Ten people died of shoveling-related causes in Cook County during last weekend’s historic snow storm, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.
Between Saturday evening and late Monday, one woman and nine men died from causes associated with shoveling snow, a medical examiner’s office spokesman said.
The snowstorm, fifth-largest in Chicago history, left more than 19 inches of snow in some places, weather officials said. Another band of snow is expected to drop another 1 to 3 inches Tuesday night.
Six of the people who died were in their 60s, three were in their 50s, and one man was in his 40s, according to the medical examiner’s office. At least three were from Chicago, one was from Oak Lawn and another from Riverdale.
Three other people, all men in their 60s, collapsed and died while shoveling snow at their homes in west suburban DuPage County on Sunday, according to the coroner’s office there.
Anyone over 40 and people who are relatively inactive should be especially careful while shoveling snow, according to the National Safety Council. And anyone with a heart ailment should not shovel snow without a doctor’s permission.
The organization also recommends taking it slow, stretching out and warming up beforehand, picking up only small amounts at any one time, and taking frequent breaks to avoid injury.
