Transcript:

Five years ago, Winter Storm Uri knocked out power across much of Texas during a frigid cold snap.

Frederick: “It was a statewide traumatic experience for millions of Texans … but for specific groups of disabled people, the loss of heat had extra layers of danger.”

In her new book, “Disabled Power,” Angela Frederick of the University of Texas at El Paso shares what some of them endured during the disaster.

She says some people with chronic conditions, like MS, suffer severe pain and lose mobility during extreme heat or cold.

Frederick: “So some of the people I interviewed … weren’t able to get out of their beds during the days that they went without heat in their homes because their bodies just shut down.”

And some people with spinal cord injuries cannot regulate their body temperature, so exposure to the cold can be life-threatening.

Power outages also threaten those who need electricity to power wheelchairs or medical devices like ventilators.

So as climate change causes more extreme weather, Frederick says communities and governments should partner with disability groups to better understand the risks and plan how to protect people.

Reporting credit: Sarah Kennedy / ChavoBart Digital Media