HOUSTON (AP) - The Latest on bitterly cold weather that’s gripped Texas (all times local):
1:45 p.m.
Sheriff’s officials say an 82-year-old woman with dementia who walked away from her home near Houston likely died from exposure after being found in a wooded area a short distance away.
The Harris County sheriff’s office said in a statement that deputies searched the area Wednesday morning after receiving a missing person report.
Family members told deputies that the woman could not be found after they stopped at the home to check on her.
Authorities say the unidentified woman “succumbed to the cold.”
It’s not clear when she walked away from the home. The temperature in Houston on Wednesday morning was about 20 degrees (-7 Celsius).
Meanwhile, officials in Houston say a homeless man found dead Tuesday behind a trash bin apparently died of exposure. It’s unclear exactly how long the man had been dead.
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10:15 a.m.
Bitter cold continues to grip parts of Texas as Houston-area authorities urge people to stay off icy roads and a state electricity supplier says a new record was set for power use as people reach for the thermostat.
The cold front that brought snow to some regions of Texas had moved eastward by Wednesday but areas of the state were still plagued by slick roads. Authorities urged people in the Houston area to stay indoors.
Public safety officials directed the homeless to warming shelters and some schools that were closed Tuesday continued to be shuttered or have delayed openings a day later.
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, or ERCOT, which manages the flow of electricity, says a record of more than 65,700 megawatts of power was consumed early Wednesday amid temperatures in the teens.
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