Dozens of names have been added to a mounting death toll from the Jan. 23-26 winter storm and the blast of polar air behind it, even as many Americans brace for another possible storm.
At least 62 deaths had been reported across the nation through the evening of Jan. 27, with officials still investigating these cases and others.
In Fannin County in northeast Texas on Jan. 26, a community was heartbroken when three brothers – ages 6, 8 and 9 – died after falling through the ice on a pond, Sheriff Cody Shook confirmed to USA TODAY. The family was playing outside when the youngest boy fell through the ice and his brothers tried to save him as their mother rushed toward them, CBS News reported.
Teenagers died in motor vehicle and sledding accidents.
People in their 50s and 60s died of medical emergencies during or after shoveling or other snow removal efforts. At least eight people died during or after shoveling or removing snow, authorities reported. The American Heart Association has previously warned the exertion of snow shoveling, especially when it's really cold out, can lead to dangerous heart issues.
