boston University School of Public Health’s Center for Climate and Health, there are benefits to both counting the death certificates and calculating the excess deaths.
A More Complete Calculation
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Wellenius says that the excess death study offers a more correct approximation of the total number of lives lost.
That is why it’s useful not only for public health and emergency management planning, but also for evaluating the impact of climate change.
The Devil’s in the Details
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However, he mentioned that it “doesn’t tell you who,” emphasizing the significance of understanding the unique situations surrounding storm fatalities to show what makes certain individuals vulnerable.
“If I just tell you 200 people died, it doesn’t tell you that story of what went wrong for these people, which teaches us something about what hopefully can we do better to prepare or help people prepare in the future,” Wellenius said.
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