Texas officials raise death toll of February storm and blackouts to at least 111 people, nearly doubling initial tally

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) --Texas officials have raised the death toll from February’s winter storm and blackouts to at least 111 people. That's nearly double the state’s initial tally following one of the worst power outages in U.S. history.

The majority of the deaths are associated with hypothermia, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services. The number could continue to rise as officials link more deaths to the storm that knocked out power to more than 4 million customers in Texas.

Many homes went without power or drinkable water for days after subfreezing temperatures, failing power plants and record demand for heat pushed Texas’ electric grid to the breaking point. Texas officials had put the initial tally of deaths at 57 but warned it would increase.