The majority of the Texas deaths are associated with hypothermia, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services. The toll now officially exceeds that of Hurricane Harvey in 2017, which was blamed for 68 deaths in Texas. Among them was Gilbert Rivera, 60, who told relatives after the power went out in his garage apartment that he was cold but staying bundled up. AdRivera’s family is among dozens who have filed lawsuits against electricity providers and the state’s embattled power grid, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas. Next week, the Texas House is expected to vote on a package in response to the storm, including efforts to winterize power plants.

Texas officials on Thursday, March, 25, 2021 raised the death toll from February's winter storm and blackouts to at least 111 people nearly doubling the state's initial tally following one of the worst power outages in U.S. history. (AP Photo/LM Otero File)AUSTIN, Texas – Texas officials on Thursday raised the death toll from February's winter storm and blackouts to at least 111 people — nearly doubling the state's initial tally following one of the worst power outages in U.S. history. The majority of the Texas deaths are associated with hypothermia, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services. The toll now officially exceeds that of Hurricane Harvey in 2017, which was blamed for 68 deaths in Texas. Among them was Gilbert Rivera, 60, who told relatives after the power went out in his garage apartment that he was cold but staying bundled up.

The complaints blamed the electric companies for the deaths of Houstonians who froze to death during last week’s winter storms. The 60-year-old man died alone and in the dark after his family lost contact with him on Monday of last week. Most of us all lost power, but he also lost the battery life of his cell phone. Rivera’s family is suing Centerpoint Energy and ERCOT for negligence in his death. That’s what Mr. Rivera’s family wants,” said the family’s attorney Larry F. Taylor.