Human Toll of Cold: More Than 2 Dozen Dead, Hundreds Hurt

First responders evacuate a person found in sub-freezing temperatures on the banks of Carter Lake, in Omaha, Neb., on Jan. 30, 2019. Nati Harnik/AP

CHICAGO—The dangerous cold and heavy snow that hobbled the northern U.S. this week has retreated, but not before exacting a human toll: more than two dozen weather-related deaths in eight states and hundreds of injuries, including frostbite, broken bones, heart attacks, and carbon monoxide poisoning.

In Illinois alone, hospitals reported more than 220 cases of frostbite and hypothermia since Tuesday, Jan. 29, when the polar vortex moved in and overnight temperatures plunged to minus 30 or lower—with wind chills of minus 50 or worse in some areas.