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Harris County has seen more than 300 cases of carbon monoxide poisoning as temperatures hit an all-time low in Houston on Monday and the state’s electricity grid failed, prompting people to seek heat sources. This includes 90 calls for carbon monoxide poisoning to Houston firefighters and 100 cases to Memorial Hermann emergency rooms.
Many cases have come from people using barbecue pits and generators indoors to stay warm, said Drew Munhausen, a spokesperson for Memorial Hermann. Doctors are treating 60 of these cases at the hospital’s Texas Medical Center.
“With this number of patients entering, it turns into a mini mass event,” said Dr. Samuel Prater, a UTHealth emergency physician who works with Memorial Hermann. More than half of the patients were children, Prater said.
More than a million people lost power in the Houston area as demand for electricity skyrocketed on the coldest night in 32 years.
Other hospitals also treat people who have fallen ill from unsafe heating practices. Ben Taub Hospital has treated four cases of carbon monoxide poisoning, while Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital has treated 10 cases since Monday afternoon. Baylor-St. Luke Medical Center has seen five cases of carbon monoxide poisoning in the past day, according to the hospital.
Several people have already died in search of heat. An 8-year-old woman and girl died of suspected carbon monoxide poisoning in Sharpstown, while a man and 7-year-old boy were taken to a nearby hospital in critical condition. Three children and their grandmother died in a house fire in Sugar Land after using the fireplace to heat their home.
To avoid carbon monoxide poisoning, experts said people should avoid running their cars to stay warm in garages, using generators and grills indoors, or lighting ovens to heat homes. If you are using a fireplace, keep an eye on the flames, make sure the flue is open, and stay awake while the fire burns.
- Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include:
- Headache
- Nausea and vomiting
- Tired
- Muscle aches
- Confusion
- Vision changes
- Ringing in the ears
- Loss of consciousness
The Harris County Fire Marshal’s Office is trying to disseminate advice on preventing hypothermia, but many people who need the advice are without power and the internet, making it difficult to get the message out, said. spokeswoman Rachel Neutzler said.
“They’ve been out of heat for over 30 hours now and trying to protect their families by doing their best,” Neutzler said. “Unfortunately, all of this carbon monoxide poisoning is preventable.”
At noon Tuesday, first responders were taking at least 10 people from a household in Klein to hospitals for treatment.
The Fire Marshal’s Office expects the numbers to rise as more local EMS services report cases and freezing rains and more dangerously cold temperatures of another winter storm sweeping through Texas this week. Many people recognize the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning on their own and go to the hospital for treatment.
Overloaded fireplaces, candles and heaters are also causing an increase in home fires, public health officials say.
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