DSHS previously pegged the death toll at 210 in July. The agency said in the report that it identifies deaths through “mortality surveillance forms, death certificates, and verification of informally reported deaths.”
Experts say it may be impossible ever to account for every death related to the storm given its far-reaching impact. In May, BuzzFeed reported that the true death total was “likely four or five times what the state has acknowledged so far.” At the time, the tally was 151.
The February freeze overwhelmed Texas’ power grid and left millions freezing in the dark. Gov. Greg Abbott has insisted that the grid is ready for this winter. But some experts are less optimistic, citing the grid’s continuing vulnerabilities and a lack of preparedness in cities, among other factors.
This story was originally published by the Texas Tribune.