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–11  Fox News. “Hawaii skydiving place accident investigation…” 6-24-2019.

–11  NTSB. Aviation Accident Preliminary Report. “Accident Number: WPR19MA177.”

 

Narrative Information

 

NTSB Preliminary Report: “On June 21, 2019, at 1822 Hawaii-Aleutian standard time, a Beech 65-A90, N256TA, collided  with terrain after takeoff from Dillingham Airfield (HDH), Mokuleia, Hawaii. The commercial pilot and ten passengers sustained fatal injuries, and the airplane was destroyed. The airplane  was owned by N80896 LLC, and was being operated by Oahu Parachute Center (OPC) under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations  Part 91 as a local sky-diving flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed.

 

“According to the owner of OPC, the accident flight was the fourth of five parachute jump flights scheduled for that day. Two flights took place between 0900 and 0930 and the third departed about 1730 on the first of what OPC called, “sunset” flights. The occupants on the accident flight included the pilot, three tandem parachute instructors and their three customers, and two camera operators; two solo jumpers decided to join the accident flight at the last minute.

 

“The passengers were loaded onto the airplane while it was on the taxiway next to the OPC facility on the southeast side of the airport. A parachute instructor at OPC observed the  boarding process and watched as the airplane taxied west to the departure end of runway 8. He could hear the engines during the initial ground roll and stated that the sound was normal, consistent with the engines operating at high power. When the airplane came into his view as it headed toward him, it was at an altitude of between 150 and 200 ft above ground level and appeared to be turning. He could see its belly, with the top of the cabin facing the ocean to the north. The airplane then struck the ground in a nose-down attitude, and a fireball erupted

 

“The final second of the accident sequence was captured in the top left frame of a surveillance  video camera located at the southeast corner of the airport. Preliminary review of the video data revealed that just before impact the airplane was in an inverted 45° nose-down attitude.

 

“Runway 8/26 at Dillingham Airfield is a 9,007-ft-long by 75-ft-wide asphalt runway, with displaced thresholds of 1,993 ft and 1,995 ft, respectively. A parachute landing area was located  beyond the departure end of runway 8, and the standard takeoff procedure required a left turn over the adjacent beach to avoid that landing zone. The displaced threshold areas had been designated for sailplane and tow-plane use, with powered aircraft advised to maintain close  base leg turns to assure separation.

 

“The airplane came to rest inverted on a heading of about 011° magnetic, 500 ft north of the runway centerline, and 5,550 ft beyond the runway 8 numbers, where the takeoff roll began. The debris field was confined to a 75-ft-wide area just inside the airport perimeter fence. The cabin, tail section, and inboard wings were largely consumed by fire, and both wings outboard of the engine nacelle sustained leading edge crush damage and thermal exposure. Both engines came to rest in the center of the debris field, and fragments of the vertical and both horizontal stabilizers were located within the surrounding area.” (National Transportation Safety Board. Aviation Accident Preliminary Report. “Accident Number: WPR19MA177.”)

 

Media:

 

June 23: “A skydiving plane that went down in Hawaii, killing all 11 people aboard, crashed in a fiery heap shortly after it took off, authorities said. The incident involving the twin-engine plane happened Friday evening at Dillingham Airfield on Oahu’s North Shore, leaving mangled metal scattered across the area….

 

“The airfield is about 35 miles northwest of Honolulu, and is a general aviation airport operated by the state Department of Transportation under a 25-year lease from the US Army. The state leases 272 acres of the 650-acre Dillingham Military Reservation and operates the single 5,000-foot runway primarily for commercial glider and skydiving operations.” (CNN. “A plane full of skydivers crashed in a fiery heap shortly after it took off, officials say.” 6-23-2019 update.

 

June 24: “A National Transportation Safety Board team tasked with investigating the skydiving charter plane that crashed in Hawaii Friday — killing 11 people in the deadliest U.S. civil aviation accident since 2011 — says they are going to focus on the quality of repairs that had been made on the aircraft in the years leading up to the disaster.

 

“It has emerged that the plane involved in the accident had crashed in 2016 in California and sustained significant damage to its tail. It was repaired and then returned to service before crashing again last week in a flight operated by the Oahu Parachute Center skydiving company….‘We will be looking at the quality of those repairs and whether it was inspected and whether it was airworthy,’ the NTSB’s Jennifer Homendy said, adding that the 1967 Beechcraft King Air twin-engine turboprop plane was equipped to carry 13 people….

 

“Friday’s crash was the most deadly civil aviation accident in the United States since a 2011 Reno Air Show wreck killed a pilot and 10 spectators in Nevada, the Associated Press reported.

 

“Witnesses say the plane crashed 20 or 30 seconds after it took off.

 

“‘It’s now confirmed that 11 people died in the terrible crash at Dillingham Airfield,’ Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell tweeted over the weekend.

 

“Some family members who did not go on the skydiving trip were present at the crash site. Hawaii News Now reported the plane was fully engulfed in flames when first responders arrived and that smoke was visible for miles….

 

“Police told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser that the victims included two women and nine men and that five of the victims were in their late 20s.

 

“The family of one skydiver, 29-year-old Casey Williamson, is sharing its grief with the world before names are officially released. They say he loved adventure and would spend summer skydiving in Moab, Utah and the winter snowboarding in Vail, Colo. He moved to Hawaii a year-and-a-half ago to skydive year-round….” (Fox News. “Hawaii skydiving place accident investigation shifts focus to ‘quality’ of repairs made following 2016 crash.” 6-24-2019.

 

June 24: “A federal safety official put aircraft regulators on notice Monday [24^th], calling for further regulations on parachute operations after a skydiving plane crash in Hawaii killed 11 people. The National Transportation Safety Board identified safety concerns more than a decade ago, but board member Jennifer Homendy said the Federal Aviation Administration hasn’t acted. ‘Are we trying to put the FAA on notice for this? Yes,’ Homendy said at a news conference. ‘Accidents continue to happen. There have been fatalities since that time.’

 

“The FAA disputed those claims, saying it responded to the recommendations by revising safety guidance for parachute operators and increasing safety outreach. It also required safety inspectors to monitor parachute operations, the FAA said in a statement.

 

“Monday’s exchange came three days after a skydiving plane crashed shortly after takeoff on the north shore of Oahu, killing all 11 aboard. It marked the deadliest civil aviation accident in the United States since 2011. The Hawaii medical examiner is still confirming the identities of the victims. Officials released the names of seven victims on Monday:

 

• Joshua Drablos, 27, of Virginia, and stationed in Hawaii with the U.S. Navy
• Nikolas Glenov, 28, of St. Paul, Minnesota
• Ashley Weikel, 26, of Colorado Springs, Colorado
• Bryan Weikel, 27, of Colorado Springs, Colorado
• Daniel Herndon, 35, of Hawaii
• Michael Martin, 32, of Hawaii
• Jordan Tehero, 23, of Kauai…..”

(USA Today (Kristin Lam). “Fatal Hawaii skydiving plane crash renews NTSB’s call for stricter rules: ‘Accidents continue to happen’.” 6-24-2019, updated 6-25-2019.)

 

Sources

 

CNN (Faith Karimi and Ray Sanchez). “A plane full of skydivers crashed in a fiery heap shortly after it took off, officials say.” 6-23-2019 update. Accessed 6-24-2019 at: https://www.cnn.com/2019/06/23/us/hawaii-deadly-skydiving-crash-sunday/index.html

 

Fox News. “Hawaii skydiving place accident investigation shifts focus to ‘quality’ of repairs made following 2016 crash.” 6-24-2019. Accessed 6-24-2019 at: https://www.foxnews.com/us/ntsb-investigating-repairs-to-plane-that-crashed-in-hawaii-killing-11

 

National Transportation Safety Board. Aviation Accident Preliminary Report. “Accident Number: WPR19MA177.” Accessed 7-13-2019 at: https://www.scribd.com/document/416338201/NTSB-s-preliminary-report-on-skydiving-plane-crash#from_embed

 

USA Today (Kristin Lam). “Fatal Hawaii skydiving plane crash renews NTSB’s call for stricter rules: ‘Accidents continue to happen’.” 6-24-2019, updated 6-25-2019. Accessed 6-25-2019 at: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/06/24/hawaii-skydiving-plane-crash-ntsb-criticism-faa/1554311001/

 

 

 

 

 

–12  Blinder and Thrush. “Virginia Beach Shooting: 12 Victims Identified…” NYT. 6-1-2019.

Narrative Information

May 31: “….The shooting began shortly after 4 p.m. at the Virginia Beach Municipal Center, a campus of city offices and agencies, including the Police Department. The shooting unfolded on multiple floors in Building No. 2, which includes offices for planning and public works, among others, and is adjacent to City Hall….” (NYT. “11 Killed in Shooting at Virginia Beach Municipal Center…” 5-31-2019.)

 

June 1: “Virginia Beach — The Virginia authorities on Saturday identified the dozen victims of a shooting rampage at a government office complex and named the suspect in the attack for the first — and they said only — time.

 

“Most of the victims, city officials said, worked for the Virginia Beach government, several of them for decades. The police chief, James A. Cervera, said the suspect in the attack, DeWayne Craddock, had also been a municipal employee for about 15 years. Chief Cervera, speaking at a news conference on Saturday morning [June 1], said he did not intend to say the name of the suspect, who was killed on Friday, again in public.

 

“He declined to discuss a possible motive for the attack…City Manager David L. Hansen said that Mr. Craddock was still employed by the city at the time of the ‘senseless and incomprehensible’ shooting on Friday afternoon and that he had been ‘authorized to enter the building.’

 

“All but one of the 12 victims were city employees. The authorities identified them as Laquita C. Brown, Tara Welch Gallagher, Mary Louise Gayle, Alexander Mikhail Gusev, Katherine A. Nixon, Richard H. Nettleton, Christopher Kelly Rapp, Ryan Keith Cox, Joshua A. Hardy, Michelle “Missy” Langer and Robert Williams. The other victim, Herbert Snelling, was a contractor who was at the city government’s vast campus of office buildings to file a permit….

 

“There was no immediate indication that Mr. Craddock targeted anyone in particular, officials said, and four people were in serious condition on Saturday. Once Mr. Craddock began shooting, he continued to fire throughout the building.

 

“Additional weapons were found at the scene and at the suspect’s home, though officials did not specify what kind.

 

“The attack ranks among the deadliest workplace shootings in the United States in recent years. In 2017, the most recent year for which data is available, there were 458 work-related homicides, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That was a slight decrease from 2012, when there were 475 workplace homicides….” (Blinder and Thrush. “Virginia Beach Shooting: 12 Victims Identified…” NYT. 6-1-2019.)

 

Sources

 

Blinder, Alan and Glenn Thrush. “Virginia Beach Shooting: 12 Victims Identified…” NYT. 6-1-2019. Accessed 6-1-2019 at: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/01/us/virginia-beach-shooting.html

 

New York Times. “11 Killed in Shooting at Virginia Beach Municipal Center, Officials Say…” 5-31-2019. Accessed 5-31-2019 at: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/31/us/virginia-beach-shooting.html

 

 

 

–23  CNN (Wagner/Rocha/Ries). “Alabama reels in aftermath of deadly tornadoes.” 3-4-2019.

–23  Montgomery Advertiser. “Lee County…coroner releases names of 23 victims…” 3-5-2019.

–23  WVTM 13. “NWS: EF4 tornado with 170 mph winds hit Lee County… 3-4-2019.

–14  NBC/Alex Johnson/Janelle Griffith. “Tornadoes kill at least 14…in Alabama.” 3-3-2019.

 

Alphabetical Listing of Fatalities.

 

1. Bowen, Jonathan Marquez, 9. Montgomery Advertiser. “Lee County…coroner releases names of 23 victims…” 3-5-2019.
2. Braswell, Vicki, 69. Montgomery Advertiser. “Lee County…coroner releases names of 23 victims…” 3-5-2019.
3. Creech, Sheila, 59. Montgomery Advertiser. “Lee County…coroner releases names of 23 victims…” 3-5-2019.
4. Dean, David “Roaddog Daddy,” 53. WVTM 13. “NWS: EF4 tornado with 170 mph winds….” 3-4-2019.
5. Gomez-Moran, Irma, 41. Montgomery Advertiser. “Lee County…coroner releases names of 23 victims…” 3-5-2019.
6. Grimes, Marshall Lynn, 59. Montgomery Advertiser. “Lee County…coroner releases names of 23 victims…” 3-5-2019.
7. Hernandez, Armando. 6. CNN. “Alabama reels in aftermath of deadly tornadoes.” 3-4-2019.
8. Jones, Emmanuiel, 53. Montgomery Advertiser. “Lee County…coroner releases names of 23 victims…” 3-5-2019.
9. Jones, Jimmy Lee, 89. Montgomery Advertiser. “Lee County…coroner releases names of 23 victims…” 3-5-2019.
10. Jones, Mary Louise, 83. Montgomery Advertiser. “Lee County…coroner releases names of 23 victims…” 3-5-2019.
11. Koon, Mamie Roberts, 68. Montgomery Advertiser. “Lee County…coroner releases names of 23 victims…” 3-5-2019.
12. Miller, Charlotte Ann, 59. Montgomery Advertiser. “Lee County…coroner releases names of 23 victims…” 3-5-2019.
13. Pence, Ryan, 22. Montgomery Advertiser. “Lee County…coroner releases names of 23 victims…” 3-5-2019.
14. Robinson, Maggie Delight, 57. Montgomery Advertiser. “Lee County…coroner releases names of 23 victims…” 3-5-2019.
15. Robinson, Raymond Jr., 63. Montgomery Advertiser. “Lee County…coroner releases names of 23 victims…” 3-5-2019.
16. Robinson, Tresia, 62. Montgomery Advertiser. “Lee County…coroner releases names of 23 victims…” 3-5-2019.
17. Stenson, Eric Jamal, 38. Montgomery Advertiser. “Lee County…coroner releases names of 23 victims…” 3-5-2019.
18. Stenson, Florel Tate, 63. Montgomery Advertiser. “Lee County…coroner releases names of 23 victims…” 3-5-2019.
19. Stenson, Henry Lewis, 65. Montgomery Advertiser. “Lee County…coroner releases names of 23 victims…” 3-5-2019.
20. Tate, James Henry, 86. Montgomery Advertiser. “Lee County…coroner releases names of 23 victims…” 3-5-2019.
21. Thornton, Taylor, 10. Montgomery Advertiser. “Lee County…coroner releases names of 23 victims…” 3-5-2019.
22. Woodall, Felicia, 22. Montgomery Advertiser. “Lee County…coroner releases names of 23 victims…” 3-5-2019.
23. Waldon, Mykala, 8. Montgomery Advertiser. “Lee County…coroner releases names of 23 victims…” 3-5-2019.

 

Narrative Information

 

NWSChat, NOAA: “Synopsis:

 

A POWERFUL STORM SYSTEM MOVED ACROSS THE MID-SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST STATES ON SUNDAY, MARCH 3, PRODUCING WIDESPREAD SEVERE WEATHER AND TORNADOES. IN MIDDLE GEORGIA, SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE FROM SUSPECTED TORNADOES OCCURRED AND WERE IN THE PROCESS OF BEING SURVEYED BY NWS METEOROLOGISTS. THIS REPORT WILL LIST INDIVIDUAL TORNADO EVENTS IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER…. NOTE…THE FOLLOWING PRELIMINARY DAMAGE SURVEY SUMMARY IS A JOINT STATEMENT FROM WFO BIRMINGHAM AND WFO PEACHTREE CITY COVERING THE SURVEYS OF THE LONG-TRACK TORNADO WHICH WAS ON THE GROUND FROM BEAUREGARD, AL TO TALBOTTON, GA. BEAUREGARD/SMITH’S STATION/ELLERSLIE/TALBOTTON TORNADO (COMPLETE TORNADO PATH)… RATING:                 EF-4 ESTIMATED PEAK WIND:    170 MPH PATH LENGTH (STATUTE):  68.8 MILES PATH WIDTH (MAXIMUM):   1600 YARDS FATALITIES:             23 INJURIES:               97 START DATE:             03/03/2019 START TIME:             2:00 PM CSTSTART LOCATION:         3.0 MILES NW OF SOCIETY HILL, ALSTART LAT/LON:          32.4472 / -85.4818 END DATE:               03/03/2019END TIME:               4:16 PM ESTEND LOCATION:           10.5 MILES ENE OF TALBOTTON, GAEND LAT/LON:            32.7452 / -84.3697 SURVEY SUMMARY:NWS BIRMINGHAM… THE TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN JUST SOUTHWEST OF ROGERS ROAD AND JUST NORTHEAST OF U.S. HIGHWAY 80 IN NORTHEAST MACON COUNTY. INITIALLY SOME SMALL LIMBS WERE BROKEN OFF OF TREES ALONG WITH SOME PINE TREES UPROOTED. THE TORNADO THEN MOVED EAST ACROSS CALLOWAY BAKER ROAD AND ACROSS GLASSY MILL ROAD WHERE MORE PINE TREES WERE UPROOTED.….THE TORNADO REACHED ITS PEAK INTENSITY JUST SOUTH OF THE INTERSECTION OF LEE COUNTY ROAD 36 AND LEE COUNTY ROAD 39 WHEREIT ROLLED A MANUFACTURED HOME AND EMPTIED ITS CONTENTS NEARBY ON THENORTHERN SIDE OF THE TRACK WHILE ADDITIONAL DAMAGE TOWARD THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE TRACK INCLUDED THE COMPLETE DESTRUCTION OFA HOUSE WITH ALL DEBRIS TOSSED A SHORT DISTANCE FROM THE FOUNDATION.THE TORNADO BENT THE FRAME OF A CAR AROUND THE REMNANT OF A LARGE TREE WHOSE UPPER PORTION HAD BROKEN OFF AND TOTALED THREE VEHICLES BY SEVERE IMPACTS INTO THE BASES OF TWO REMAINING TREE STUBS. FURTHEREAST ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE SMALL LAKE, A WELL-ANCHORED AND CONSTRUCTED HOME WAS LEVELED WITH DEBRIS REMOVED FROM THE FOUNDATIONAND ANCHORED BOLT SCREWS REMAINING INTACT. TOWARD THE NORTHERN EDGEOF THE TORNADO, THE DESTRUCTION OF TWO DOUBLE-WIDE AND A SINGLE-WIDEMANUFACTURED HOME WAS SURVEYED. THIS WAS THE PEAK INTENSITY OF THETORNADO DUE TO THE COMBINATION OF DAMAGE TO THE TWO HOUSES ALONG WITHEXTENSIVE SEVERE TREE DAMAGE INCLUDING TREES SNAPPED AT THEIR BASES AND LARGE TREES WITH EXPANSIVE ROOT SYSTEMS FALLEN ALONG WITH SOME SPORADIC EVIDENCE OF GROUND ROWING. THE TORNADO BEGAN TO DECREASE IN INTENSITY AS IT CONTINUED EAST ROUGHLYPARALLELING LEE COUNTY ROAD 39 WHERE TWO MANUFACTURED HOMES WERE DESTROYEDWITH MOST DEBRIS DEPOSITED AWAY FROM THE ORIGINAL LOCATION AND BOTH OF THE METAL FRAMES OF THE MOBILE HOMES COULD NOT BE LOCATED. ANOTHER MANUFACTURED HOME WAS DESTROYED WITH ITS CONTENTS DEPOSITED IN A SWATHFROM THE SITE INTO THE REMAINS OF A NEARBY TREE LINE. A CAR WAS FOUND IN AN OVERTURNED POSITION AGAINST A HARDY TREE STRIPPED OF MOST LIMBS WITH A MATTRESS FROM A BED WRAPPED AROUND THE MID PORTION OF THE TREE. A BADLY MANGLED METAL FRAME OF A MANUFACTURED HOME AND DEBRIS DISPLACEDNEARBY WAS ALL THAT REMAINED OF ONE RESIDENCE. NEARBY A TRACTOR TRAILER RIG WAS ON ITS SIDE AND SHOVED AROUND A STURDY TREE WHILE A NEARBY SITE-BUILT HOME LOST NEARLY ALL OF ITS EXTERIOR WALLS WITH DEBRIS REMAINING ON OR NEAR THE HOME SITE. SEVERE TREE DESTRUCTION CONTINUED INTO THIS AREA WITH TREES SNAPPED AT THEIR BASES AND UPROOTED. TO THE NORTH OF LEE COUNTY ROAD 39 SIGNIFICANT DEBRIS WERE DEPOSITED IN THEWOODED AREA WHERE THE TORNADO PERFORMED SIGNIFICANT TIMBER DAMAGE ANDTOPPLED AT LEAST ONE HIGH-TENSION POWER LINE TOWER VISIBLE IN THE NEAR DISTANCE. AFTER DEMOLISHING TWO DOUBLE-WIDE AND A SINGLE-WIDE MANUFACTURED HOMETHE TORNADO MOVED NORTHEAST AND CROSSED LEE COUNTY ROAD 51 JUST NORTH OF THE INTERSECTION WITH LEE COUNTY ROAD 39 WHERE DOUBLE-WIDE MANUFACTUREDHOME WAS MOVED OFF OF ITS BASE AND THE EXTERIOR WALLS COLLAPSED ON A FAMILY RESIDENCE WHILE TREE DAMAGE CONTINUED WITH SNAPS AT THE BASES OF TREES. SOME WEAKENING OCCURRED FURTHER EAST AS THE TORNADO CROSSEDLEE COUNTY ROAD 38 WHERE IT DEPOSITED A LARGE AMOUNT OF DEBRIS INTO A RAGGED FORESTED AREA. THE TORNADO MOVED SLIGHTLY NORTH OF DUE EAST, CROSSING LEE COUNTY ROAD 100 AND LEE COUNTY ROAD 166 WHERE IT CAUSEDDAMAGE TO TREES WITH SOME TRUNKS SNAPPED AND SOME TREES UPROOTED. TORNADO DAMAGE CONTINUED FURTHER EAST ALONG LEE COUNTY ROAD 165 AND ALONG PORTIONS OF LEE COUNTY ROAD 40 AND LEE COUNTY ROAD 2049 WHERE IT COLLAPSED EXTERIOR WALLS OF A FAMILY RESIDENCE REMOVED MOST OF THE ROOF OF ANOTHER HOUSE AND CAUSED SOME LOSS OF ROOFING MATERIAL FROM AHOUSE AND A MANUFACTURED HOME THEN THE TORNADO FLIPPED A MANUFACTURED HOME AND DEPOSITED ITS CONTENTS NEARBY ALONG WITH DESTROYING THE ROOF AND WALLS OF A SINGLE-WIDE MANUFACTURED HOME AND CAUSED CONTINUED TREEDAMAGE. THE TORNADO MOVED EAST ACROSS LEE COUNTY ROAD 170 THEN TURNED MORE TOTHE NORTHEAST WHERE IT CROSSED LEE COUNTY ROAD 401 NEAR THE INTERSECTIONWITH LEE COUNTY ROAD 175 AND CONTINUED HOME AND TIMBER DAMAGE ALL THE WAY TO LEE COUNTY ROAD 241. THE TORNADO CONTINUED NORTHEAST CROSSING LEE COUNTY ROAD 245 AND LEE COUNTY ROAD 179 WITH DAMAGE TO THE ROOF OF A HOUSE ALONG COUNTY ROAD 239 ALONG WITH CONTINUED TIMBER DAMAGE. THE TORNADO THEN BEGAN TO TURNMORE TO THE EAST AS IT APPROACHED PHENIX CITY FROM THE WEST, CROSSING LEE COUNTY ROAD 239 AND PORTIONS OF LEE COUNTY ROAD 246 THEN AFFECTING PORTIONS OF LEE COUNTY ROADS 289, 292, 290 WITH DAMAGE TO THE ROOF OFA HOUSE AND TIMBER DAMAGE. THE TORNADO CROSSED NEAR FULLERS LAKE AREA WHERE IT ROLLED A MANUFACTUREDHOME OVER AND CAUSED SOME LOSS OF ROOFING MATERIAL TO A HOUSE. ADDITIONAL DAMAGE OCCURRED ALONG LEE COUNTY ROAD 294 AND LEE COUNTY ROAD 298 WHERE APROFESSIONAL BUILDING LOST SOME OF ITS ROOF MATERIALS AND DAMAGE TO SIDINGAND ROOFING OCCURRED TO SEVERAL SMALL HOMES THAT WERE NOT WELL CONSTRUCTED.AS THE TORNADO CROSSED U.S. HIGHWAY 280 IT CAUSED SOME ROOF DAMAGE TO A RESTAURANT, DAMAGED A BILLBOARD AND COLLAPSED A CELLULAR SERVICE COMMUNICATIONS TOWER.TIMBER DAMAGE OCCURRED NORTHEAST OF U.S. HIGHWAY 280 ALONG LEE COUNTY ROAD 298. THE TORNADO MOVED MORE TO THE RIGHT AND AFFECTED AREAS ALONG LEE COUNTY ROAD 318 AND 319 WHERE SOME ROOF DAMAGE TO HOMES OCCURRED AND MUCH IN THE WAY OF TIMBER DAMAGE RESULTED. A TREE FELL AND CRUSHED AN OUTBUILDING AND A SINGLE-WIDE MANUFACTURED HOME LOST PORTIONS OF ITS ROOF. THE TORNADO MOVED NORTHEAST FROM THIS POINT TOWARD THE CHATTAHOOCHEE RIVER WHERE IT CAUSED ROOF DAMAGE TO SOME HOUSES NEAR THE RIVER AND DOWNED A METAL HIGH-TENSION POWER LINE TOWER. THE TORNADO CROSSED THE CHATTAHOOCHEE RIVER AND CONTINUED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE IN GEORGIA. THE TORNADO DAMAGE PATH WAS 26.73 MILES LONG AND WAS 1600 YARDS WIDE AT ITS WIDEST POINT….”

News Outlets:

 

March 3, NBC: “At least 14 people were killed and dozens more were injured Sunday [3^rd] when powerful tornadoes swept through eastern Alabama, authorities said. The deaths were in Lee County, on the Georgia border, Sheriff Jay Jones and the county coroner’s office said Sunday night. East Alabama Medical Center in Opelika, the county seat, said that it was treating more than 40 patients and that an undetermined number of others had been sent to hospitals.

 

“…the Lee County Emergency Management Agency, or EMA, said the worst of the damage was near the town of Beauregard, where it said it had confirmed two deaths….

 

“The tornadoes touched down amid a severe weather outbreak across the Southeast, according to the National Weather Service….

 

“Opelika Fire Chief Byron Prather said several homes had been destroyed, creating serious fire hazards as propane leaked from damaged tanks….” (NBC News. “Tornadoes kill at least 14, injure dozens more in Alabama.” 3-3-2019.)

 

March 3, WSFA 12: “….The National Weather Service in Birmingham says the first tornado that impacted Lee County Sunday afternoon was at least an EF-3 and at least half a mile wide….” (WSFA 12, Montgomery, AL. “Death toll rises to 14 after East Alabama tornadoes.” 3-3-2019.)

 

March 4: “Lee County, Ala. — A National Weather Service official says a tornado that struck southeastern Alabama was an EF4 twister with wind speeds estimated at 170 mph. Meteorologist Chris Darden said at a Monday news conference that the Sunday storm had a path nearly 1 mile wide, and 24 miles long, stretching toward Georgia. He said officials on both sides of the state line are surveying the severe storm’s damage.

 

Darden said it was one of several tornadoes that struck southeastern Alabama. He said one in was Macon County. He also said there also was damage from an EF1 storm in Barbour County. he Sunday tornadoes were part of a powerful storm system that also slashed its way across parts of Georgia, South Carolina and Florida.

 

“Devastating winds destroyed homes and killed at least 23 people, including three children, ages 6, 9 and 10. One of the children has been identified as a 4th grader at Lee-Scott Academy…” (WVTM 13, Tuscaloosa, AL. “NWX: EF4 tornado with 170 mph winds hit Lee County, Alabama.” 3-4-2019.)

 

Some Historical Alabama Tornadoes wherein 10 or more people died (42 events)

 

1. 1868 — May 5, Tornadoes, Pickens, Tuscaloosa, Talladega Counties, AL       —     12
2. 1874 — Nov 22, Tornadoes, Colbert, Lauderdale, Shelby Counties, AL       –12-16
3. 1875 — May 1, Tornadoes (2) AL                   —     37
4. 1884 — Feb 19, Tornadoes, especially Jefferson, Pike, Shelby, St. Clair Counties –27-210
5. 1884 — April 2, Tornadoes, Blount and Madison Counties, AL       —     10
6. 1885 — Nov 6, Tornado, Dallas County, Near Selma, AL       —     13
7. 1899 — March 18, Tornadoes (3), AL                                                                   —     16
8. 1901 — March 25, Tornado, Jefferson Co. (Birmingham/Avondale/Irondale), AL –16-25
9. 1903 — April 8, Tornadoes (2), Leesburg, Hopewell, Summit, AL              —     20
10. 1903 — May 24, Tornadoes (3), Franklin, Kearney, Adams, Webster, Clay Co. AL —     14
11. 1904 — Jan 22, Tornado, Hale-Tuscaloosa Counties (Moundville), AL       —     37
12. 1908 — April 24-25, Tornadoes, AL       –37-48
13. 1909 — Oct 14, Storm and Tornadoes, Franklin, Marshall, Jackson Counties, AL –11-21
14. 1913 — March 13/14, Tornadoes, Bullock, Calhoun, Etowah, Macon, Montgomery Co.– 10
15. 1913 — March 21, Tornadoes (4), AL                 —     34
16. 1917 — Feb 23, Tornadoes, Hale, Perry, Elmore, Coosa, Clay Counties, AL       —     16
17. 1917 — March 26-27, Tornadoes (2), Pike, Crenshaw, Hale Counties, AL          —     10
18. 1917 — May 27-28 Tornadoes (7), AL                               —     50
19. 1918 — Jan 11, Tornado, Pike and Houston Counties (especially Webb), AL       —     13
20. 1920 — March 28, Tornadoes, Calhoun, Chambers, Elmore, Tallapoosa Counties —     27
21. 1920 — April 20, Tornadoes, AL                   —     92
22. 1921 — April 16, Tornadoes, AL                              —     15
23. 1924 — April 30, Tornadoes, AL                                     —     13
24. 1924 — May 26-27, Tornadoes, AL                                                             —     24
25. 1925 — Oct 25, Tornado, Pike-Bullock-Barbour-Crenshaw Counties, AL    —     18
26. 1932 — Jan 12, Tornadoes, Hale, Tuscaloosa, Marengo, Perry Counties, AL —     10
27. 1932 — March 21, Tornadoes, AL                                                                           —   286
28. 1933 — May 5, Tornadoes, Brent/SE Centreville/Helena & Choctaw/Sumter, AL       —     25
29. 1938 — April 7, Tornado, Near Aliceville, Pickens County, AL                           —     11
30. 1949 — Nov 24, Tornadoes, AL       —     15
31. 1953 — April 18, Tornado, Shelby and Lee-Russell, AL                                  —     14
32. 1956 — April 15, Tornado, F4, Jefferson County, AL                   —     25
33. 1964 — Jan 24, Tornado, Harpersville, Shelby County, AL                   —     10
34. 1974 — April 3, Tornadoes, multiple counties, esp. Lawrence, Limestone, Marion –77-86
35. 1977 — April 4, Tornado, F5, Jefferson County, AL             —     22
36. 1989 — Nov 15, Tornado, F4, Madison County, AL              —     21
37. 1994 — March 27, Tornado, St. Clair, Calhoun, Cherokee Counties, AL       —     22
38. 1998 — April 8, Tornadoes, Oak Grove, Moody, Birmingham-Area, AL            —     34
39. 2000 — Dec 16, Tornadoes, Geneva (1 fatality) and Tuscaloosa (11 deaths), AL —     12
40. 2002 — Nov 10, Tornado Outbreak, Cherokee, Walker and esp. Winston Counties —     12
41. 2007 — March 1, Tornado Outbreak (Prairie, Enterprise), AL       —     10
42. 2011 — Apr 27, Tornadoes, esp. Tuscaloosa, Dekalb, Marion, Jefferson counties –249-252

 

Incomplete Listing of Several Deadly Tornadoes with Fewer than 10 Fatalities: [1]

 

1936 — Jan 18, Tornadoes, Dekalb County (4), Dale County (1), and Houston County (1)       —       6

2008 — Feb 5, Tornadoes, Jackson (1 death) and Lawrence County (4 deaths), AL            —       5

2011 — April 15, Tornadoes, Autauga, Marengo and Washington Counties                       —       7

 

Numerical Ranking of Top Ten States Having Ten or More Fatality Tornado Events

 

1. Alabama — 42  (We take note of 3 events <10: 6 in 1936, 5 in 2008, and 7 in 2011.)
2. Texas — 41
3. Mississippi — 40  (One cross-listed in Windstorms as there is ambiguity as to status.)
4. Arkansas — 39
5. Oklahoma — 34  (We also note 8 deaths in 2009 tornado.)
6. Georgia — 28  (We also note 2 tornadoes <10 deaths: 8 in 1897, and 7 in 1936.)
7. Missouri — 22
8. Tennessee — 22
9. Illinois — 21
10. Kansas — 19  (Plus 3 >10 deaths: 5 in 1984, 6 in 1999 and 8 in 2003.)

 

Sources

 

CNN (Meg Wagner, Veronica Rocha, Brian Ries). “Alabama reels in aftermath of deadly tornadoes.” 3-4-2019. Accessed 3-4-2019 at: https://www.cnn.com/us/live-news/alabama-tornadoes-march-2019/index.html

 

Montgomery Advertiser (Kirsten Fiscus and Trevor Hughes). “Lee County, Alabama, coroner releases names of 23 victims killed in EF-4 tornado.” 3-5-2019. Accessed 3-6-2019 at: https://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/story/news/2019/03/05/who-are-beauregard-alabama-tornado-victims-identified-names-released/3065278002/

 

National Weather Service. “Public Information Statement. National Weather Service Peachtree City GA, 452PS EST Tue MAR 5 2019…Update #3 From NWS Damage Surveys Including the Long-Track Tornado Which Traversed From Macon and Lee Counties in Alabama Through Muscogee, Harris and Talbotton Counties in Georgia…” Peach Tree, GA: NWS, NOAA, 3-5-2019. Accessed 3-6-2019 at: https://nwschat.weather.gov/p.php?pid=201903052152-KFFC-NOUS42-PNSFFC

 

NBC News (Alex Johnson/Janelle Griffith). “Tornadoes kill at least 14, injure dozens more in Alabama.” 3-3-2019. Accessed 3-3-2019 at: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/weather/least-two-killed-tornado-alabama-report-says-n978736?cid=sm_npd_nn_fb_ma

 

WVTM 13, Tuscaloosa, AL. “NWS: EF4 tornado with 170 mph winds hit Lee County, Alabama.” 3-4-2019. Accessed 3-5-2019 at: https://www.wvtm13.com/article/nws-ef4-tornado-with-170-mph-winds-hit-lee-county-alabama/26629353

 

WSFA 12, Montgomery, AL. “Death toll rises to 14 after East Alabama tornadoes.” 3-3-2019. Accessed 3-3-2019 at: http://www.wsfa.com/2019/03/03/fatalities-reported-after-tornadoes-hit-lee-county/

 

[1] We make no claim for comprehensiveness when it comes to tornadoes causing less than ten deaths. We do make note of those at times, but we only seek to be comprehensive and authoritative on events causing ten or more deaths.

–6  (5 shot and killed by shooter; shooter shot and killed by police). ABC 7, Chicago.

–6  ABC 7 Chicago. “Many missed moments to stop a mass killer in Aurora.” 2-22-2019.

 

Narrative Information

 

Feb 16: “Police say the fired worker[1] who killed five people at a warehouse in Aurora,[2] Illinois, was able to buy the gun he used because a background check[3] didn’t catch that he had a prior felony conviction[4] in Mississippi.[5]

 

“Aurora, Ill. — The man who gunned down five co-workers and wounded a sixth at a suburban Chicago manufacturing warehouse before shooting and wounding five police officers brought his gun to a meeting in which he was going to be fired, authorities said Saturday [Feb 16].

 

“Because Gary Martin[6] brought his gun to Friday’s meeting at the sprawling Henry Pratt Co. warehouse in Aurora, he likely knew he might be about to lose the job he had held for 15 years, police Chief Kristen Ziman said at a news conference.

 

“Ziman said she didn’t know what had been conveyed to Martin, why he was being fired or whether he had shown up for his regular shift or was there just for the meeting. But she said as soon as he was fired, he pulled his handgun and began shooting. Three of the five co-workers he killed were in the room with him and the other two were just outside, she said.

 

“Frantic calls to 911 started pouring in from frightened workers at 1:24 p.m. and officers arrived at the scene within four minutes, authorities said. Martin fired on the officers when they arrived, striking one outside and another near the building’s entrance. The other three wounded officers were shot inside the building. None of their wounds are considered life-threatening, Ziman said Saturday. All of the officers who were wounded were shot within the first five minutes of police arriving at the scene, authorities said. After that flurry of shots and with officers from throughout the region streaming in to help, Martin ran off and hid inside the 29,000-square-foot building.

 

“Police used an armored rescue vehicle called a Bearcat to enter the building, Aurora police Lt. Rick Robertson said. Teams of officers then began to search the massive building, finding Martin hiding in the back about an hour later, he said. ‘He was probably waiting for us to get to him there,” said Robertson. “It was just a very short gunfight and it was over, so he was basically in the back waiting for us and fired upon us and our officers fired.’

 

“Police identified the slain workers as human resources manager Clayton Parks of Elgin; plant manager Josh Pinkard of Oswego; mold operator Russell Beyer of Yorkville; stock room attendant and fork lift operator Vicente Juarez of Oswego; and human resources intern and Northern Illinois University student Trevor Wehner,[7] who lived in DeKalb and grew up in Sheridan.” (Associated Press. “Police: Illinois gunman likely knew he was being fired.” Kiiitv, South Texas, 2-16-2019.)

 

Feb 16: “Aurora, Ill. (WLS)….The gunman is also dead, police said.[8] The gunman was identified as Gary Montez Martin, 45, of Aurora. Martin has six prior arrests in Aurora, according to a statement issued by APD Saturday, “including arrests for traffic and domestic violence related issues.” He was most recently arrested in 2017 by the Oswego Police Department for Disorderly Conduct and Criminal Damage to Property, the APD statement said. Martin had also been convicted of felony Aggravated Assault in Mississippi in 1995, a charge that appeared when he applied for a Concealed Carry permit but may not have appeared when he applied for and was given a FOID[9] card in 2014. His FOID card was later revoked because of this felony conviction….

 

“Aurora police said officers first responded to the Henry Pratt Company in the 400-block of South Highland Avenue just before 1:30 p.m. Police said two of the four first officers on the scene were fired upon immediately. More officers arrived as backup and were also fired upon….

 

“A SWAT force entered the 29,000 square foot building and found Martin. Police said the officers engaged Martin in gunfire and he was killed. It was not immediately clear if Martin was killed by a police bullet or his own gun….

 

“Martin was a veteran assemblyman at the century-old valve plant. Law enforcement sources told the ABC7 I-Team he was summoned to a meeting room where he was told he was being fired. He responded with a pistol, opening fire on the executives in the room, and then took his anger to the plant floor where dozens of his coworkers were still on the lines. ‘Next thing you know, he went walking back in front and we heard more shots and that’s when we just left the building, and he started opening up on the room and he was just shooting everybody,’ said John Probst, witness and survivor, who has worked at the plant for 40 years. There would have been approximately 30 people in the building at the time of the shooting, Probst said….” (ABC 7 Eyewitness News, Chicago, IL. “Aurora shooting: Victims identified in shooting at Henry Pratt Company; gunman was terminated employee with felony conviction.” 2-16-2019.)

 

Feb 17: “Aurora, Ill. (AP) — An initial background check[10] failed to detect a felony conviction that should have barred the man who killed five co-workers and wounded six others at a suburban Chicago manufacturing plant from buying the gun. Months later, a second background check of Gary Martin found his 1995 aggravated assault conviction in Mississippi involving the stabbing of an ex-girlfriend. But it prompted only a letter stating his gun permit had been revoked and ordering him to turn over his firearm to police — raising questions about the state’s enforcement to ensure those who lose their permits also turn over their weapons….

 

“Illinois lawmakers who support more gun control measures said Martin was able to keep the gun because of a flaw in the 1968 law that requires residents to get a Firearm Owner’s Identification card, or FOID card, to purchase firearms or ammunition. They must pass a background check, but the law does not mandate that police ensure weapons have been removed if a red flag is raised later. Legislation was introduced in 2016 to require police go to the homes of gun owners who have their FOID cards revoked and search for the weapons, but it failed over concerns it would overtax police departments, said Democratic Rep. Kathleen Willis. She wants to see a similar measure introduced again. ‘Let’s use some common sense. If you have someone with a felony, obviously they are not the best law-abiding citizens who are going to follow through when they get the letter and go, ‘oh yeah, here’s my gun, no problem,’’ Willis said….

 

“Lawmakers are also working to add teeth to restrictions on the transfers of gun ownership from a person whose permit has been revoked, Willis said. The change follows a 2018 shooting at a Tennessee Waffle House involving a man who had to give his guns to his father after his Illinois FOID card was revoked, but his father later gave them back to him. Legislators want people who obtain such weapons to sign an affidavit vowing to not return the weapons to the original owner.

 

“Martin was no stranger to police in Aurora, where he had been arrested six times over the years for what Ziman described as ‘traffic and domestic battery-related issues’ and for violating an order of protection….

 

“Records stemming from his 1995 conviction in Mississippi described an extremely violent man who abused a former girlfriend, at one point hitting her with a baseball bat and stabbing her with a knife, the Washington Post reported Saturday.

 

“After serving less than three years, he moved to Illinois and landed a job at Henry Pratt. The conviction was not detected in a company background check….” (Associated Press. “Aurora shooter’s permit was revoked but gun wasn’t seized.” 2-17-2019.)

 

Feb 22: “It only takes one mistake by law enforcement for any potential mass shooter to gain a deadly advantage on the system.

 

“There were at least ten mistakes in the case of Gary Martin according to Illinois state police officials, during a period of years leading up to his shooting rampage at an Aurora metal plant exactly one week ago.

 

“As police and public officials have scrambled to understand and explain how a convicted violent felon had a gun after being supposedly stripped of his Firearm Owner’s Identification Card, the drumbeat has grown louder for stronger laws and tighter enforcement of those already on the books.

 

“Authorities at several layers of law enforcement missed opportunities to stop Gary Martin, according to an exhaustive report by newly appointed acting Illinois State Police Director Brendan F. Kelly. ‘The only way we can honor those who died — the only way we will ever be safer — is to shine the brightest light on the good, bad, and ugly of this system and to lay bare for the public and policy makers the depth and breadth of our vulnerabilities,’ said Kelly in the unusually detailed and revealing investigative status report.

 

“Martin skated through two background checks, neither of which revealed a criminal history that should have immediately stopped his gun purchasing power. Those inquiries, standard for the thousands of people who request FOID cards in Illinois every year, involve the supposed scouring of ten databases according to state police. In Martin’s case, ISP officials now say his mid-1990’s stabbing and beating conviction were nowhere to be found on any of the criminal databases.

 

“The ABC7 I-Team first reported on that part of the shooter’s criminal history in Mississippi last Friday, just hours after he shot and killed five co-workers at the Henry Pratt valve company in Aurora after being informed of his firing. Six police officers were also wounded, but survived, in the afternoon shooting spree. Gunman Gary Martin also died in the attack.

 

“The spurt of workplace violence and the deadly mass shooting has prompted a weeklong review of Martin’s background and the tangled web of criminal data, gun laws, ownership rights and privacy concerns that frequently hamstring authorities’ efforts to prevent such attacks.

 

“In Illinois a valid FOID card is required to purchase a firearm. Martin’s had been revoked in 2014 according to state police records, although there apparently was no follow-up action to ensure he surrendered his card and any guns purchased with it. Last Friday, numerous people paid the price for that miscue-with a gun that should not have been in his hands.

 

“In Martin’s case, there seems to have been a “perfect storm” combination of loose regulations, incomplete criminal data, lack of communication between various agencies and little-if any-recognition of his own personal red flags.

 

“These issues are not new. In the statement from Illinois State Police, a 2013 report is cited. According to the “Improving the National Instant Background Screening System for Firearms Purchases” by the National Consortium for Justice Information and Statistics, “…at least 25% of felony convictions are not available to” screening agencies. It doesn’t appear that there has been much of a fix since 2013.

 

“Illinois has its own peculiarities. According to ISP: ‘Once an individual’s FOID is revoked, Illinois law requires a revoked FOID card holder to both surrender their FOID card and complete a Firearm Disposition Record within 48 hours of receiving notice of the revocation. The FOID Act requires ISP to notify local law enforcement when an individual’s FOID has been revoked. There is no statutory requirement for the local law enforcement agency to acknowledge receipt of FOID revocation notifications.’

 

“Even after the I-Team disclosed Martin’s Mississippi criminal history, and the shooter had attack his workplace and been killed, ISP officials say it took days for the database to be updated.

 

“The unusual openness by ISP and the agency’s public admissions that there had been serious mistakes made leading up to Martin’s attack, come as management of the state police force is being retooled by newly installed Illinois governor JB Pritzker. While the oversights and omissions did occur on another administration’s watch, it is left to the current police and politicians to repair a broken system.

 

“In his first TV interview since being sworn in, new Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul told the I-Team this week that Illinois’ FOID card enforcement needs to be examined as part of a comprehensive look at gun laws. Raoul pointed to Martin’s false answer on his FOID application in 2014 that went unchecked. Martin declared that he had never been convicted of a felony, which he had. The new state attorney general suggested to the I-Team that lying on a FOID application should be more than a misdemeanor, which is where it now stands.

 

“Gov. Pritzker and some other Illinois leaders are now lining up with pledges to address some of the shortcomings, including Cook County sheriff Thomas Dart who will announce a FOID-fix plan of his own on Friday morning….

 

“‘In 2018, 10,818 FOID Cards were revoked. In 2018, ISP received only 2,616 Firearm Disposition Records’ according to the state police. What that means is the 75 percent of all revoked FOID cards are blown off by the card holders. Gary Martin was one of those FOID revokees who ignored the state order and continued to possess a once-legal pistol…. The arrest statistics for FOID violators has been even more dismal than the self-surrenders. ‘From 2014 through 2019 (to date) there have been a total of 110 arrests’ for violation of FOID notices, according to ISP. That means less than 0.004 percent of revocations resulted in an arrest or conviction. There are currently 2,285,990 active FOID cards in Illinois.” (ABC 7 Chicago. “Many missed moments to stop a mass killer in Aurora.” 2-22-2019.)

 

Feb 22: “In response to the recent mass shooting in Aurora, Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart on Friday [Feb 22] called for a new law to require each county to create police units to confiscate guns from people who have had their gun licenses revoked. Cook County is one of the few departments that has a dedicated unit to go to the homes of people who have had their firearm owner’s identification cards revoked. The county has confiscated about 1,000 guns over the past five years, Dart said. The law would require each county to create a gun confiscation task force involving the sheriff, the state’s attorney and local police. Many police departments have limited resources or manpower to do so, so the bill would provide some funding by increasing the FOID application fee from to $15 from $10….

 

“The law also would have state police notify local police how many times a revoked gun license holder has tried to buy a gun. Currently, officers do not know how many guns a person might possess. Dart blamed the current ineffective laws on lobbying by the National Rifle Association.

 

“Currently there is no requirement for police to confiscate guns, so weapons often are left in the hands of people with violent felony convictions, mental health problems or orders of protection against them. The Illinois State Police disclosed that about 75 percent of people whose licenses were revoked do not comply with voluntary requirements to give up their guns.

 

“ ‘It is so dangerous, this system,’ Dart said. ‘This was by design, people (in the NRA) want ineffective gun laws. … This needs to change right now and people need to get serious about it.’….

 

“The sheriff spoke at his office in Maywood, where he stood next to tables covered with rifles and handguns taken from people whose FOID cards were revoked. Last year there were about 3,600 such revocations in Cook County alone, many of them in Chicago, which the sheriff said has its own confiscation unit. Even with a dedicated team in the suburbs, Cook County deputies can’t get to many of those with revoked licenses, leaving at least 1,000 unchecked last year, Dart said. ‘The process in place to get guns away from people who should not have them is broken, it’s insane and it’s ridiculously dangerous,” Dart said. “The system is the honor system, literally. That’s it.’

 

“The shooting in Aurora, he said, should motivate lawmakers to take action. Anyone who opposes that measure, Dart said, is opening the door to innocent people being ‘slaughtered.’

 

“A prominent gun rights advocate expressed skepticism about the proposal and opposed any increase in licensing fees — but was open to increasing the penalty for violations to a felony. Todd Vandermyde, a former lobbyist for the National Rifle Association who is now executive director of the Federal Firearms Licensees of Illinois, said there are ways to confiscate guns without creating a new mandate. In the case of the Aurora shooter, Vandermyde said, state police could have prevented him from obtaining a gun and license if they had initially found his prior felony conviction in the federal database. And Aurora police could have confiscated his weapon after the conviction was discovered….

 

“An earlier online version of this story incorrectly said that Dart’s proposal would require police to confiscate weapons from gun owners with revoked licenses.” (Chicago Tribune/Robert McCoppin. “Sheriff Tom Dart proposes creating units to seize guns from owners with revoked licenses, blames NRA for current ‘dangerous’ system.” 2-22-2019.)

 

Sources

 

ABC 7 Eyewitness News, Chicago, IL. “Aurora shooting: Victims identified in shooting at Henry Pratt Company; gunman was terminated employee with felony conviction.” 2-16-2019. Accessed 2-16-2019 at: https://abc7chicago.com/aurora-shooting-vigils-planned-for-5-dead-multiple-wounded-including-officers;-gunman-also-dead/5141841/

 

ABC 7 Chicago (Chuck Goudie, Barb Markoff, Christine Tressel). “Many missed moments to stop a mass killer in Aurora.” 2-22-2019. Accessed 2-22-2019 at: https://abc7chicago.com/many-missed-moments-to-stop-a-mass-killer-in-aurora/5151026/

 

Associated Press (Don Babwin and Julie Watson). “Aurora shooter’s permit was revoked but gun wasn’t seized.” 2-17-2019. Accessed 2-17-2019 at: https://www.apnews.com/41cfc4666d2a4563a5188a064a7d94d4

 

Associated Press. “Police: Aurora gunman likely knew he was being fired.” MSN.com, 2-16-2019. Accessed 2-16-2019 at: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/police-aurora-gunman-likely-knew-he-was-being-fired/ar-BBTF1kp

 

Associated Press. “Police: Illinois gunman likely knew he was being fired.” Kiiitv, South Texas, 2-16-2019. Accessed 2-16-2019 at: https://www.kiiitv.com/article/news/nation-world/police-illinois-gunman-likely-knew-he-was-being-fired/503-fff7f9d0-d779-4153-904d-a5f6db5fa5f6

 

Associated Press. “The Latest: Aurora victim started internship day he died.” 2-16-2019. Accessed 2-16-2019 at: https://apnews.com/61076852fb264d3aaac62f87411066c8

 

Chicago Tribune/Robert McCoppin. “Sheriff Tom Dart proposes creating units to seize guns from owners with revoked licenses, blames NRA for current ‘dangerous’ system.” 2-22-2019. Accessed 2-22-2019 at: https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-met-sheriff-dart-gun-law-legislation-20190222-story.html

 

GAT Guns, East Dundee, IL. “Illinois Gun Buyer FAQ.” ©2018. Accessed 2-16-2019 at: https://www.gatguns.com/il-gun-buyer-faq/

 

National Public Radio/Jacob Pinter. “Illinois Gunman Opened Fire When He Learned He Would Lose His Job, Police Say.” 2-16-2019. Accessed 2-16-2019 at: https://www.npr.org/2019/02/16/695448140/illinois-gunman-opened-fire-when-he-learned-hed-lose-his-job-police-say

 

 

[1] AP article the next day notes all that has been said thus far is that there were various workplace violations. (AP. “Aurora shooter’s permit was revoked but gun wasn’t seized.” 2-17-2019.)

[2] Aurora, a Chicago suburb, is in counties of DuPage, Kane, Kendall, and Will — predominantly DuPage and Kane.

[3] “The ISP [Illinois State Police] issue the card after conducting state and federal background checks. Once issued, the card is valid for ten years….Federal law requires a background check through the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, or NICS, for all firearm purchases. The ISP conducts the background checks in Illinois. The buyer’s background is checked at both state and federal levels in Illinois.” (GAT Guns, East Dundee, IL. “Illinois Gun Buyer FAQ.” ©2018. Accessed 2-16-2019. GAT Guns assists interested parties in getting FOID cards.

[4] Aggravated assault — stabbed an ex-girlfriend. (AP. “Aurora shooter’s permit was revoked but gun wasn’t seized.” 2-17-2019.)

[5] “He was able to buy the Smith and Wesson .40-caliber handgun he used in the attack because an initial background check didn’t catch that he had a prior felony conviction in Mississippi, the chief said [Aurora IL police chief Kristen Ziman]. Martin was issued a rearm owner’s identification card in January of 2014 after he passed the initial background check and he bought the gun that March 11. It wasn’t until he applied for a concealed carry permit five days later and went through a more rigorous background check that uses digital fingerprinting that his 1995 felony conviction in Mississippi for aggravated battery was flagged and his firearm owner’s ID card was revoked, she said. Once his card was revoked, he could no longer legally have a gun.” [But gun was not confiscated.] (Associated Press. “Police: Aurora gunman likely knew he was being fired.” MSN.com, 2-16-2019.) Another source notes police notified Martin that his FOIED card was revoked by sending him a letter telling him to relinquish any firearms. “Ziman said police records show that the letter was sent, but she doesn’t know whether police attempted to follow up.” (National Public Radio/Jacob Pinter. “Illinois Gunman Opened Fire When He Learned He Would Lose His Job, Police Say.” 2-16-2019.)

[6] Gary Montez Martin, 45. (KZYX, CA. “Illinois Gunman Opened

[7] Another source notes: “…Trevor Wehner, began his human resources internship at the Henry Pratt Co. in Aurora on Friday [the day he was killed].” Associated Press. “The Latest: Aurora victim started internship day he died.” 2-16-2019.

[8] AP article the next day notes he was killed by police “during an exchange of gunfire.” (AP. “Aurora shooter’s permit was revoked but gun wasn’t seized.” 2-17-2019.)

[9] Firearm Owners Identification card.

[10] Blanchard: Not sure why this is referred to as an “initial” check since it was all that was needed to get a gun. The only reason there was another investigation was because Martin applied for a concealed weapon permit.

-30-31  Blanchard tally from State breakouts below.[1]

—   >27  AP. “More than two dozen weather-related deaths result from Polar Vortex.” Fox 17, 2-1-2019.

—   >25  AP. “Death toll from polar plunge tops 25, including Chaska woman.” 2-1-2019.

—   >24  AP. “More than 24 dead, hundreds hurt after polar vortex strikes.” Star Advertiser, 2-3-2019.

—     23  CNN. “A FedEx worker found dead at a delivery facility…one of 23 killed…” 2-1-2019.

—     22  CBS News. “Polar vortex blamed for at least 22 deaths in 8 States.” 2-1-2019.

—     21  BBC News. “Polar vortex death toll rises to 21 as US cold snap continues.” 2-1-2019.

 

Summary of Winter Weather-Related Deaths by State (as described below):

 

Illinois                        (   8)

Indiana                       (   4)

Iowa                            (4-5)

Michigan                    (   4)

Minnesota                  (   1)

Nebraska                    (   ?)

New York                   (   5)

Ohio                           (   1)

Vermont                     (   1)

Wisconsin                  (   2)

            Total             30-31

 

Breakout of Winter Weather Related Deaths by State (and locality, where noted):

 

Illinois                        (  8)

–1  Chicago area; Man hit and killed by snow plow.[2]

–1  Chicago, Belmont Terrace, North Page Ave, Jan 30. Cold exposure; Barbara Sromek, 66.[3]

–1  Chicago, Edison Park section, Feb 1. Coronary disease; cold exposure contributing; Czech, 62.[4]

–1  Chicago, Portage Park, Jan 31. Cold exposure; Joanne O’Donnell, 73.[5]

–1  Chicago, South Side Brainerd area, Jan 31. Cold exposure contribution; Jimmie Flewellen, 92.[6]

–1  East Moline, Jan 31. FedEx worker found dead onsite; death blamed on cold;[7] William L. Murphy, 69.[8]

–1  Glenview. Lizette Lane (north of Chicago), Feb 1. Exposure; Adair Gerstein, 72.[9]

–1  Libertyville, Jan 28. Hit by snowplow at the end of his driveway; Donald Anderson, 75.[10]

–1  Marquette Heights, Jan 29. Exposure; male, 82, fell outside his home; found hours later.[11]

–1  Pekin, Jan 29. Died after found outside home suffering from hypothermia, later died, male, 82.[12]

 

Indiana                       (  4)

–2  Cromwell area, Jan 28. SUV spins into path of another SUV on icy road; Ethan and Shawna Kiser.[13]

–1  Monrovia area, I-70, Feb 1. Car hits INDOT salt truck on roadside; Robert Lange, 59.[14]

–1  Muncie, Jan 29. Body of male, 59, found in his driveway; cold weather suspected.[15]

 

Iowa                            (4-5)

–4-5  Blanchard estimate.[16]

—   6  Traffic crashes. NYT (Smith et al.). “Extreme Cold Weather Spreads East.” 1-31-2019.[17]

Breakout of Iowa weather-related fatalities by locality:

–1?  Avoca and Walnut area, I-81, Jan 28. Semi rear-ends car; state patrol noted icy roads.[18]

–1  Cass Co., I-80, Jan 27. Freezing rain/icy conditions; vehicle goes into ditch; J. Tavares.[19]

–1  Coralville, I-80, Jan 31. Multivehicle collision; ice and snow covered road; William Hicks, 72.[20]

–1  Des Moines, I-80, Jan 28. Car crash on icy interstate; Joshua Peterson,[21] 31.[22]

–1  Iowa City, University of Iowa, near Halsey Hall, Jan 30. Exposure; student Gerald Belz.[23]

 

Michigan                    (  4)

–1  Detroit, Jan 30. Exposure, Male, 70, found frozen to death in his neighborhood; sub-zero°.[24]

–1  East Lansing, Jan 30. Exposure? Male, 60, found dead outdoors.[25]

–1  Ecorse, Jan 29-30. Exposure; found dead in front of his home; Gary Sammons, 70.[26]

–1  Three Rivers, Jan 30. Exposure after locking herself out of home; Ada Salna, 90.[27]

 

Minnesota                  (  1)

–1  Carver Co., Parley Lake Rd., Jan 28. Police find car off road; body outside; Amy Debower, 46.[28]

 

Nebraska                    (  ?)

–1  Cass County, Jan 27. Vehicle on icy road lost traction and rolled into ditch.[29]

 

New York                   (  5)

–2  Elba, Route 98, Feb 2. Collision; driver loses control of vehicle on snow-covered road; Nortons.[30]

–1  Hamburg, Buffalo area, Jan 31. Apparent heart attack “while using a snowblower…”[31]

–1  Tonawanda, Buffalo area, Jan 31. Apparent heart attack “after shoveling.”[32]

 

–1  Williamsville ~Buffalo, Jan 31. Froze to death in bus shelter; homeless man; Lawrence Bierl, 69.[33]

 

Ohio                           (  1)

–1  Lorain, ~Jan 30. Likely hypothermia; woman, 60, found dead in abandoned house; sub-zero°.[34]

 

Vermont                     (  1)

–1  Burlington, Feb 2 (body found in snow). Exposure? Univ. of VE student, Connor Gage, 19.[35]

 

Wisconsin                  (  2)

–1  Milwaukee, Jan 29. Exposure; apparently collapsed after shoveling snow; Charley Lampley, 55.[36]

–1  Milwaukee, Jan 30. Hypothermia? Woman, 38, found frozen in unheated apt., broken thermostat.[37]

 

Narrative Information — General

 

Jan 28: Winter Storm Jayden[38] tore into the South and East Tuesday, closing schools and government offices, forcing the cancelation of more than 1,300 flights and triggering states of emergency in several states. The storm has been responsible for at least three deaths. Two people were killed in separate crashes along sections of Interstate 80 in western Iowa made icy by Winter Storm Jayden.

 

“One woman was killed and two other passengers were injured when a semi-trailer rear-ended a car between Avoca and Walnut Monday morning. The accident was reported about 8 a.m. and state patrol confirmed roads were icy at the time. Iowa State Patrol identified 50-year-old Antonieta Altamirano Serrano of Bountiful, Utah, as the woman killed in the crash.

 

“A 9-year-old boy was killed in a single car accident Sunday evening in when the vehicle he was in slid off the highway because of slick conditions and rolled into a ditch in Case County. Iowa State Patrol identified the boy as Joshua Tavares of Grand Island, Nebraska. Seven other people in the vehicle we also injured and taken to Cars County Memorial Hospital, according to an Iowa State Patrol crash report.

 

“A snowplow hit and killed a man Monday morning in Libertyville, a suburb north of Chicago, the Sun-Times reported. No other details about the victim were released.

 

“As of Tuesday morning, more than 1,300 flights had been canceled, according to Flight Aware. On Monday, the storm forced the cancelation of more than 2,500 flights….”
(The Weather Channel (Ron Brackett and Pan Wright). “Winter Storm Jayden: More Than 1,300 Flights Canceled, State Offices and Schools Closed in Midwest, South; 3 Dead,”)

 

Jan 28: “Back to back cold fronts will slice through the eastern two-thirds of the country to deliver one of the coldest arctic air intrusions in recent memory, especially from the Upper Midwest to the Great Lakes and Ohio Valley, the National Weather Service warns. From Tuesday through Thursday, January 29 – 31, 2019 expect frigid temperatures and bitterly cold wind chills, likely leading to widespread record lows and low maximum temperatures.

 

“On Tuesday, very cold high pressure over West-Central Canada will move southeastward into Northern Plains by Wednesday morning. The high will bring very cold temperatures to the Upper Midwest with wind chills between -48 and -51 °C (-60 and -55 °F) over parts of the Upper Mississippi Valley, NWS forecaster Ziegenfelder notes.

 

“The worst of this impressive arctic airmass will affect the north-central U.S. with record-breaking temperatures and extreme wind chills on Thursday, January 31. However, it’s not expected to stick around for long as a moderating trend is expected immediately after.

 

“The frigid air unleashed by the polar vortex in the Midwest will expand into the Northeast this week, bringing the coldest air for the region thus far in 2019, AccuWeather meteorologist Courtney Spamer said. Temperatures will begin to plummet from the Ohio Valley to the interior Northeast on Tuesday and Tuesday night, then to coastal areas on Wednesday….” (Blašković, Teo. “NWS: One of the coldest Arctic air intrusions in recent memory, widespread record lows expected, U.S.” The Watchers, 1-28-2019.)

 

Jan 31: “Chicago — Midwesterners trudged ahead Thursday [Jan 31] into a familiar, grim reality: temperatures well below zero, schools and businesses closed, stern warnings to wear extra layers or, better yet, just stay indoors. The polar vortex that arrived earlier this week has for days disrupted life across an entire region. Deaths and injuries were reported. Decades-old records fell. And, for one more day, even stepping outside remained a painful, risky experience. But the forecast finally suggested relief ahead. By Thursday night, temperatures across much of the Midwest were expected to poke above zero. By the end of the weekend, meteorologists predicted as much as a 70- or 80-degree swing, with balmy-for-February readings in the 40s or 50s and rain instead of snow.

 

“Still, risks remained. A band of snow complicated travel on Thursday, and in the Northeast, officials warned of their own cold wave, with heavy snow in some places and subzero wind chills in others. At least 21 deaths are believed to be related to the bitter weather system, government officials say, including that of a University of Iowa student who was found behind an academic hall several hours before dawn on Wednesday.

 

“A weather observer in Mount Carroll, Ill., recorded a temperature of minus 38 on Thursday morning. If confirmed by state officials, that would become Illinois’s record low, supplanting the previous record of minus 36.

 

“The sustained cold taxed energy systems across the Midwest, leading to some power failures and urgent calls to customers to reduce the heat in their homes.

 

“Many schools, businesses and restaurants remained shuttered on Thursday, though some offices were reopening and many more were expected to reopen Friday.

 

“By Thursday evening, airlines had canceled more than 2,300 flights in the United States, according to FlightAware. On Wednesday, cancellations topped 2,700.

 

“The East Coast was feeling the bitter cold, too. Temperatures barely broke the double digits in New York City….

 

“Since Sunday [Jan 27], local authorities have said that at least 21 deaths appeared to be connected to the weather, though some were still being investigated and precise causes remained unknown. Among those who have perished, according to local police, fire officials, coroners and other officials: Four men — in Illinois, Wisconsin and two in Michigan — who were found frozen near their homes; six people who died in traffic crashes in Iowa; a pedestrian hit with a snowplow in Libertyville, Ill.; a man found dead between two FedEx trucks at a distribution center in East Moline, Ill.; and a woman found frozen to death inside a Milwaukee apartment after the thermostat malfunctioned.

 

“In the Buffalo area, one person died Thursday while using a snowblower and another was found dead after shoveling. Earlier in the week, a married couple in their 20s in Indiana died in a car crash, a man in Milwaukee was found dead in his garage after shoveling and a man died of hypothermia in Evanston, Ill.

 

“In Williamsville, N.Y., outside Buffalo, a homeless man was pronounced dead after being discovered inside a bus shelter on Thursday morning. Helen Tederous, a spokeswoman for the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority, which is investigating the death, said that the man, Lawrence Bierl, 69, had been a fixture in suburban Buffalo for years. “He was a real gentle soul,” she said. “He would talk to people a lot. People got to know him.” An official cause of death had not been determined, but Ms. Tederous and a county official said it appeared to be related to the cold.

 

“Officials told of harrowing rescues and perilous situations. Some people resorted to dangerous means to keep warm. In Wheeling, Ill., nine people, including a 2-month-old infant, were hospitalized for carbon monoxide exposure on Wednesday after a family used a charcoal grill to heat their home. Keith MacIsaac, the Wheeling fire chief, said in an email that the family’s furnace was working, but that they used the grill for additional warmth. All nine people were taken to hospitals and expected to survive. ‘If this had occurred at night when people are sleeping, this easily could have resulted in nine fatalities,’ Chief MacIsaac said….

 

“At least two cities in Illinois and one in Iowa reached record lows overnight, as a dangerously deep freeze kept its hold on the Midwest. In Rockford, Ill., temperatures dipped to minus 31, breaking a previous record of minus 27 from Jan. 10, 1982. Moline, Ill., on the border with Iowa, also broke a record, reaching minus 33 on Thursday morning, according to the National Weather Service. Cedar Rapids, Iowa, set a record of minus 30. Chicago did not reach a record low overnight — the previous record was minus 27, from Jan. 20, 1985. But the city was expected to be hit with one to three inches of snow on Thursday, beginning in the late afternoon and stretching into the evening….

 

“The cold was especially risky for those surrounded by water. The Coast Guard used air boats to rescue seven people stranded in an ice shanty off the coast of Sturgeon Bay, Wis. And on Mackinac Island, Mich., where the dangerous weather made plane travel impossible, another Coast Guard ship sliced through the ice to rescue a woman needing medical attention….

 

“In Minnesota, Xcel Energy asked customers to conserve power and reduce their thermostats to 63 degrees or 60 degrees, depending on their location. Xcel also paid for hotel rooms for customers who lost their gas supply in Princeton, Minn., where the temperature on Thursday morning was minus 35….

 

“The extremely low temperatures this week in parts of the United States stand in sharp contrast to the trend toward warmer winters. But they may also be a result of warming. Emerging research suggests that a warming Arctic is causing changes in the jet stream and pushing polar air down to latitudes that are unaccustomed to them and often unprepared. Hence this week’s atypical chill over large swaths of the Northeast and Midwest….” (New York Times/Mitch Smith, Julie Bosman, Monica Davey). “Extreme Cold Weather Spreads East.” 1-31-2019.)

 

Feb 1: “At least 21 people have died in one of the worst cold snaps to hit the US Midwest in decades. Ninety million people — a third of the US — have seen temperatures of -17C (0F) or below. Some 250 million Americans overall have experienced the ‘polar vortex’ conditions. Hospitals have been treating patients reporting frostbite as parts of the country ground to a halt. Temperatures are expected to swing to above average over the weekend. Homeless people have been particularly at risk, with warming shelters set up across cities….” (BBC News. “Polar vortex death toll rises to 21 as US cold snap continues.” 2-1-2019.)

 

Feb 2: “Chicago (AP) — The dangerous cold and heavy snow that hobbled the northern U.S. this week has retreated, but not before exacting a human toll: more than two dozen weather-related deaths in eight states and hundreds of injuries, including frostbite, broken bones, heart attacks and carbon monoxide poisoning.

 

“In Illinois alone, hospitals reported more than 220 cases of frostbite and hypothermia since Tuesday, when the polar vortex moved in and overnight temperatures plunged to minus 30 (minus 34 Celsius) or lower — with wind chills of minus 50 (minus 45 Celsius) or worse in some areas.

 

“Hennepin Healthcare in Minneapolis normally sees around 30 frostbite patients in an entire winter. It admitted 18 in the past week, spokeswoman Christine Hill said Friday. ‘I definitely saw more frostbite than I’ve ever seen in my entire career just in the last three days,’ said Dr. Andrea Rowland-Fischer, an emergency department physician at Hennepin Healthcare. Most of those patients, she said, had underlying problems that made it difficult for them to take care of themselves: the developmentally delayed, the mentally ill, the very young and the very old. They also included people with injuries related to drugs and alcohol — people who passed out or did not realize they were cold or injured. ‘It’s heartbreaking when there are people who can’t take care of themselves and get exposed, just because they either escape from the care that they’re being given or because they’re not being supervised.’

 

“Others got frostbite on their way to work after being exposed to the cold for a short time, often on their hands, feet, ears and face. That included people whose cars would not start or who got stuck outside for other reasons, as well as those who just did not think they could get frostbitten so quickly and went outside without gloves or other protective gear. Several required “maximal treatment,” admission to the hospital’s burn unit for therapies that include drugs to restore circulation to try to avoid amputations. Some of them will probably still require amputations, a decision usually made by burn doctors four to 10 days after the injury….

 

“Another danger was from carbon monoxide. A family of nine in Wheeling, Illinois, about 30 miles northwest of Chicago, was taken to local hospitals after heating their home with a charcoal grill. In Rockford, Illinois, four people were treated because they had warmed up cars in a closed garage or because a furnace vent became blocked by ice and snow.

 

“The snow that accompanied the cold also caused problems. In Raymond, New Hampshire, the driver of a state Department of Transportation vehicle was struck in the head Thursday after ice and snow flew off a truck ahead and broke through the windshield. The driver was hospitalized with a laceration to the head and other possible injuries.

 

“In just a two-day period, Tuesday and Wednesday, Mercyhealth in Rockford treated 15 people for broken bones from falling on the ice, 10 people who were in car crashes caused by snow and eight people who complained of chest pain or shortness of breath from shoveling snow, hospital officials said. Rockford set a new record low of minus 31 degrees Thursday….

 

“By Friday, the deep freeze had mostly abated, with temperatures climbing as high as the low 20s (minus 5 or 6 Celsius) in Minneapolis and Chicago. In western North Dakota, the temperature in Dickinson climbed above freezing (0 Celsius) by mid-morning — a jump of nearly 60 degrees compared with Tuesday’s low of minus 17 degrees (minus 27 Celsius).

 

“The weather was thought to be a factor in at least 27 deaths, including a 90-year-old Michigan woman who died of hypothermia after locking herself out of her home while feeding birds — one of at least nine people who were found outdoors. A motorist also died during a snowstorm Friday after striking a salt truck that had pulled off the side of Interstate 70 in central Indiana. Others died after freezing outdoors or in unheated homes or while shoveling snow.” (Associated Press. “January’s extreme cold caused dozens of deaths and hundreds of injuries nationwide.” WQAD 8, Moline, IL. 2-2-2019.)

 

District of Columbia Area

 

Jan 31: “7:20 a.m. – Subzero wind chills and single digit temperatures in coldest morning of the winter. t 7 a.m., temperatures ranged from 5 degrees at Dulles to 6 degrees at BWI Marshall to 10 degrees at Reagan National, but wind chills were between minus-3 and minus-5. The overnight lows at the airport ranged from 10 at National to 6 at BWI to minus-2 at Dulles. None of these were cold enough to be records but are the coldest of the winter so far….” (Washington Post/David Streit. “D.C.-area forecast: Bitter arctic air today with snow showers possible tomorrow.” 1-331-2019.)

 

Sources

 

Associated Press. “Authorities: 2 dead in weather-related crash in Indiana.” ABC 57 News, South Bend, IN, 1-29-2019. Accessed 2-1-2019 at: https://www.abc57.com/news/authorities-2-dead-in-weather-related-crash-in-indiana

 

Associated Press. “Death toll from polar plunge tops 25, including Chaska woman.” 2-1-2019. Accessed 2-3-2019 at: https://www.twincities.com/2019/02/01/death-toll-from-polar-plunge-tops-25-including-chaska-woman/

 

Associated Press. “January’s extreme cold caused dozens of deaths and hundreds of injuries nationwide.” WQAD 8, Moline, IL. 2-2-2019. Accessed 2-3-2019 at: https://wqad.com/2019/02/02/januarys-extreme-cold-caused-dozens-of-deaths-and-hundreds-of-injuries-nationwide/

 

Associated Press, Chicago. “More than 24 dead, hundreds hurt after polar vortex strikes.” Star Advertiser, HI, 2-3-2019. Accessed 2-3-2019 at: https://www.staradvertiser.com/2019/02/03/breaking-news/more-than-24-dead-hundreds-hurt-after-polar-vortex-strikes/

 

Associated Press, Chicago. “More than two dozen weather-related deaths result from Polar Vortex.” Fox 17 News, West Michigan, 2-1-2019. Accessed 2-2-2019 at: https://fox17online.com/2019/02/01/human-toll-of-cold-more-than-2-dozen-dead-hundreds-hurt/

 

BBC News. “Polar vortex death toll rises to 21 as US cold snap continues.” 2-1-2019. Accessed 2-1-2019 at: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-47088684

 

Blašković, Teo. “NWS: One of the coldest Arctic air intrusions in recent memory, widespread record lows expected, U.S.” The Watchers, 1-28-2019. Accessed 2-3-2019 at: https://watchers.news/2019/01/28/extreme-cold-united-states-january-2019/

 

Buffalo News (Maki Becker, Keith McShea, Sandra Tan, T.J. Pignataro). “Snowstorm claims three lives as officials look toward warmup, possible flooding.” 1-31-2019. Accessed 2-4-2019 at: https://buffalonews.com/2019/01/31/on-day-two-of-the-storm-route-400-closed-buffalo-driving-ban-lifted/

 

CBS News. “Polar vortex blamed for at least 22 deaths in 8 States.” 2-1-2019. Accessed 2-4-2019 at: http://newsvideo.su/video/10215998

 

Chicago Sun Times (Thomas Czaja). “4^th Chicago death attributed to bitter cold snap.” 2-2-2019. Accessed 2-3-2019 at: https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/2-cold-deaths-reported-cook-county-upping-total-to-25-since-start-season/

 

Chicago Sun Times (Tm Schuba). “Brutal cold contributed to 3 deaths in Chicago during polar vortex.” 2-1-2019. Accessed 2-2-2019 at: https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/brutal-cold-contributed-to-3-deaths-in-chicago-during-polar-vortex/

 

Chicago Sun Times (Luke Wilusz). “Man fatally struck by snowplow in Libertyville.” 1-29-2019. Accessed 2-4-2019 at: https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/man-fatally-struck-by-snowplow-in-libertyville/

 

Chronicle-Telegram, Elyria, OH (Carissa Woytach). “Coroner says woman found dead in Lorain home likely died of hypothermia.” 1-31-2019. Accessed 2-1-2019 at: http://www.chroniclet.com/Local-News/2019/01/31/Coroner-says-woman-found-dead-in-Lorain-home-likely-died-of-hypothermia.html

 

CNN. “A FedEx worker found dead at a delivery facility was one of 23 killed in the extreme weather.” 2-1-2019. Accessed 2-1-2019 at: https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/01/us/winter-weather-deaths/index.html?cid=web-alerts&nsid=41950584

 

Fox 2, Detroit. “Former Ecorse City Councilman found frozen to death outside his home.” 1-30-2019. Accessed 2-1-2019 at: http://www.fox2detroit.com/news/local-news/ecorse-man-found-frozen-to-death-outside-his-home-police

 

Fox 59, Indianapolis. “IPS teacher killed after crashing into INDOT alt truck in Hendricks County.” 2-1-2019. Accessed 2-2-2019 at: https://fox59.com/2019/02/01/person-killed-in-crash-involving-indot-salt-truck-passenger-vehicle-on-eb-i-70/

 

Fox News (Travis Fedschun). “University of Vermont student found dead in snow after taking apparent shortcut, police say.” 2-3-2019. Accessed 2-3-2019 at: https://www.foxnews.com/us/university-of-vermont-student-found-dead-in-snow-after-taking-apparent-shortcut-police-say

 

Heart of Illinois ABC. “Elderly man from Marquette Heights dies due to cold exposure.” 1-29-2019. Accessed 2-4-2019 at: https://hoiabc.com/news/2019/01/29/elderly-man-found-dead-in-peoria-due-to-cold-exposure/

 

Iowa City Press-Citizen (Aimee Breaux and Hillary Ojeda). “University of Iowa student dies after being found unresponsive during polar vortex.” 1-30-2019. Accessed 2-1-2019 at: https://www.press-citizen.com/story/news/education/university-of-iowa/2019/01/30/university-iowa-student-believed-have-died-due-extreme-weather/2723808002/

 

NBC News. “Deaths of an Indiana man, 59, and woman, 87, investigated as possibly weather-related.” 1-30-2019. Accessed 2-2-2019 at: https://www.nbcnews.com/card/indiana-police-investigate-deaths-man-59-woman-87-possibly-weather-n964701

 

NECN.com (Sophie Reardon and Kaitlin McKinley Becker). “Police Identify 19-Year-Old Vermont Student Found in Snow.” 2-2-2019. Accessed 2-3-2019 at: https://www.necn.com/news/new-england/19-Year-Old-Student-in-Snow-505253732.html

 

New York Times (Mitch Smith, Julie Bosman, Monica Davey). “Extreme Cold Weather Spreads East.” 1-31-2019. Accessed 2-4-2019 at: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/31/us/weather-polar-vortex.html

 

News.com.au. “Polar Vortex: Death toll rises as people found frozen to death.” 2-3-2019. Accessed 2-2-2019 at: https://www.news.com.au/technology/environment/polar-vortex-death-toll-rises-as-people-found-frozen-to-death/news-story/36e5fd2f697a03b0150cbb982367f1e9

 

Patch Media (Jessica Strachan), Detroit. “70-year-old Man Found Dead in Michigan’s Subzero Temps.” 1-30-2019. Accessed 2-1-2019 at: https://patch.com/michigan/detroit/70-year-old-man-found-dead-michigan-s-freezing-temps

 

Reuters/Jonathan Allen. “Over 20 dead in U.S. polar vortex, frostbite amputations feared.” 1-31-2019. Accessed 2-1-2019 at: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-weather/u-s-polar-vortex-blamed-for-at-least-21-deaths-idUSKCN1PP13Q

 

Star Press/Douglas Walker, Muncie, IN. “Two possible weather-related deaths in Delaware County investigated.” 1-30-2019. Accessed 2-4-2019 at: https://www.thestarpress.com/story/news/local/2019/01/30/two-possible-weather-related-deaths-delaware-county-investigated/2718901002/

 

The Gazette, Cedar Rapids, IA. “One killed, another hurt after 11-vehicle collision on Interstate 80.” 1-31-2019. Accessed 2-4-2019 at: https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/public-safety/crash-i-80-west-winter-weather-detour-driving-cold-polar-vortex-iowa-accident-dot-i80-coralville-near-380-20190131

 

The Weather Channel (Ron Brackett and Drew MacFarlane). “Extreme Cold Blamed for 16 Deaths in Midwest, Northeast; Frostbite Injuries Quickly Adding Up in Chicago.” 2-1-2019. Accessed 2-1-2019 at: https://weather.com/news/news/2019-01-30-cold-polar-vortex-midwest

 

The Weather Channel (Ron Brackett and Pan Wright). “Winter Storm Jayden: More Than 1,300 Flights Canceled, State Offices and Schools Closed in Midwest, South; 3 Dead,” 1-28-2019. Accessed 2-4-2019 at: https://weather.com/news/news/2019-01-28-winter-storm-jayden-impacts-preps

 

U.S. News & World Report (Alexa Lardieri). “Extreme Cold From Polar Vortex Kills 3 in Wisconsin, Michigan.” 1-30-2010. Accessed 2-1-2019 at: https://www.usnews.com/news/national-news/articles/2019-01-30/extreme-cold-from-polar-vortex-kills-3-in-wisconsin-michigan

 

Washington Post (David Streit). “D.C.-area forecast: Bitter arctic air today with snow showers possible tomorrow.” 1-331-2019. Accessed 2-4-2019 at: https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2019/01/31/dc-area-forecast-bitter-arctic-air-today-with-snow-showers-possible-tomorrow/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.e0b5ea817f41

 

Week.com (25 News, Peoria). “Elderly man from Marquette Heights dies due to cold exposure.” 1-29-2019. Accessed 2-2-2019 at: https://week.com/news/2019/01/29/elderly-man-from-marquette-heights-dies-due-to-cold-exposure/

 

WHO TV (Kelly Maricle),  Des Moines, IA. “Icy Roads, Speed Blamed in Fatal Crash on I-80, 1-28-2019. Accessed 2-4-2019 at: https://whotv.com/2019/01/28/icy-roads-speed-blamed-in-fatal-crash-on-i-80/

 

WKBW, Buffalo. “Two killed in fatal crash on Route 98 in Genesee County.” 2-2-2019. Accessed 2-3-2019 at: https://www.wkbw.com/news/local-news/two-killed-in-fatal-crash-on-route-98-in-genesee-county

 

WKBW 7, Buffalo, NY. “Winter storm blamed for three deaths in Erie County,” 1-31-2019.

 

Additional Reading

 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The science behind the polar vortex. 1-29-2019. Accessed 2-4-2019 at: https://www.noaa.gov/multimedia/infographic/science-behind-polar-vortex

 

 

 

 

 

[1] The range has to do with uncertainty whether I-81 semi and car collision on Jan 28 was weather related or not (see footnote for “Avoca and Walnut area” listing). Compiled by B. Wayne Blanchard Jan-Feb 2019 for: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com

[2] BBC News. “Polar vortex death toll rises to 21 as US cold snap continues.” 2-1-2019. Highlighted in yellow to denote we do not include in our tally. Reporting is of a Chicago area death, which we have not been able to verify. However, we have seen reporting of a snowplow killing a Libertyville man, which is north of Chicago.

[3] Chicago Sun Times (Thomas Czaja). “4^th Chicago death attributed to bitter cold snap.” 2-2-2019. Cardiovascular disease and hypothermia noted as contributing factors to environmental cold exposure.

[4] Linda Czech. Chicago Sun Times. “Brutal cold contributed to 3 deaths in Chicago during polar vortex.” 2-1-2019.

[5] Chicago Sun Times. “Brutal cold contributed to 3 deaths in Chicago during polar vortex.” 2-1-2019.

[6] Chicago Sun Times. “Brutal cold contributed to 3 deaths in Chicago during polar vortex.” 2-1-2019.

[7] CNN. “A FedEx worker found dead at a delivery facility was one of 23 killed in the extreme weather.” 2-1-2019.

[8] Name from: News.com.au. “Polar Vortex: Death toll rises as people found frozen to death.” 2-3-2019. Notes East Moline “hit a record low of -36 Celsius.”

[9] Chicago Sun Times (Thomas Czaja). “4^th Chicago death attributed to bitter cold snap.” 2-2-2019. Died of “complications of hypothermia and cold exposure. Cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes and pulmonary disease were also contributing.”

[10] NBC News. “Deaths of an Indiana man, 59, and woman, 87, investigated as possibly weather-related.” 1-30-2019. Identification of victim is from: Chicago Sun Times (Luke Wilusz). “Man fatally struck by snowplow in Libertyville.” 1-29-2019. NBC News noted the victim was hit at the end of his driveway. Chicago Sun Times notes he “lived nearby.”

[11] Week.com (25 News, Peoria). “Elderly man from Marquette Heights dies due to cold exposure.” 1-29-2019.

[12] NBC News. “Deaths of an Indiana man, 59, and woman, 87, investigated as possibly weather-related.” 1-30-2019. Highlighted in yellow to denote we do not include in our tally. From later reporting it appears that the unidentified man, had been at a car dealership the morning of Jan 29, and then “drove himself home where he apparently fell trying to get inside the house.” Home was identified as in Marquette Heights. (Heart of Illinois ABC. “Elderly man from Marquette Heights dies due to cold exposure.” 1-29-2019.)

[13] Associated Press. “Authorities: 2 dead in weather-related crash in Indiana.” ABC 57 News, South Bend, IN, 1-29-2019. Notes that “The crash happened after snow hit the area…”

[14] Fox 59, Indianapolis. “IPS teacher killed after crashing into INDOT alt truck in Hendricks County.” 2-1-2019.

[15] NBC News. “Deaths of an Indiana man, 59, and woman, 87, investigated as possibly weather-related.” 1-30-2019. Another source notes “About 7:30 a.m. Tuesday [Jan 29] family members found the body of a 59-year-old man in the driveway of his home, along Division Road [Muncie, Delaware County] not far from the Madison County line.” Quotes the coroner as stating that “We assume it was cold-related,” adding that it appeared the man fell outside his home. (Star Press/Douglas Walker, Muncie, IN. “Two possible weather-related deaths in Delaware County investigated.” 1-30-2019.)

[16] Have seen reporting on 3-4 traffic fatalities (one not clear to us weather related), and one exposure; a total of 4-5.

[17] Perhaps accurate, though we can not locate reporting on individual fatalities that support six traffic deaths.

[18] Victim identified as Antonieta Altamirano Serrano, 50, of Bountiful, Utah. (The Weather Channel/ Ron Brackett and Pan Wright. “Winter Storm Jayden: More Than 1,300 Flights Canceled, State Offices and Schools Closed in Midwest, South; 3 Dead,” 1-28-2019.) We place a question mark (indicating our uncertainty as to winter weather relatedness) in that the article includes URL for Iowa State Patrol “Minimal Crash Report,” which only notes that the semi hit a car “traveling slowly in the right lane for unknown reasons.” The Weather Channel article includes the note that the “state patrol confirmed roads were icy at the time.”

[19] Killed was 9-year-old Joshua Tavares of Grand Island, NE, when the vehicle he was traveling in as a passenger “lost traction due to freezing rain icy conditions entered ditch rolled onto passenger side.” (Iowa State Patrol “Minimal Crash Report 2019002823, dated 1-27-2019.) The State Patrol report was accessed via an embedded URL in: The Weather Channel (Ron Brackett and Pan Wright). “Winter Storm Jayden: More Than 1,300 Flights Canceled, State Offices and Schools Closed in Midwest, South; 3 Dead,” 1-28-2019.

[20] “Seven passenger vehicles and four semi trailers were involved in the crash around 3:30 p.m in the westbound laves of I-80 just east of the First Avenue exit in Coralville, according to an Iowa State Patrol crash report. Ice and snow covered the road at the time of the crash, the patrol report said. Heavy snowfall began in the area in the early afternoon into the evening, creating near white-out conditions at times and limiting visibility. William Hicks, 72, of Coralville, was killed in the crash…he was a passenger…” (The Gazette, Cedar Rapids, IA. “One killed, another hurt after 11-vehicle collision on Interstate 80.” 1-31-2019.)

[21] Name of victim from: WHO TV (Kelly Maricle),  Des Moines, IA. “Icy Roads, Speed Blamed in Fatal Crash on I-80, 1-28-2019. Cites Iowa State Patrol for noting that Mr. Peterson “was traveling too fast for the road conditions [and] lost control [of his vehicle…and hit a light pole.” Occurred “just before 1:00 am., on westbound I-80 at Merle Hay Road.” “Weather conditions and speed are believed to have been significant factors in the crash.”

[22] NBC News. “Deaths of an Indiana man, 59, and woman, 87, investigated as possibly weather-related.” 1-30-2019.

[23] Iowa City Press-Citizen (Aimee Breaux and Hillary Ojeda). “University of Iowa student dies after being found unresponsive during polar vortex.” 1-30-2019. Another source, citing the National Weather Service, writes: “The wind chill at the time officers found Belz was minus 51 F…” (Reuters/Jonathan Allen. “Over 20 dead in U.S. polar vortex, frostbite amputations feared.” 1-31-2019.)

[24] Patch Media (J. Strachan), Detroit. “70-year-old Man Found Dead in Michigan’s Subzero Temps.” 1-30-2019.

[25] Weather Channel. “Extreme Cold Blamed for 16 Deaths in Midwest, Northeast…” 2-1-2019.

[26] Fox 2, Detroit. “Former Ecorse City Councilman found frozen to death outside his home.” 1-30-2019

[27] Weather Channel. “Extreme Cold Blamed for 16 Deaths in Midwest, Northeast…” 2-1-2019.

[28] “Amy Debower, 46, of Chaska was found dead outside th vehicle. Carver County Sheriff Jason Kamerud said a preliminary investigation suggests the extreme weather may have been a factor in Debower’s death.” (Associated Press. “Death toll from polar plunge tops 25, including Chaska woman.” 2-1-2019.)

[29] NBC News. “Deaths of an Indiana man, 59, and woman, 87, investigated as possibly weather-related.” 1-30-2019. Yellow highlighting denotes we do not include in our tally. We are of the opinion that this is mistaken for the Cass County, IA, death of Joshua Tavares, age 9, in I-80 accident on Jan 27.

[30] Killed were Teresa M. Norton, 53, and Thomas M. Norton, 22, both of Albion. (WKBW, Buffalo. “Two killed in fatal crash on Route 98 in Genesee County.” 2-2-2019.)

[31] New York Times (Mitch Smith, Julie Bosman, Monica Davey). “Extreme Cold Weather Spreads East.” 1-31-2019. See, also: Buffalo News (Maki Becker, Keith McShea, Sandra Tan, T.J. Pignataro). “Snowstorm claims three lives as officials look toward warmup, possible flooding.” 1-31-2019. Notes snowblower still running when body found. Identification of Hamburg as locality is from: WKBW 7, Buffalo, NY. “Winter storm blamed for three deaths in Erie County,” 1-31-2019.

[32] New York Times (Mitch Smith, Julie Bosman, Monica Davey). “Extreme Cold Weather Spreads East.” 1-31-2019.  Tonawanda as locality from: WKBW, Buffalo. “Winter storm blamed for three deaths in Erie County,” 1-31-2019.

[33] New York Times (Mitch Smith, Julie Bosman, Monica Davey). “Extreme Cold Weather Spreads East.” 1-31-2019.

[34] Chronicle-Telegram, Elyria, OH (Carissa Woytach). “Coroner says woman found dead in Lorain home likely died of hypothermia.” 1-31-2019.

[35] NECN.com (Sophie Reardon and Kaitlin McKinley Becker). “Police Identify 19-Year-Old Vermont Student Found in Snow.” 2-2-2019. “Police say Gage was found unresponsive in the snow just before 11 a.m. Saturday behind a business on North Winooski Avenue in Burlington….Officials say Gage was apparently cutting through the business parking lot early Saturday morning when he was stopped by a fence. Temperatures were below zero and the victim was not wearing clothes that were adequate for the weather. Police said Sunday they believe exposure to cold seems to have been a cause or significant contributing factor in Gage’s death…”

[36] BBC News. “Polar vortex death toll rises to 21 as US cold snap continues.” 2-1-2019. Name of victims is from U.S. News & World Report (Alexa Lardieri). “Extreme Cold From Polar Vortex Kills 3 in Wisconsin, Michigan.” 1-30-2010. The article notes the victim may have lain in his garage overnight, thus freezing. While not stated, it could be that the victim suffered a heart attack during or after shoveling snow. Cites the National Weather Service as noting “the city has experienced wind chills as cold as minus-42 degrees.”

[37] Weather Channel. “Extreme Cold Blamed for 16 Deaths in Midwest, Northeast…” 2-1-2019.

[38] The Weather Channel names winter storms. The National Weather Service does not.

–13 Weather Channel. “Winter Storm Gia: 13 Dead, Thousands Without Power…” 1-14-2019.

 

Illinois                        (2)

–1  Glenview, I-294, Jan 12. IL State Trooper at 3-car-crash, hit by out-of-control vehicle.[1]

–1  Madison County, US Hwy 40, Jan 11. Vehicles collide on slick road; Allen Reinacher, 73.[2]

 

Indiana                       (1)

–1  Greenfield, I-70 near State Road 9, Jan 12. Vehicular crash.[3]

 

Kansas                       (3)

–1  Oskaloosa area, US Hwy 59, Jefferson Co., Jan 11. Pickup loses control, slick road; Lee Crum, 81.[4]

–1  Topeka area, KS Turnpike, Jan 11. Pickup skids on icy road into barrier; Bradley Horton, 62.[5]

–1  Unidentified locality and date. “Two semitrailers in showy conditions…crash…” Mexican, 41.[6]

 

Missouri                     (3)

–1  Carroll County, 24 Highway; Jan 11. Out of control car hits another; “wintery weather.”[7]

–2  Clinton, Jan 11. Car slides into path of semitrailer; Deann Phillips, 53, Olivia Phillips, 14.[8]

 

Virginia                      (3)

–1  Alberta, Jan 13 4:10 a.m. Pickup loses control on icy bridge, hits tree; male, 16-years-old.[9]

–1  Norfolk, I-64. Driver loses control of car, hits minivan and barricade; Stephanie D. Jefferson, 27.[10]

–1  Pulaski County, I-81, Jan 12. Vehicles collide, “storm contributed,” Ronald W. Harris, 73.[11]

 

West Virginia             (1)

–1  Marshall County, WV Hwy 2, Jan 12. Vehicle “spun out” colliding with another vehicle.[12]

 

Narrative Information

 

Jan 14: “At least 13 people have been killed and over 70,000 remain without power Monday afternoon as mid-Atlantic states dig out from Winter Storm Gia’s weekend wrath.

 

“An 81-year-old man was killed and three others were seriously injured in a crash thought to be caused by slick conditions on a highway in Jefferson County, Kansas, according to Kansas Highway Patrol. Lee Crum of Oskaloosa was killed when a pickup truck lost control and veered into his car, sending it into a roadside ditch….

 

“In the nation’s capital, 4 to 7 inches of snow fell overnight and th three major airports serving the area, Reagan National, Dulles and Baltimore, saw over 700 flights canceled Sunday alone…An additional 764 flights were scrubbed into and out of the U.S. on Friday and Saturday.

 

“More than 27,000 North Carolina customers and 25,000 households in Missouri remained without power Monday morning…At the height of Gia, some 200,000 customers lost power in Virginia and North Carolina.

 

“Virginia’s Gov. Ralph Northam declared a state of emergency Saturday evening in anticipation of the effects of Gia. At least three people died on Virginia highways over the weekend. Dozens of roads in North Carolina were closed because of falling trees…Western parts of the state saw as much as a half-inch of ice, the National Weather Service said….

 

Sources

 

KMZU 100.7 (Matt Griffith), Carrollton, MO. “Highway 24 in Carroll County opened after fatal crash.” 1-11-2019. Accessed 1-16-2019 at: http://www.kmzu.com/breaking-highway-24-in-carroll-county-closed-for-accident/

 

KSNT (Jim Doblin), Topeka. “Update: Names released in JeffCo fatal crash.” 1-11-2019. Accessed 1-16-2019 at: https://www.ksnt.com/news/local-news/update-names-released-in-jeffco-fatal-crash/1698393405

 

The Weather Channel (Drew MacFarlane). “Winter Storm Gia: 13 Dead, Thousands Without Power, Roads Closed.” 1-14-2019. Accessed 1-16-2019 at: https://weather.com/news/news/2019-01-11-winter-storm-gia-impacts

[1] Trooper identified as Christopher Lambert, 34. (Weather Channel (Drew MacFarlane). “Winter Storm Gia: 13 Dead, Thousands Without Power…” 1-14-2019.)

[2] Weather Channel (Drew MacFarlane). “Winter Storm Gia: 13 Dead, Thousands Without Power…” 1-14-2019.

[3] Weather Channel (Drew MacFarlane). “Winter Storm Gia: 13 Dead, Thousands Without Power…” 1-14-2019.

[4] KSNT (Jim Doblin), Topeka. “Update: Names released in JeffCo fatal crash.” 1-11-2019. “The patrol said Crum’s 2007 Nissan Optima was northbound on Highway 59 near 62^nd street south of Oskaloosa when a southbound Ford F-150 pick-up truck lost control and entered the northbound lane; striking the Optima’s passenger side and sending it into a ditch…The patrol said Crum was the driver of the Optima…The patrol initially said slick conditions may have contributed to the crash, but the investigation is ongoing….”

[5] Weather Channel (Drew MacFarlane). “Winter Storm Gia: 13 Dead, Thousands Without Power…” 1-14-2019.

[6] Weather Channel (Drew MacFarlane). “Winter Storm Gia: 13 Dead, Thousands Without Power…” 1-14-2019. We assume KS location in that it appears that Kansas Highway Patrol is source.

[7] Fatality Id’d as Hope Wilson, 32 of Carrollton. KMZU 100.7 (Matt Griffith), Carrollton, MO. “Highway 24 in Carroll County opened after fatal crash.” 1-11-2019.

[8] Weather Channel (Drew MacFarlane). “Winter Storm Gia: 13 Dead, Thousands Without Power…” 1-14-2019.

[9] Weather Channel (Drew MacFarlane). “Winter Storm Gia: 13 Dead, Thousands Without Power…” 1-14-2019.

[10] Weather Channel (Drew MacFarlane). “Winter Storm Gia: 13 Dead, Thousands Without Power…” 1-14-2019.

[11] Weather Channel (Drew MacFarlane). “Winter Storm Gia: 13 Dead, Thousands Without Power…” 1-14-2019.

[12] Unidentified male, mid-30s. Weather Channel (Drew MacFarlane). “Winter Storm Gia: 13 Dead…” 1-14-2019.

–6  WKYT. “Coroner: Driver in fatal I-75 crash nearly 4 times the legal…limit.” 1-16-2019.

–6  WKYT. “Michigan family of 5, Georgetown man identified…Interstate 75 crash.” 1-6-2019.

 

Narrative Information

 

Jan 6: “Lexington, Ky. (WKYT) — The Fayette County Coroner’s Office has identified the six killed in a wreck on Interstate 75 in Lexington. The crash killed a family of five from Northville, Michigan, and 41-year-old Joey Lee Bailey of Georgetown. The family members killed in the crash were 42-year-old Issam Abbas, 38-year-old Rima Abbas, 14-year-old Ali Abbas, 13-year-old Isabella Abbas and 7-year-old Giselle Abbas.

 

“The Abbas family was travelling home from a Florida vacation. The coroner’s office believes Bailey was under the influence.

 

“Lexington police say they received a report of a white pickup truck driving in the wrong direction on northbound I-75 just before 2:30 a.m. Shortly thereafter, a collision was reported around the 106 mile marker. When investigators got to the scene they discovered that the pickup truck driven by Bailey had hit the family’s SUV head-on, causing the SUV to burst into flames.” (WKYT, Lexington. “Michigan family of 5, Georgetown man identified in deadly Interstate 75 crash.” 1-6-2019.)

 

Jan 16: “Lexington, Ky. (WKYT) – The Fayette County coroner’s office says the driver who caused a crash on Interstate 75 that killed a Michigan family of five had a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.306%, nearly four times the legal drinking limit. In Kentucky, it is illegal to drive if your BAC is 0.08% or higher….” (WKYT. “Coroner: Driver in fatal I-75 crash nearly 4 times the legal drinking limit.” 1-16-2019.)

 

Sources

 

Gainesville Sun, FL. “Truck driver in fatal I-75 crash had history of traffic tickets.” 1-7-2019. Accessed 1-7-2019 at: https://www.gainesville.com/news/20190107/truck-driver-in-fatal-i-75-crash-had-history-of-traffic-tickets

 

WKYT. “Coroner: Driver in fatal I-75 crash nearly 4 times the legal drinking limit.” 1-16-2019. Accessed 1-16-2019 at: https://www.wkyt.com/content/news/Coroner-Driver-in-fatal-I-75-crash-nearly-4-times-the-legal-drinking-limit-504423671.html

 

WKYT, Lexington. “Michigan family of 5, Georgetown man identified in deadly Interstate 75 crash.” 1-6-2019. Accessed 1-7-2019 at: https://www.wkyt.com/content/news/Collision-fire-shut-down-I-75-northbound-503966781.html

 

 

 

 

–7  Orlando Sentinel. “5 children, 2 adults killed…fiery crash…[I-75] near Gainesville.” 1-4-2019.

 

Narrative Information

 

Jan  4: “Seven people were killed — including five children[1] — in a fiery four-vehicle crash on Interstate 75 near Gainesville Thursday afternoon, the Florida Highway Patrol said…the van[2] was heading south from Avoyelles Parish, in the Marksville area of central eastern Louisiana….

 

“An initial investigation determined that the deadly series of collisions began about 3:40 p.m., when a northbound tractor-trailer truck and a northbound car struck each other. The cause of the initial crash remained under investigation Friday morning[3]….Once in the southbound lanes, the truck smashed into the van as well as another tractor-trailer truck. The van’s occupants were thrown from the vehicle as it overturned from the force of impact, troopers said. Both trucks caught fire.

 

“In addition to the five children, the crash killed the drivers of both tractor-trailers, neither of whom has been publicly identified

 

“About six-to-eight people were taken to two local hospitals for injuries, including children and adults. FHP said in a statement Friday morning that the number of injured was ‘still being confirmed.’” (Orlando Sentinel (Jeff Weiner), FL. “5 children, 2 adults killed in ‘heartbreaking’ fiery crash in Interstate 75 near Gainesville.” 1-4-2019.)

 

Jan 4: “Gainesville, Fla. — The five children killed in a fiery Florida highway crash on their way to Walt Disney World have been identified along with the two truck drivers who also died….The Florida Highway Patrol said Friday that the children were 14-year-olds Joel Cloud and Jeremiah Warren, 13-year-old Care Descant, 10-year-old Briena Descant, and 9-year-old Cierra Bordelan. All were from Marksville, Louisiana, and were in a Pentecostal church van headed to the theme park when the accident happened Thursday afternoon outside Gainesville. The truck drivers were 49-year-old Douglas Bolkema of Albuquerque, New Mexico, and 59-year-old Steve Holland of West Palm Beach….” (ABC 7. “Fiery I-75 church van crash near Gainesville kills 7, including 5 children; victims ID’d.” 1-4-2019.)

 

Jan 4: “Update, Jan. 4 at 3:30 p.m.: The head of the Louisiana District of the United Pentecostal Church International has issued a statement on Thursday’s crash. It was the church’s van that was headed to Disney World with 12 people inside when it crashed. Louisiana District Superintendent Kevin Cox said three women were in the van that was involved in Thursday’s crash, along with nine children, five of whom died. The three women and four other children are all recovering at hospitals from their injuries….

 

(WUFT 5. “FHP Gives More Details About Deadly I-75 Crash North of Gainesville.” 1-5-2019.)

 

Jan 7: “The truck driver at the center of a fiery crash on Interstate 75 near of Gainesville that killed him, another trucker and five children received several traffic tickets over the years. Court records show 59-year-old Steve Holland of West Palm Beach was ticketed between 2000 and 2014 in Florida, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and Virginia. While most of the citations were minor, including for failing to show proof of insurance or wear a seat belt, two tickets were issued for careless driving and speeding in 2003 and 2004, respectively.

 

“Holland’s Facebook page indicates that he worked as a contract mail carrier for the Illinois-based trucking company Eagle Express Lines. The company could not be reached for comment Friday, but its Facebook page confirmed that one of its tractor-trailer drivers had died, though it never specifically identified Holland.

 

“The highway patrol said Friday that Holland was traveling north on Interstate 75 near Gainesville on Thursday when he veered into another car, lost control and went through the center divider, striking a southbound church van from Louisiana and another truck….”
(Gainesville Sun, FL. “Truck driver in fatal I-75 crash had history of traffic tickets.” 1-7-2019.)

 

Jan 7: “Gainesville, Fla. (WCJB)–TV20 has learned that the truck driver who state troopers say, caused Thursday’s deadly wreck on I-75 has a long story of traffic infractions. In an incident report, troopers say Holland’s semi bumped into a Honda and both traveled across the median and into oncoming traffic…. A court records search of Holland’s home in Palm Beach County found at least 8 cases in 5 states against a Steve Holland going back to 2001. The charges ranged from speeding and careless driving to using an improper license plate and driving an unsafe vehicle….” (WCJB 20, Gainesville. “Truck driver in fatal I-75 crash had several tickets from over the years.” 1-7-2019.)

 

Sources

 

ABC 7. “Fiery I-75 church van crash near Gainesville kills 7, including 5 children; victims ID’d.” 1-4-2019. Accessed 1-4-2019 at: https://abc7.com/victims-idd-in-i-75-crash-that-killed-7-including-5-children-going-to-disney/5011463/

 

Associated Press/Kelly Kennedy. “5 children heading to Disney World among 7 killed in I-75 crash near Gainesville.” Sun Sentinel, FL, 1-4-2019. Accessed 1-4-2019 at: https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/florida/fl-ne-20190104-story.html

 

Gainesville Sun, FL. “Truck driver in fatal I-75 crash had history of traffic tickets.” 1-7-2019. Accessed 1-7-2019 at: https://www.gainesville.com/news/20190107/truck-driver-in-fatal-i-75-crash-had-history-of-traffic-tickets

 

NBC News. “Five children among seven dead in fiery Florida highway crash.” 1-4-2019. Accessed 1-4-2019 at: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/five-children-among-seven-dead-fiery-florida-highway-crash-n954726

 

Orlando Sentinel (Jeff Weiner), FL. “5 children, 2 adults killed in ‘heartbreaking’ fiery crash in Interstate 75 near Gainesville.” 1-4-2019. Accessed 1-4-2019 at: https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/breaking-news/os-ne-fiery-crash-gainesville-i75-20190103-story.html

 

WAFB 9, Baton Rouge, LA. “5 La. Children among 7 dead in FL crash.” 1-4-2019. Accessed 1-4-2019 at: http://www.wafb.com/2019/01/04/la-children-among-dead-fl-crash/

 

WCJB 20, Gainesville. “Truck driver in fatal I-75 crash had several tickets from over the years.” 1-7-2019. Accessed 1-8-2019 at: https://www.wcjb.com/content/news/Truck-driver-in-fatal-I-75-crash-had-several-tickets-from-over-the-years-504000631.html

 

WUFT 5 (Grace King and Ethan Magoc). “FHP Gives More Details About Deadly I-75 Crash North of Gainesville.” 1-5-2019. Accessed 1-5-2019 at: https://www.wuft.org/news/2019/01/04/fhp-gives-more-details-about-deadly-i-75-crash-north-of-gainesville/

 

Additional Reading

 

Gainesville Sun, FL (Cindy Swirko and Douglas Ray). “I-75 safety: What can be done?” 1-5-2019. Accessed 1-6-2019 at: https://www.gainesville.com/news/20190105/i-75-safety-what-can-be-done

 

 

[1] The children were on their way to Disney World. (Associated Press/Kelly Kennedy. “5 children heading to Disney World among 7 killed in I-75 crash near Gainesville.” 1-4-2019.)

[2] There were 12 people in the van. (WUFT 5. “FHP Gives More Details About Deadly I-75 Crash North of Gainesville.” 1-5-2019.) The van belonged to the Avoyelles House of Mercy Church in Marksville, Louisiana. (WAFB 9, Baton Rouge, LA. “5 La. Children among 7 dead in FL crash.” 1-4-2019.)

[3] Was reported later that FL Highway Patrol believed the tractor-trailer driver caused the initial incident. (WCJB 20, Gainesville. “Truck driver in fatal I-75 crash had several tickets from over the years.” 1-7-2019.)

–526 CDC Wonder. Compressed Mortality File, 1999-2019. ICD-10 code A16-A-19.
US death rate was 0.16 per 100,000 population

Death rate, where noted.
Alabama 10
Arizona 11
California 112 0.28 (Yellow highlighting denotes above average death rate.)
Florida 35 0.16
Georgia 16
Illinois 18
Michigan 11
New Jersey 14
New York 37 0.19
North Carolina 19
Pennsylvania 20 0.16
Texas 54 0.19
Virginia 11
Washington 14

Blanchard note: States and DC not listed indicates that death toll, if any, was under ten. In that case, the number is not accessible via CDC Wonder. Puerto Rico is not included by CDC. For this reason the total from the States shown does not total 526.

Source

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. Underlying Cause of Death 1999-2019 on CDC WONDER Online Database, released in 2020. Data are from the Multiple Cause of Death Files, 1999-2019, as compiled from data provided by the 57 vital statistics jurisdictions through the Vital Statistics Cooperative Program. Accessed at http://wonder.cdc.gov/ucd-icd10.html on Aug 7, 2021 12:34:13 PM