Why a Devastating Winter Storm Claimed 29 Lives Across the U.S.
Quick Summary
A devastating winter storm sweeping across the U.S. has led to at least 29 deaths from a range of tragic incidents beyond just the cold. Winter recreation turned fatal for two families when a 16-year-old girl in Texas and a 17-year-old boy in Arkansas were killed in separate accidents after sleds they were being towed on crashed into trees. The grueling task of snow cleanup also proved lethal, with three men in Pennsylvania, all between 60 and 84, dying in separate incidents while shoveling, prompting a coroner's warning about the risks of overexertion, especially for those with heart conditions. This danger was echoed by the deaths of a retired police officer on Long Island and another man in New Jersey who died while shoveling, and a woman in Massachusetts was killed when a snowplow backed into her. The storm's deadly reach was widespread, with eight deaths in New York City, a person found dead from hypothermia in Austin, Texas, and additional fatalities reported in Tennessee, Louisiana, Mississippi, Kansas, Ohio, and South Carolina, highlighting the extensive and varied dangers of the severe weather.
A devastating winter storm that swept across the U.S. has left a heartbreaking toll, with the Associated Press now linking at least 29 deaths to the severe weather. The tragedies weren't just caused...
A devastating winter storm that swept across the U.S. has left a heartbreaking toll, with the Associated Press now linking at least 29 deaths to the severe weather. The tragedies weren't just caused by the cold, but by a range of heartbreaking situations, from the physical strain of cleanup to winter fun gone horribly wrong.
Tragically, what should have been simple winter recreation turned fatal for two families. In Frisco, Texas, a 16-year-old girl was killed when a sled she was riding—towed by a car—hit a curb and slammed into a tree. A distressingly similar incident in Arkansas claimed the life of a 17-year-old boy, who struck a tree while being pulled by an ATV through the snow.
For many, the grueling task of clearing snow also proved to be unexpectedly lethal. Three men in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, all between 60 and 84 years old, died in separate incidents while shoveling. The county coroner issued a public warning about the risks, urging people to be cautious, "especially individuals with a history of heart disease or other medical concerns." This danger wasn't confined to Pennsylvania; a retired police officer on Long Island died while shoveling, and another man in Verona, New Jersey, was found dead with a shovel still in his hand. The hazards went beyond overexertion, as a woman in Massachusetts was killed when a snowplow backed into her in a parking lot.
The storm's deadly reach was felt far and wide. Eight people died in New York City alone, and in the Austin, Texas area, a person was found dead from apparent hypothermia in a gas station parking lot. The death toll continued to climb elsewhere, with officials reporting four deaths in Tennessee, three in Louisiana, two in Mississippi, and one each in Kansas, Ohio, and South Carolina.