Winter storm kills eight in Mexico

NOGALES, Mexico -- An unexpected blast of wintry weather along Mexico's border with the United States has killed eight people, including six children living in ramshackle homes, news reports said Saturday.

Thousands of Nogales residents live in cardboard shacks that offer minimal protection from the elements, particularly when it snows and temperatures drop to 28 degrees as in the past week.

Red Cross official Lorenzo Ochoa told the Tucson (Ariz.) Citizen that most of the victims were found in their homes. Some were still alive but later died at hospitals.

Authorities said both of the adult victims had been drinking and one tried to wait out the bad weather inside a car.

City officials and human rights activists said the children suffered from respiratory problems caused by families burning potentially harmful materials to heat their homes, including tires, diesel fuel, treated lumber and compressed sawdust.

--Fort Collins Coloradoan, Sunday, January 4, 1998

Winter storms are considered deceptive killers because most deaths are indirectly related to the storm. Many victims of winter storms die in traffic accidents on icy roads, or they die of heart attacks while shoveling snow. Some, as the recent article above illustrates, die from hypothermia from prolonged exposure to cold.

Everyone is potentially at risk during winter storms. The actual threat to you depends on your specific situation. Here are some interesting facts related to winter storm deaths:

• Ice and snow related:
  • About 70% occur in automobiles.
  • About 25% are people caught out in the storm.
  • The majority of victims are males over 40 years old.
• Exposure related:
  • 50% are people over 60 years old.
  • Over 70% are males.
  • About 20% occur in the home.

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