Hurricane Beryl’s impact on Texas continues to be felt as heat-related deaths rise among those who lost power. The storm’s death toll has now reached at least 23, highlighting the severe conditions faced by residents in the aftermath.
In Spring, Texas, Janet Jarrett’s attempts to keep her 64-year-old sister, Pamela, cool proved futile. On the fourth day without power, Pamela, who was wheelchair-bound and reliant on a feeding tube, succumbed to the extreme heat. Despite paramedics’ efforts, she was pronounced dead at the hospital.
“It’s so hard to know that she’s gone right now because this wasn’t supposed to happen to her,” Janet Jarrett lamented.
The storm knocked out power to nearly 3 million homes and businesses, leading to prolonged outages in Houston and surrounding areas. The high temperatures following the storm created dangerous conditions, particularly for those without air conditioning.
Hospitals reported a significant increase in heat-related illnesses during this period.
Power was restored to most areas by last week, but the slow response has raised questions about CenterPoint Energy’s preparedness. The utility company is now under scrutiny for its handling of the crisis.
Understanding the full impact of the storm may take weeks or even years. Initial deaths were caused by high winds, falling trees, and flooding. As the days progressed, additional fatalities resulted from heat exposure and accidents during cleanup efforts.
In Harris County, where Houston is located, half of the storm-related deaths were heat-related, according to the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences. Officials are still assessing whether other recent deaths should be attributed to the storm.
Lara Anton, a spokesperson for the Texas Department of State Health Services, stated that it might take until the end of July to obtain a preliminary count of storm-related deaths.
Death certificate data will be analyzed to identify these fatalities, with medical certifiers providing additional information on how each death was related to the storm.
Experts stress the importance of both direct counts from death certificates and analyses of excess deaths to understand the storm’s true impact. Dr. Lynn Goldman from George Washington University emphasizes that excess death analysis, which compares the number of deaths during the storm period to expected deaths under normal conditions, provides a more comprehensive view.
This analysis can reveal deaths that might have been overlooked, contributing to better public health and emergency management planning. Gregory Wellenius from Boston University highlights that understanding the circumstances of each death can help improve future preparedness.
The rising death toll underscores the need for improved disaster response and support systems to protect vulnerable populations in extreme weather conditions. As Texas continues to recover, the lessons learned from Hurricane Beryl will be crucial in preventing future tragedies.
