CLEVELAND, Texas – During the February freeze in 2021, Memorial Hermann Hospital said they saw over 100 patients in one day with carbon monoxide poisoning. That’s typically more than they get in a whole year!
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Why is this poison so dangerous during extreme weather?
“When it’s cold, people tend to get a little more creative with how they heat their homes,” said Dr. Carrie Bakunas, Medical Director of the Emergency Department at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center and UT Health Houston. “Sometimes they bring in gas grills from outside or they use ovens and stoves against recommendations, and that creates carbon monoxide, which can build up in the home and cause carbon monoxide poisoning.’
These are the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning:
Headache, lightheadedness, dizziness, sometimes passing out, nausea, vomiting, confusion.
However, for mother and daughter Debbie Wells and Jenny Hare from Cleveland, TX, the gas weakened them to the point of not recognizing the symptoms during Hurricane Beryl’s power outages.
“We woke up sporadically and it just wasn’t right so we kinda went back to bed,” Wells explained what the confusion felt like.
CLOSER LOOK: Winter Storm Warning early week: Icy mix, snow expected to blanket Houston Monday night into Tuesday evening
Three people inside the home all woke up feeling il but decided to keep sleeping, not knowing it was the dangerous gas giving them those symptoms.
When Hare realized her parents were also unwell, she called 911 but almost couldn’t explain why she needed emergency services.
“That’s all I could get out. ‘I don’t know. Something’s wrong. We need help. Do you need fire? Police or ambulance? I don’t know. Something’s wrong. We need help,’” Hare explained. Meanwhile, I’m trying to make it to the front because there’s something wrong with them. And I’m trying to tell her there’s something wrong with me too. But it didn’t register.”
“Your mind is so far gone at that point that you don’t even realize you’re messed up,” Wells said.
CLOSER LOOK: Winter Storm Warning early week: Icy mix, snow expected to blanket Houston Monday night into Tuesday evening
They believe carbon monoxide was permeating up through their home when the wind was blowing fumes from a generator under their home.
“It was just one small oversight that none of us, it just didn’t even cross our minds. And it reality should have killed all of us,” Hare explained. “It all could have been prevented if we would have had carbon monoxide detectors in the house.”
Therefore, no matter what means you’ve used to heat your home in the past, don’t overlook the fact that it can still pose a danger every time.
“For staying warm, fireplaces are fine to be used as long as the fireplace is well maintained, the flute is open and check on your neighbors,” said Dr. Bakunas.
