2 Winter Weather Related Deaths Confirmed in Louisiana

SHREVEPORT, LA - This week of winter weather has taken its toll on much of Louisiana. Northwest Louisiana was hard hit with a few days of temps dropping into the teens. We now know that 2 people have died as a result of the winter storm.

The Louisiana Department of Health is confirming the deaths in Sabine and Rapides parishes. The Rapides Parish death was a 36-year-old male, and the Sabine Parish death was a 73-year-old female. Both deaths were due to hypothermia and confirmed by coroners as weather-related.

These are the first deaths related to the severe winter weather conditions that kicked off on Sunday, January 14 and continued through Wednesday, January 17.

During severe winter weather, LDH urges residents to stay safe:

Test your smoke alarm and carbon monoxide detector batteries.
Never use a stove or oven to heat a home.
Keep generators outdoors in a well-ventilated area away from doors and windows.
Turn off generators and let them cool before refueling.
Keep generators dry to prevent electrocution.
Plug space heaters directly into the wall socket, not into extension cords.
Do not use a heater if the cords are frayed or splitting.
Place space heaters 3-5 feet away from bedding or other flammable materials.
Keep children away from the heater.
Never leave the heater unattended.