Winter Weather Health Statistics
In the United States:
- 6,660 people died from hypothermia or exposure to cold from 2006 to 2010, an average of 1,320 deaths a year.1
In New York City:
- An average of 15 cold-related deaths, 150 emergency department visits, and 255 hospital admissions occur each year during the cold season (October through April).
- From 2009-2012, about 70% of cold-related deaths occurred after exposure to cold outdoors including on subway stations or platforms. 2
- Among cold-related hospital admissions from 2005-2013:
- About 60% were male
- About 40% were aged 65 years or older
- At least 25% were homeless, although this may be an underestimate because information on homelessness is not always available in hospital records
- About 4% were children aged 0-17
Please visit the interactive NYC Environment and Health Data Portal for more information on cold-related hospitalizations and emergency department visits in New York City.
1Berko et al. Deaths Attributed to Heat, Cold, and Other Weather Events in the United States, 2006–2010 http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhsr/nhsr076.pdf
2Where data available on place of injury