Beryl death toll: Official count still pending as power and heat outages continue to cause more deaths

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) – It may take weeks before we have a complete picture of the deaths caused by Hurricane Beryl.

At least 13 people in the Houston area are believed to have died as a result of the dangerous hurricane, and many fear more will die in the coming days as residents continue to deal with power outages and damage.

Several agencies record deaths caused by severe weather, but the final numbers are determined by the coroner, who takes various factors into account.

The Shaw family has been without power since Beryl struck last Monday.

ABC13 was there Saturday as family surrounded 89-year-old Mary Shaw.

Despite being cared for by a nurse, Mary died the next morning.

“Her body was so hot. I just started putting wet towels and ice on her and wrapping her,” said her daughter Monica Shaw.

“We requested that she be moved to a facility,” added her other daughter, Lisa Shaw. “The facilities were full, so we had nowhere to take her.”

Mary suffered from dementia and heart disease for years.

Her family may never know what, if any, impact the heat had on her health.

All they know for sure is that she died in pain, heat and panic.

“My mother passed away, but I will live on with her strength because that’s what she instilled in her children,” Lisa said. “Reminds me of the ‘old lady and the shoe.’ She had six children of her own, raised six of them across the street, she has another adopted son down the street and an adopted daughter who has been part of our lives for almost 45 years.”

The close-knit family is now worried about the health of their other relatives and neighbors as they all enter their second week without power.

“They forgot about us, but they don’t forget to get paid every month,” said niece Kimberly Rubit. “I never missed my bill, so yes, I blame them.”

READ MORE: 89-year-old woman unconscious for days due to northeast Houston heat, family says

For more information on this story, follow Pooja Lodhia on Facebook.X and Instagram.