NEW YORK—The weather kills at least 2,000 Americans each year and nearly two-thirds of the deaths are from the cold, according to a new government report.

That may surprise some people, the researchers acknowledged. Hurricanes, tornadoes and heat waves "get more publicity, for some reason, than cold-related deaths," said Deborah Ingram, one of the report's authors.

The report released Wednesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention analyzed U.S. deaths attributed to the cold, the heat, storms, floods and lightning. It used national death certificate information for five years during 2006-2010. The report found:

• Of the deaths attributed to the weather, about 63% were tied to exposure to the cold or hypothermia. Those who more often fall victim to the cold include the homeless, alcoholics, those who take part in wilderness activities and winter sports, and fragile people already fighting illnesses who live in under-heated homes.

• About 31% of the deaths were caused by heat, heat stroke or sun stroke. The remaining 6% were blamed on storms, floods or lightning.

• More http://online.wsj.com/articles/weather-causes-2-000-deaths-a-year-in-u-s-1406742562