Woman, 83, is Cook County's First Cold Weather Death

There were at least seven cold-related deaths in the winter of 2011-12

An 83-year-old woman found in her South Side home on Tuesday morning was the first confirmed cold-related death of the season in Cook County.

Florence Hawkins of 8200 S. Chappel Ave. was found unresponsive and pronounced dead in her home Tuesday morning, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office.

An autopsy on Wednesday found she died of cold exposure, with coronary atherosclerosis a contributing factor. Her death was ruled an accident, the medical examiner’s office said.

The low temperature on Tuesday was 17 degrees at 7:08 a.m., according to the National Weather Service. Monday night’s low was 23 degrees at 11:53 p.m.

Hawkins was the first cold-related death of the season in Cook County. There were at least seven cold-related deaths in the winter of 2011-12, according to autopsy results, with the first reported on Dec. 3, 2011.
 

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