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Posted by rexim on January 17, 2008 at 1:51:28 pm EST
In reply to Perils of Winter posted by calamity on January 12, 2008 at 6:14:20 pm EST

Statistics are always suspect, at best.

For example, a December 2005 article at USA Today, http://www.usatoday.com/weather/news/2005-12-18-nd-freezing-cold_x.htm, reports that between 1999 and 2005, 32 people died of "exposure" in North Dakota alone, with 112 deaths in Minnesota during the same period. Nationwide, from 1979 through 2002, 689 people died from exposure each year.

While "exposure" could include hyperthermia as well as hypothermia, I suspect that the reality is far above the number reported in your post.

Moreover, as f klock and Fred point out, you don't have to die to be considered hypothermic. Thus, while the chances of death may be slight, to state that there is "nearly no risk of hypothermia" is simply untrue.

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