According to a CBS News count, there have been at least 95 verified weather-related deaths tied to last week’s winter weather, even as severe cold continues to affect the nation.
The Tennessee Department of Health has reported 25 weather-related deaths, while at least 16 have perished in Oregon, including three people killed when a tree fell on their car. According to CBS News, one of the babies in the truck survived.
Additional deaths were recorded in Illinois, Pennsylvania, Mississippi, Washington, Kentucky, Wisconsin, New York, and New Jersey, among other places.
Some deaths are still being investigated to see whether the weather caused them. This includes one person who died in a five-vehicle collision in Kentucky, as well as four deaths in Illinois, two of which were caused by an automobile accident.
Some jurisdictions advised drivers to use additional caution on the highways during the extreme frost. Mississippi officials urged citizens to “be aware of black ice on the roads, and drive only if necessary.” The state announced three more weather-related deaths on Sunday, bringing the total to 11 in Mississippi since January 14.
This weekend saw dangerous weather across the United States. Tens of millions of Americans were bracing for severely cold, below-average temperatures on Saturday, as the eastern half of the country is expected to suffer some of the coldest weather this season, with deadly wind chills and hard freeze advisories reaching into northern Florida.
According to the National Weather Service, driving will be treacherous over most of the country Sunday night and Monday early. Freezing rain is expected across the Southern Plains, Mississippi Valley, and Ohio Valley.
To be safe in cold weather, doctors recommend bundling up if you have to go outside, exercising caution when running equipment such as space heaters, and keeping an eye out for indications of dangerous diseases like hypothermia.
On the West Coast, Oregon remains under an emergency following devastating ice storms that knocked out power to over 45,000 consumers. Other power outages have occurred in Pennsylvania, California, New Mexico, and Indiana.
Forecasters predict the snowy, icy weather will continue into early next week.
“Arctic air will combine with Gulf moisture to form an ice mess from Oklahoma to Illinois. “Travel will be dangerous on Monday,” warned Molly McCollum, a meteorologist with The Weather Channel, on Saturday.
A warming trend is projected to cause a thaw by the middle of the week. According to The Weather Channel, warm air and rain might combine to increase the danger of flooding in the Midwest and Northeast.