lornajarrettblanchard

— >26  CNN (Jason Hanna). “Sutherland Springs church shooting: What we know.” 11-6-2017.

— >26  NYT. “Texas Church Shooting Leaves at Least 26 Dead, Officials Say.” 11-5-2017.

—   26  Washington Post. “Texas church gunman escaped mental health facility…” 11-7-2017.

 

Narrative Information

 

Nov 5: “Sutherland Springs, Tex. — A gunman clad in all black, with a ballistic vest strapped to his chest and a military-style rifle in his hands, opened fire on parishioners at a Sunday service at a small Baptist church in rural Texas, killing at least 26 people and turning this tiny town east of San Antonio into the scene of the country’s newest mass horror.

 

“The gunman was identified as Devin Patrick Kelley, 26, according to two law enforcement officials… Mr. Kelley, who lived in New Braunfels, Tex., died shortly after the attack.

 

“He had served in the Air Force at a base in New Mexico, but was court-martialed in 2012 on charges of assaulting his wife and child. He was sentenced to 12 months’ confinement and received a “bad conduct” discharge in 2014, according to Ann Stefanek, the chief of Air Force media operations.

 

“The motive of the attack was unclear on Sunday, but the grisly nature of it could not have been clearer: Families gathered in pews, clutching Bibles and praying to the Lord, were murdered in cold blood on the spot.

 

“Mr. Kelley started firing at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs not long after the Sunday morning service began at 11 a.m., officials said. He was armed with a Ruger military-style rifle, and within minutes, many of those inside the small church were either dead or wounded. The victims ranged in age from 5 to 72, and among the dead were several children, a pregnant woman and the pastor’s 14-year-old daughter. It was the deadliest mass shooting in the state’s history. At least 20 more were wounded….

 

“Sheriff [Joe] Tackitt [Wilson County] and other officials said the gunman first stopped at a gas station across Highway 87 from the church. He drove across the street, got out of his car and began firing from the outside, moving to the right side of the church, the authorities said. Then he entered the building and kept firing….

 

“When Mr. Kelley emerged from the church, an armed neighbor exchanged gunfire with him, hitting Mr. Kelley, who fled in his vehicle. Neighbors apparently followed him, chasing him into the next county, Guadalupe County, where Mr. Kelley crashed his car. Mr. Kelley was found dead in his vehicle. Officials said it was unclear how Mr. Kelley had died.

 

“At the church, he left behind a scene of carnage. Of the 26 fatalities, 23 people were found dead inside the church, two were found outside and one died later at a hospital….

 

“The authorities said Mr. Kelley used an Ruger AR-15 variant — a knockoff of the standard service rifle carried by the American military for roughly half a century.

 

“Almost all AR-15 variants legally sold in the United States fire only semi-automatically, and were covered by the federal assault weapons ban that went into effect in 1994. Since the ban expired in 2004, the weapons have been legal to sell or possess in much of the United States and sales of AR-15s have surged. Ruger’s AR-15s made for civilian markets sell for about $500 to $900, depending on the model.

 

“Mr. Kelley grew up in New Braunfels, in his parents’ nearly $1 million home, and was married in 2014. He had been married at least once before, and was sued for divorce in 2012 in New Mexico, the same year he was court-martialed on charges of assaulting his wife and child….

 

“Sutherland Springs in Wilson County is about 34 miles east of downtown San Antonio….The unincorporated community has a population that numbers in the low hundreds — the 2000 census was 362….” (NYT. “Texas Church Shooting Leaves at Least 26 Dead, Officials Say.” 11-5-2017.)

 

Nov 6: “….How the attack unfolded….Eventually, as the gunman was leaving the church, a local resident armed himself with a rifle ‘and engaged’ the shooter, said Freeman Martin of the Texas Department of Public Safety…. the killer dropped his gun — a Ruger AR “assault-type rifle” — and fled with the resident in pursuit.

 

“The shooter drove north into neighboring Guadeloupe County, authorities said. Just across the county line, law enforcement officers found him dead inside his vehicle with a gunshot wound, Martin said.

 

“Wilson county Sheriff Joe Tackitt said it appears that the gunman suffered gunshot wounds from a civilian and then shot himself as well. Authorities are waiting for a coroner to determine which wound killed the gunman….

 

“Kelley was a former member of the US Air Force. He served in logistics readiness at Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico starting in 2010, according to Air Force spokeswoman Ann Stefanek. Kelley was charged in military court in 2012 on suspicion of assaulting his spouse and their child, Stefanek said. Kelley received a bad conduct discharge, confinement for 12 months, and was demoted to E-1, or airman basic, she said.

 

“Kelley purchased the gun he used, a Ruger AR-556 rifle, in April 2016 from an Academy Sports + Outdoors store in San Antonio, a law enforcement official told CNN. He listed an address in Colorado Springs, Colorado, when he bought the rifle, the official said. When Kelley filled out background-check paperwork at the store, he checked a box to indicate he didn’t have any disqualifying criminal history, the official said. There was no disqualifying information in his background check, a law enforcement official told CNN….” (CNN/Jason Hanna. “Sutherland Springs church shooting: What we know.” 11-6-2017.)

 

Sources

 

CNN (Jason Hanna). “Sutherland Springs church shooting: What we know.” 11-6-2017. Accessed 11-6-2017 at: http://www.cnn.com/2017/11/05/us/texas-church-shooting-what-we-know/index.html

 

New York Times (David Montgomery, Christopher Mele, Manny Fernandez). “Texas Church Shooting Leaves at Least 26 Dead, Officials Say.” 11-5-2017. Accessed 11-5-2017 at: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/05/us/church-shooting-texas.html

 

Washington Post. “Texas church gunman escaped mental health facility in 2012 after threatening military superiors.” 11-7-2017. Accessed 11-8-2017 at: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2017/11/07/as-texas-town-mourns-details-emerge-on-gunmans-methodical-tactics-in-church-massacre/?utm_term=.7d4b67eff06b

 

 

 

— 8  NYT. “Prosecutors Describe Driver’s Plan to Kill in Manhattan Terror Attack.” 11-1-2017.

 

Narrative Information

 

Nov 1: “Federal prosecutors on Wednesday [Nov 1] filed charges accusing the driver in the Manhattan truck attack of carrying out a long-planned plot, spurred by Islamic State propaganda videos, to kill people celebrating Halloween.

 

“The charges, filed just over 24 hours after the deadliest terror attack on New York City since Sept. 11, 2001, placed the case in the civilian courts even as President Trump denounced the American criminal justice system as ‘a joke’ and ‘a laughingstock.’

 

“The charges describe the driver, Sayfullo Saipov, as a voracious consumer and meticulous student of ISIS propaganda, and detail how he said he was spurred to attack by an ISIS video questioning the killing of Muslims in Iraq. They say he began planning the attack about a year ago and, after taking a test run in a Home Depot rental truck last week, chose Halloween to carry it out because more people would be on the streets….

 

“Mr. Saipov, accused of killing eight people and injuring 12 in the attack, was pushed into a Manhattan federal courtroom in a wheelchair just after 6 p.m. on Wednesday….

 

“A Russian interpreter spoke into a microphone, and Mr. Saipov, an immigrant from Uzbekistan, fitted an earpiece over his long beard and sharp features. When Magistrate Judge Barbara C. Moses asked if he understood the proceedings, Mr. Saipov, in a strong, clear audible voice, responded in English, ‘Yes, ma’am.’…”

 

Sources

 

New York Times (Benjamin Mueller, et al.). “Prosecutors Describe Driver’s Plan to Kill in Manhattan Terror Attack.” 11-1-2017. Accessed 11-5-2017 at: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/01/nyregion/driver-had-been-planning-attack-in-manhattan-for-weeks-police-say.html

 

 

 

— >42  Capital Public Radio, CA. “Death Toll From California Fires Now at 42…” 10-18-2017.

— >41  SFGATE. “Live updates: Firefighter dies in crash; some evacuations lifted.” 10-16-2017.

— >40  SFGATE. “Live updates: Full containment of Sonoma County wildfires…” 10-15-2017.

 

Breakout of California Wildfire Deaths by County, where identified:

—  8  Mendocino County, Redwood Fire. [1]

–8  Redwood Valley.[2]

–2  Fisher Lake Drive home. Bowman couple; male, 87, female, 88.[3]

–1  Tomki Road. Margaret Stephenson, 86, in her home.[4]

–1  West Road home vicinity, Oct 9. Male, 14[5]

—  7  Napa County. Blanchard tally of breakouts below.

–6  Napa County. Atlas Wildfire.[6]

–2  Atlas Peak Road, bodies found Oct 12. Males, 79 and 89.[7]

–2  Silverado Resort, Westgate Drive. Rippey couple; male, 100, and female, 98.[8]

–2  Soda Canyon Rd. Bodes recovered Oct 14, females 90 (Lewis) & 50 (Santos).[9]

–1  Firefighter driving water tanker; crashed on road north edge Nuns Fire.[10]

–23  Sonoma County (Tubbs Fire/19, Nuns Fire/1[11]).[12]

—  1  Calistoga, Oct 9. Michael John Dornbach, 57, Tubbs Fire.[13]

—  1  Glen Ellen. Lee Chadwick Roger, 72.[14]

—  2  Larkfield-Wikiup, Oct 8/9. Donna Mae Halbur and LeRoy Peter Halbur, both 80. [15]

–15  Santa Rosa area. (Blanchard tally of breakouts below.)

–1  Karen Aycock, 54, Oct 9, Tubbs Fire.[16]

–1  Carmen Calentey Berriz, 75, Oct 9, Tubbs Fire.[17]

–1  Carol Collins-Swasey, 76.[18] Tubbs Fire.

–1  Valerie Lynn Evans, 75, Coffey Lane, Oct 8/9, Tubbs Fire.[19]

–1  Mike Grabow, 40, Oct 9, northern edge of Santa Rosa; Tubbs Fire.[20]

–1  Arthur Tasman Grant, 95, Oct 9, Mark West Springs Road, Tubbs Fire.[21]

–1  Suiko Grant (wife of Arthur), 75, Oct 9, Mark West Springs Rd. Tubbs Fire.[22]

–1  Christina Hanson, 27, in wheelchair, Oct 9.[23] Tubbs Fire.

–1  Veronica Elizabeth McCombs, 67.[24] Tubbs Fire.

–1  Carmen Colleen McReynolds, 82.[25] Tubbs Fire.

–1  Lynne Anderson Powell, 72.[26]

–1  Sharon Rae Robinson, 79.[27]

–1  Daniel Martin Southard, 71.[28]

–1  Linda Tunis, 69, Journey’s End Mobile Home Park, Oct 9.[29]

–1  Unidentified man, burned Fountaingrove area home, found Oct 14 (the last).[30]

—  4  Yuba County.[31] Cascade Fire.

–1  Oct 10. Loma Rica, Lone Tree Way. Person trying to escape from the fire.[32]

 

Alphabetical Listing of Fatalities

 

1. Aycock, Karen, 54, Oct 9. Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, Tubbs Fire.
2. Berriz, Carmen Caldentey, 75. Oct 9, Santa Rosa/Apple Valley, Sonoma County.
3. Bowman, Irma Elsie, 88, Redwood Valley, Mendocino County, Redwood Fire.
4. Bowman, Roy Howard, 87. Redwood Valley, Mendocino County, Redwood Fire.
5. Chaney, George, 89. Atlas Peak Road, Calistoga, Napa County, Atlas Fire.
6. Collins-Swasey, Carol, 76. Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, Tubbs Fire.
7. Dornbach, Michael John, 57. Calistoga, Sonoma County, Oct 9, Tubbs Fire.
8. Evans, Valerie Lynn, 75. Coffey Lane, Santa Rosa, Sonoma Co., Oct 8/9, Tubbs Fire.
9. Grabow, Mike, 40, Oct 9, northern edge of Santa Rosa, Sonoma County; Tubbs Fire.
10. Grant, Arthur Tasman, 95, Oct 9, Mark West Springs Rd., Santa Rosa, Tubbs Fire.
11. Grant, Suiko (wife of Arthur), 75, Oct 9, Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, Tubbs Fire.
12. Halbur, Donna Mae, 80. Larkfield-Wikiup, Oct 8/9, Sonoma County.
13. Halbur, LeRoy Peter, 80. Larkfield-Wikiup, Oct 8/9, Sonoma County.
14. Hanson, Christina, 27. Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, Tubbs Fire.
15. Lewis, Sally, 90. 1900 block Soda Canyon Road, Napa
16. McCombs, Veronica Elizabeth, 67, Santa Rosa, Sonoma County.
17. McReynolds, Carmen Colleen, 82. Santa Rosa, Sonoma County.
18. Powell, Lynne Anderson, 72. Santa Rosa, Sonoma County.
19. Rippey, Charles, 100. Silverado Resort, Westgate Drive, Napa
20. Rippey, Sara, 98. Silverado Resort, Westgate Drive, Napa
21. Robinson, Sharon Rae, 79. Santa Rosa, Sonoma County.
22. Roger, Lee Chadwick, 72, Glen Ellen, Sonoma County.
23. Santos, Teresa, 50. 1900 block Soda Canyon Road, Napa
24. Shepherd, Kai Logan, 14. Oct 9. Redwood Valley, Mendocino Co., Redwood Fire.
25. Southard, Daniel Martin, 71. Santa Rosa, Sonoma County.
26. Stephenson, Margaret, 86. Redwood Valley, Mendocino Co., Redwood Fire.
27. Stone, Edward, 79. Atlas Peak Road, Napa County, Atlas Fire.
28. Tunis, Linda, 69. Journey’s End Mobile Home Park, Santa Rosa, Sonoma Co., Oct 9.
29. Unidentified driver. Firefighting water tanker overturned, Hwy. 29 ~Yountville, Napa
30. Unidentified man, Santa Rosa Fountaingrove area home, body recovered Oct 14.

 

Narrative Information

 

Oct 9: “At least 10 people have died and at least 1,500 homes, businesses and other structures have been destroyed as more than 14 fires ravaged eight counties throughout Northern California on Monday, authorities said.

 

“The Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office reported seven fire-related deaths late Monday. In addition, two died because of the Atlas fire in Napa County, said a CalFire spokesperson. One person died as result of the Redwood Valley fire in Mendocino County….

 

“The vast devastation over just a few hours made this firestorm one of the worst in California history, with Gov. Jerry Brown declaring a state of emergency. Local hospitals were treating those injured while others are unaccounted for, officials said. Additional fatalities were possible as search efforts continued….” (LA Times. “At least 10 dead, 1,500 structures lost in Northern California firestorm…” 10-9-2017.)

 

Sources

 

ABC News (Emily Shapiro). “Man finds his mother’s body at her wildfire-destroyed California home.” 10-12-2017. Accessed 10-16-2017 at: http://abcnews.go.com/US/man-finds-mothers-body-home-destroyed-california-wildfire/story?id=50433935

 

ABS-CBN News. “Pinay caregiver, among wildfires fatalities in California.” 10-17-2017. Accessed 10-17-2017 at: http://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/10/17/17/pinay-caregiver-among-wildfires-fatalities-in-california

 

Associated Press. “Remembering the victims of the Northern California wildfires.” KPCC 89.3, 10-16-2017. Accessed 10-16-2017 at: https://www.scpr.org/news/2017/10/16/76713/victims-of-the-northern-california-wildfires/

 

Capital Public Radio, Sacramento, CA. “Death Toll From California Fires Now at 42, Rain Could Help Firefighters.” 10-18-2017. Accessed 10-18-2017 at: http://www.capradio.org/articles/2017/10/18/death-toll-from-california-fires-now-at-42/

 

CBS SF Bay Area. “At Least 15 Dead as Wine Country Wildfires Advance Without Containment.” 10-10-2017. Accessed 10-10-2017 at: http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2017/10/10/wine-county-wildfires-continue-advance-11-dead-15-active-fires/

 

CNBC (Jeff Daniels). “Death toll in California wildfires grows to 42, PG&E sued by couple who lost home, 10-18-2017. Accessed 10-18-2017 at: https://www.cnbc.com/2017/10/18/death-toll-in-california-wildfires-grows-to-42-pge-hit-with-lawsuit.html

 

CNN (Madison Park, Jason Hanna, Ralph Ellis). “At least 15 dead as fires rage in Northern California.” 10-10-2017. Accessed 10-10-2017 at: http://www.cnn.com/2017/10/10/us/california-fires-napa/index.html

 

CNN (Jason Hanna, Nicole Chavez, Steve Almasy). “California fires: Searchers seek hundreds of missing.” 10-11-2017. Accessed 10-11-2017 at: http://www.cnn.com/2017/10/11/us/california-fires-updates/index.html

 

Los Angeles Times (Paige St. John, Phil Willon, Louis Sahagun, Sonali Kohli, Nina Agrawal). “Amid harrowing tales of escape, death toll climbs to 15 as Northern California fires continue to rage.” 10-10-2017. Accessed 10-10-2017 at: http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-fires-20171010-story.html

 

Los Angeles Times (Sonali Kohli, Phil Willon, Paige St. John and Alene Tchekmedyian). “At least 10 dead, 1,500 structures lost in Northern California firestorm, among worst in state’s history.” 10-9-2017. Accessed 10-9-2017 at: http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-napa-fires-20171009-story.html

 

Los Angeles Times (Laura J. Nelson, et al.) “California wildfires have killed 40 people; dozens still missing as firefighters make progress.” 10-15-2017. Accessed 10-16-2017 at: http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-wildfires-california-20171015-story.html

 

Los Angeles Times (Sonali Kohli, Louis Sahagun, et al.). “Death toll from Northern California fires jumps to 31; names of 10 victims released.” 10-12-2017. Accessed 10-13-2017 at: http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-northern-california-firestorms-20171012-story.html

 

Los Angeles Times (Sonali Kohli, Paige St. John). “Death toll rises to 31, more victims identified in deadly Northern California fires.” 10-13-2017. Accessed 10-13-2017 at: http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-fires-20171013-story.html

 

Los Angeles Times (Sonali Kohli, Paige St. John). “Death toll rises to 32, more victims identified in deadly Northern California fires.” 10-13-2017. Accessed 10-13-2017 at: http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-fires-20171013-story.html

 

Los Angeles Times (Joseph Serna, Sonali Kohli, Chris Megerian). “Death toll rises to 35 as firefighters face strong winds Saturday in historic Northern California blazes.” 10-14-2017. Accessed 10-14-2017 at: http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-california-fires-20171014-story.html

 

Los Angeles Times (Joseph Serna, et al.). “Death toll rises to 38 as firefighters face strong winds in historic Northern California blazes.” 10-14-2017. Accessed 10-14-2017 at: http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-california-fires-20171014-story.html

 

Los Angeles Times (Sonali Kohli). “Three fire victims identified in Mendocino County.” 10-13-2017. Accessed 10-16-2017 at: http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-northern-california-fires-live-three-fire-victims-identified-in-1507919600-htmlstory.html

 

Los Angeles Times (Phil Willon, et al.). “Whole towns evacuated as Northern California firestorm grows; at least 23 people are dead.” 10-11-2017. Accessed 10-11-2017 at: http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-fires-northern-california-20171011-story.html

 

Los Angeles Times (Javier Panzar). “Woman dies fleeing fire in Yuba County.” 10-10-2017. Accessed 10-16-2017 at: http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-northern-california-fires-live-1507650485-htmlstory.html

 

Sacramento Bee (Sam Stanton, Darrell Smith, Stephen Magagnini), CA. “Live fire updates: Death toll rises to at least 39 as 10,000 firefighters battle blazes.” 10-14-2017. Accessed 10-14-2017 at: http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/fires/article178886656.html

 

Sacramento Bee (Ryan Lillis), CA. “Mendocino village where ‘everybody knows everybody’ grapples with wildfire death toll.” 10-14-2017. Accessed 10-13-2017 at: http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/article178805296.html

 

SFGATE (Erin Allday). “California wildfires: Michael Dornbach, who loved visiting Napa hills, dies.” 10-15-2017. Accessed 10-16-2017 at: http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/California-wildfires-Michael-Dornbach-57-died-12280033.php

 

SFGATE (Evan Sernoffsky). “California wildfires: Mike Grabow, 40, among dead in Tubbs Fire.” 10-15-2017. Accessed 10-16-2017 at: http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/California-wildfires-Mike-Grabow-40-among-dead-12279761.php

 

SFGATE (Michael Cabanatuan). “LeRoy and Donna Halbur died trying to flee Tubbs Fire.” 10-13-2017. Accessed 10-16-2017 at: http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Le-Roy-and-Donna-Halbur-died-trying-to-flee-Tubbs-12274766.php

 

SFGATE (Vivian Ho, Jenna Lyons, Steve Rubenstein). “Live updates: Firefighter dies in crash; some evacuations lifted.” 10-16-2017. Accessed 10-16-2017 at: http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Live-updates-4-more-names-of-people-killed-in-12279908.php

 

SFGATE (Jenna Lyons, Erin Allday, Hamed Aleaziz, Annie Ma). “Live updates: Full containment of Sonoma County wildfires expected by Friday; death toll at 40,” 10-15-2017. Accessed 10-15-2017 at: http://m.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/California-wildfires-Feinstein-death-toll-Wine-12278704.php

 

SF GATE (Rachel Swan and Kimberly Veklerov). “Santa Rosa animal lover dies in Tubbs Fire trying to save her dogs.” 10-13-2017. Accessed 10-16-2017 at: http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Santa-Rosa-animal-lover-dies-in-Tubbs-Fire-trying-12277333.php

 

SFGATE (Erin Allday). “Wine Country fire: Huddled in pool amid blaze, wife dies in husband’s arms.” 10-13-2017. Accessed 10-16-2017 at: http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Forced-by-Wine-Country-fire-into-a-swimming-pool-12274789.php

 

SFGATE (Jill Tucker). “Wine Country fires: Karen Aycock, 54, dead in Tubbs Fire.” 10-15-2016. Accessed 10-16-2017 at: http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/California-wildfires-Karen-Aycock-54-dead-in-12280011.php#photo-14340504

 

Washington Post (Wootson, Cleve R. Jr., Kristine Phillips, Lisa Bonos, Herman Wong). “California wildfire death toll rises to 36 as dangerous winds return.” 10-13-2017. Accessed 10-14-2017 at: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2017/10/12/just-ash-and-bone-at-least-29-dead-hundreds-still-missing-as-california-wildfires-rage/?tid=a_inl&utm_term=.267d3fb3bcf6

 

 

 

 

 

 

[1] Los Angeles Times (Sonali Kohli) “Three fire victims identified in Mendocino County.” 10-13-2017.

[2] Sacramento Bee. “Mendocino village…‘everybody knows everybody’ grapples …wildfire death toll.” 10-14-2017.

[3] Victims identified as Roy Howard Bowman, 87, and his wife, Irma Elsie Bowman, 88. (LA Times. “Death toll rises to 31…victims identified in deadly Northern California fires.” 10-13-2017.)

[4] Sacramento Bee (Sam Stanton, et al.), CA. “Live fire updates: Death toll rises to at least 39…blazes.” 10-14-2017.

[5] Victim identified as Kai Logan Shepherd who was overtaken by flames on foot, apparently trying to return to home. He, his parents, and older sister tried to outrun the fire in two vehicles. “The four apparently left the vehicles and ran.” Rescuers found remaining family members injured. (Los Angeles Times. “Death toll rises to 31, more victims identified in deadly Northern California fires.” 10-13-2017.)

[6] LA Times. “Death toll rises to 38 as firefighters face strong winds…in…Northern California blazes.” 10-14-2017.

[7] LA Times. “Death toll rises to 35 as firefighters face strong winds…in…Northern California blazes.” 10-14-2017. Victims identified as Edward Stone, 79 and George Cheney, 89.

[8] Victims identified as Charles Rippey, 100, and wife Sara, 98. (LA Times. “Death toll…32…fires.” 10-13-2017.)

[9] ABS-CBN News. “Pinay caregiver, among wildfires fatalities in California.” 10-17-2017. Victims identified as Sally Lewis, 90, and her Filipina caregiver, Teresa Santos, 50.

[10] SFGATE. “Live updates: Firefighter dies in crash; some evacuations lifted.” 10-16-2017.

[11] Sacramento Bee (Sam Stanton, et al.), CA. “Live fire updates: Death toll rises to at least 39…blazes.” 10-14-2017.

[12] Capital Public Radio, CA. “Death Toll From California Fires Now at 42…” 10-18-2017.

[13] SFGATE (E. Allday). “California wildfires: Michael Dornbach, who loved visiting Napa hills, dies.” 10-15-2017.

[14] LA Times. “California wildfires have killed 40 people; dozens still missing as firefighters…progress.” 10-15-2017.

[15] LA Times. “Death toll from Northern California fires jumps to 31; names of 10 victims released.” 10-12-2017. Date is from: SFGATE (M. Cabanatuan). “LeRoy and Donna Halbur died trying to flee Tubbs Fire.” 10-13-2017.

[16] SFGATE (Jill Tucker). “Wine Country fires: Karen Aycock, 54, dead in Tubbs Fire.” 10-15-2016.

[17] SFGATE (Allday). “Wine Country fire: Huddled in pool amid blaze, wife dies in husband’s arms.” 10-13-2017.

[18] LA Times. “Death toll from Northern California fires jumps to 31; names of 10 victims released.” 10-12-2017.

[19] SF GATE (Swan & Veklerov). “Santa Rosa animal lover dies in Tubbs Fire trying to save her dogs.” 10-13-2017.

[20] SFGATE (Evan Sernoffsky). “California wildfires: Mike Grabow, 40, among dead in Tubbs Fire.” 10-15-2017.

[21] SFGATE. “Live updates: Firefighter dies in crash; some evacuations lifted.” 10-16-2017.

[22] LA Times. “Death toll from Northern California fires jumps to 31; names of 10 victims released.” 10-12-2017.

[23] AP. “Remembering the victims of the Northern California wildfires.” KPCC 89.3, 10-16-2017.

[24] LA Times. “Death toll from Northern California fires jumps to 31; names of 10 victims released.” 10-12-2017.

[25] LA Times. “California wildfires have killed 40 people; dozens still missing as firefighters…progress.” 10-15-2017.

[26] LA Times. “Death toll from Northern California fires jumps to 31; names of 10 victims released.” 10-12-2017.

[27] LA Times. “California wildfires have killed 40 people; dozens still missing as firefighters…progress.” 10-15-2017.

[28] LA Times. “California wildfires have killed 40 people; dozens still missing as firefighters…progress.” 10-15-2017.

[29] ABC News (E. Shapiro). “Man finds his mother’s body at her wildfire-destroyed California home.” 10-12-2017.

[30] CNBC (Daniels). “Death toll in California wildfires grows to 42, PG&E sued by couple…lost home, 10-18-2017.

[31] LA Times. “Death toll rises to 35 as firefighters face strong winds…in…Northern California blazes.” 10-14-2017.

[32] CBS SF Bay Area. “At Least 15 Dead as Wine Country Wildfires Advance Without Containment.” 10-10-2017; Los Angeles Times (Javier Panzar). “Woman dies fleeing fire in Yuba County.” 10-10-2017.

— 80,000  Branswell. “‘The problem…of seasonal flu’: Beware this winter’s virus.” Stat News, 1-8-2018.

 

Narrative Information

 

Branswell: “People in public health hate H3N2 flu seasons, like the one gripping most of North America right now. So do folks who work in hospitals and in the care facilities that look after the elderly. To put it flatly, H3N2 is the problem child of seasonal flu. It causes more deaths than the other influenza A virus, H1N1, as well as flu B viruses. It’s a quirky virus that seems, at every turn, to misbehave and make life miserable for the people who contract it, the scientists trying to keep an eye on it, and the drug companies struggling to produce an effective vaccine against it.

 

“‘H3 viruses dwarf the contribution of H1 to overall epidemic burden [of influenza] in terms of hospitalizations, care facility outbreaks, deaths. I think uniformly in public health we dread H3N2 epidemics over and above those due to H1N1,” said flu expert Dr. Danuta Skowronski, an epidemiologist with the British Columbia Center for Disease Control….

 

“H3N2 viruses first emerged during the pandemic of 1968 — the so-called Hong Kong flu. That means people who are over 50 had their flu immune response set by other viruses, either the H2N2 viruses that circulated from 1957 to 1968, or H1N1 viruses that circulated from 1918 to 1957 and are ancestors of the H1 viruses still circulating today.

 

“Combine with that the fact that people over 50 — and especially people in their 70s, 80s, and beyond — are less healthy and have less robust immune systems. They may have health conditions like diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or heart disease. They have a harder time shaking off an illness like the flu.

 

“It’s increasingly common to hear people complain about the sometimes suboptimal performance of influenza vaccine. And mostly that’s because of the H3N2 component of the vaccine, which protects against either four (both influenza A viruses and both influenza B viruses) or three (the two As and one B) viruses. ‘We don’t have a flu vaccine problem so much as we have an H3N2 vaccine problem,” Belongia said.

 

“He and colleagues published a meta-analysis in 2016 that combined data from flu vaccine effectiveness studies done between 2004 and 2015. On average, the H3N2 component of the vaccine protected about 33 percent of the time. The component that protects against H1N1 was nearly twice as effective. At least part of the reason why the H3N2 component of the vaccine doesn’t work that well is because these viruses don’t grow very well in eggs, the main production method for flu vaccine….” (Branswell, Helen. “‘The problem child of seasonal flu’: Beware this winter’s virus.” Stat News, 1-8-2018.)

 

CDC: “What was the 2017-2018 flu season like?

 

“The 2017-2018 influenza season was a high severity season with high levels of outpatient clinic and emergency department visits for influenza-like illness (ILI), high influenza-related hospitalization rates, and elevated and geographically widespread influenza activity for an extended period. In 2017, CDC began using new methodology to classify seasonal severity and applied the methodology to the 2003-2004 through 2016-2017 seasons. The 2017-18 season was the first season to be classified as a high severity across all age groups.

 

“When did the 2017-2018 flue season peak?

 

“During the 2017-2018 season, influenza-like-illness (ILI) activity began to increase in November, reaching an extended period of high activity during January and February nationally, and remained elevated through the end of March. ILI peaked at 7.5%, the highest percentage since the 2009 flu pandemic, which peaked at 7.7%. Influenza-like illness (ILI) was at or above the national baseline for 19 weeks, making the 2017-2018 season one of the longest in recent years.

 

“How many people died from flu during the 2017-2018 season?

 

“While flu deaths in children are reported to CDC, flu deaths in adults are not nationally notifiable. In order to monitor influenza related deaths in all age groups, CDC tracks pneumonia and influenza (P&I)-attributed deaths through the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) Mortality Reporting System. This system tracks the proportion of death certificates processed that list pneumonia or influenza as the underlying or contributing cause of death. This system provides an overall indication of whether flu-associated deaths are elevated, but does not provide an exact number of how many people died from flu.

 

“During the 2017-2018 season, the percentage of deaths attributed to pneumonia and influenza (P&I) was at or above the epidemic threshold for 16 consecutive weeks. During the past five seasons, the average number of weeks this indicator was above threshold was 11 (range of 7 to 15 weeks). Nationally, mortality attributed to P&I exceeded 10.0% for four consecutive weeks, peaking at 10.8% during the week ending January 20, 2018.

 

“As it does for the numbers of flu cases, doctor’s visits and hospitalizations, CDC also estimates deaths in the United States using mathematical modeling. CDC estimates that from 2010-2011 to 2013-2014, influenza-associated deaths in the United States ranged from a low of 12,000 (during 2011-2012) to a high of 56,000 (during 2012-2013). Death certificate data and weekly influenza virus surveillance information was used to estimate how many flu-related deaths occurred among people whose underlying cause of death on their death certificate included respiratory or circulatory causes….

 

“How many children died from flu during the 2017-2018 season?

 

“As of August 25, 2018, a total of 180 pediatric deaths had been reported to CDC during the 2017-2018 season. This number exceeds the previously highest number of flu-associated deaths in children reported during a regular flu season (171 during the 2012-2013 season). Approximately 80% of these deaths occurred in children who had not received a flu vaccination this season…. Since flu-associated deaths in children became a nationally notifiable condition in 2004, the total number of flu-associated deaths among children during one season has ranged from 37 (during the 2011-2012 season) to 180 (during the 2017-18 season, as of August 11); this excludes the 2009 pandemic, when 358 pediatric deaths from April 15, 2009 through October 2, 2010 were reported to CDC….: (CDC. Summary of the 2017-2018 Influenza Season. 8-31-2018.)

 

Strobe (AP): “New York — An estimated 80,000 Americans died of flu and its complications last winter [2017-2018] the disease’s highest death toll in at least four decades. The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Robert Redfield, revealed the total in an interview Tuesday night with The Associated Press.

 

“Flu experts knew it was a very bad season, but at least one found size of the estimate surprising. ‘That’s huge,’ said Dr. William Schaffner, a Vanderbilt University vaccine expert. The tally was nearly twice as much as what health officials previously considered a bad year, he said.

 

“In recent years, flu-related deaths have ranged from about 12,000 to — in the worst year — 56,000, according to the CDC. Last fall and winter, the U.S. went through one of the most severe flu seasons in recent memory. It was driven by a kind of flu that tends to put more people in the hospital and cause more deaths, particularly among young children and the elderly.

 

“The season peaked in early February. It was mostly over by the end of March, although some flu continued to circulate. Making a bad year worse, the flu vaccine didn’t work very well. Experts nevertheless say vaccination is still worth it, because it makes illnesses less severe and save lives.

 

Sources

 

Branswell, Helen. “‘The problem child of seasonal flu’: Beware this winter’s virus.” Stat News, 1-8-2018. Accessed 9-28-2018 at: https://www.statnews.com/2018/01/08/flu-virus-h3n2/

 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Summary of the 2017-2018 Influenza Season. 8-31-2018. Accessed 9-28-2018 at: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/season/flu-season-2017-2018.htm

 

Strobbe, Matt (Associated Press). “CDC: 80,000 people died of flu last winter in U.S., highest death toll in 40 years.” 9-26-2018. Accessed 9-28-2018 at: https://www.statnews.com/2018/09/26/cdc-us-flu-deaths-winter/

 

Tribune Media Wire. “’Nobody Ever Thinks It Will Happen To Them:’ 27-Year-Old Woman Dies After Catching Flu.” 5NewsOnline, 1-18-2018. Accessed 1-18-2018 at: http://5newsonline.com/2018/01/18/nobody-ever-thinks-it-will-happen-to-them-27-year-old-woman-dies-after-catching-flu/

 

 

 

 

 

–59  AP. “Witness…survivor accounts…Las Vegas shooting.” Chicago Tribune, 10-2-2017.

–58  USA Today (Gomez). “Here are all the victims of the Las Vegas shooting.” 10-6-2017.

 

State or Country of Residence of Fatalities

 

—  2  Alaska

—  1  Arizona

–33  California

—  1  Colorado

—  1  Iowa

—  1  Massachusetts

—  1  Minnesota

—  7  Nevada

—  1  New Mexico

—  1  Pennsylvania

—  1  Tennessee

—  2  Utah

—  1  Washington

—  1  West Virginia

—  4  Canada

 

Fatalities

 

1. Ahlers, Hannah Lassett, 34.                Beaumont, CA.
2. Alvarado, Heather Lorraine, 35.         Cedar City, UT.
3. Anderson, Dorene, 49.                        Anchorage, AK.
4. Barnette, Carrie Rae, 34.                    Riverside, CA.
5. Beaton, Jack Reginald, 54.                 Bakersfield, CA.
6. Berger, Stephen Richard, 44.              Minnesota.
7. Bowers, Candice Ryan, 40.                Garden Grove, CA.
8. Burditus, Denise, 50.                          Martinsburg, WV.
9. Casey, Sandra (Sandy), 34.                 Manhattan Beach, CA.
10. Castilla, Andrea Lee Anna, 28.          Huntington Beach, CA.
11. Cohen, Denise, 58.                              Carpentaria, CA.
12. Davis, Austin William, 29.                 Riverside, CA.
13. Day, Thomas Jr., 54.                           Corona, CA.
14. Duarte, Christiana, 22.                        Torrance, CA.
15. Etcheber, Stacee Ann, 50.                   Novato, CA.
16. Fraser, Brian S., 39.                            La Palma, CA.
17. Galvin, Keri, 31.                                 Thousand Oaks, CA.
18. Gardner, Dana Leann, 52.                   San Bernardino/Grand Terrace, CA.
19. Gomez, Angela (Angie) C., 20.          Riverside, CA.
20. Hartfield, Charleston, 34.                   Las Vegas, NV.
21. Hazencomb, Christopher, 44.             Camarillo, CA.
22. Irvine, Jennifer Topaz, 42.                  San Diego, CA.
23. Kimura, Teresa Nicol, 38.                  Placentia, CA.
24. Klymchuk, Jessica, 34.                       Valleyview, Alberta, Canada.
25. Kreibaum, Carly Anne, 33.                 Sutherland, IA.
26. LeRocque, Rhonda M., 42.                 Tewksbury, MA.
27. Link, Victor L., 55.                             Orange County, CA.
28. McIldoon, Jordan, 23.                         Maple Ridge, British Columbia, Canada.
29. Meadows, Kelsey Breanne, 28.          Taft, CA.
30. Medig, Calla-Marie, 28.                     Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
31. Melton, James “Sonny,” 29.               Paris/Big Sandy, TN.
32. Mestas, Patricia “Pati,” 67.                 Menifee, CA.
33. Meyer, Austin Cooper, 24.                 Reno, NV.
34. Murfitt, Adrian Allan, 35.                   Anchorage, AK.
35. Parker, Rachael Kathleen, 33.            Manhattan Beach, CA.
36. Parks, Jennifer (“Jenny”), 36.             Lancaster, CA.
37. Parsons, Carolyn (Carrie) Lee, 31.     Bainbridge Island, WA.
38. Patterson, Lisa Marie, 46.                   Lomita, CA.
39. Phippen, John Joseph, 56.                   Santa Clarita, CA.
40. Ramirez, Melissa V., 26.                    Los Angeles, CA.
41. River, Jordyn N., 21.                          La Verne, CA.
42. Robbins, Quinton, 20.                         Las Vegas/Henderson, NV.
43. Robinson, Cameron, 28.                     St. George UT.
44. Rocha, Rocio Guillen, 40.                  Eastvale, CA.
45. Roe, Tara Ann, 34.                             Alberta, Canada.
46. Romero-Muniz, Lisa, 48.                    Gallup, NM
47. Roybal, Christopher Louis, 28.           Aurora, CO.
48. Schwanbeck, Brett, 61.                       Bullhead City, AZ.
49. Schweitzer, Bailey, 20.                       Bakersfield, CA.
50. Shipp, Laura Anne, 50.                       Las Vegas, NV.
51. Silva Erick, 21.                                   Las Vegas, NV.
52. Smith, Susan, 53.                                Simi Valley, CA.
53. Stewart, Brennan Lee, 30.                  Las Vegas, NV.
54. Taylor, Derrick (Bo) Dean, 56.          Oxnard, CA.
55. Tonks, Neysa C., 46.                          Las Vegas, NV.
56. Vo, Michelle, 32.                                Pasadena, CA.
57. Von Tillow, Kurt Allen, 55.               Cameron Park, CA.
58. Wolfe, William W., 42.                      Shippensburg, PA.
59. ?  [The question mark is from the AP article.]

 

(Associated Press. “List of those killed in the Oct. 1 shooting in Las Vegas.” Foxnews.com. 10-7-2017; Cox Media Group. “Las Vegas shooting: Remembering the victims.” WHIO TV7, Dayton, OH. 10-6-2017; USA Today. “Here are all the victims of the Las Vegas shooting.” 10-6-2017.)

 

Sources

 

Associated Press. “List of those killed in the Oct. 1 shooting in Las Vegas.” Foxnews.com. 10-7-2017. Accessed 10-10-2017 at: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2017/10/06/list-those-killed-in-oct-1-shooting-in-las-vegas.html

 

Associated Press. “Witness and survivor accounts from the Las Vegas shooting.” Chicago Tribune, 10-2-2017. Accessed 10-2-2017 at: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/ct-witness-accounts-las-vegas-shooting-20171002-story.html

 

Cox Media Group. “Las Vegas shooting: Remembering the victims.” WHIO TV7, Dayton, OH. 10-6-2017. Accessed 10-10-2017 at: http://www.whio.com/news/national/las-vegas-shooting-remembering-the-victims/wkjUyihMze3O22LLJcQeAO/

 

USA Today (Alan Gomez and Kaila White). “Here are all the victims of the Las Vegas shooting.” 10-6-2017, 10-8-2017 update. Accessed 10-6-2017 at: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2017/10/06/here-all-victims-las-vegas-shooting/733236001/

 

 

 

[1] Fifty-nine fatalities including shooter who committed suicide after killing fifty-eight people; wounded hundreds.

–2,980  Blanchard estimate based on breakouts and sources below.

 

Summary of U.S. State and Territorial Deaths

 

New Jersey                 (       3)

Puerto Rico                (2,975)

US Virgin Islands      (       2)

 

Caribbean (other than PR and US VA)     (27-33)

–31  Dominica. Wikipedia. “Hurricane Maria.” Sidebar “Hurricane Maria”, 2-3-2018.[1]

–27         “         Sep 18 (Commonwealth of Dominica, an independent sovereign island.).[2]

—  5  Dominican Republic (additionally 1 missing). Wikipedia. “Hurricane Maria.” 2-3-2018

—  2  Guadeloupe (French insular region in Leeward Island group, Lesser Antilles).[3]

 

New Jersey                 (      3)

–3 Drownings in coastal rip tides. NBC New York 4. “3 Drown Off Jersey Shore…” 9-25-2017.[4]

–1  Long Branch. Person drowned.

–1  O Street Beach, Sep 24. Woman, 44, from Seaside Park, pulled away from shore.

–1  Point Pleasant, Sep 24, Male, 60, drowned off Point Pleasant.

 

Puerto Rico                (2,975)

— 2,975  PR official estimated death toll based on George Washington University investigation.[5]

— 1,230  Excess deaths, Sep-Nov. Alexis Santos, PA State University demographer.[6]

–491  September

–584  October

–155  November

— 1,085  Excess deaths for Sep-Oct 2017 (over 2010-2016 established death figures).[7]

— 1,052  Robles, et al. “Official Toll in Puerto Rico: 64. Actual…May be 1,052.” NYT, 12-10-2017.[8]

–~1000  Newsweek (Maria Perez/Linley Sanders). “Puerto Rico is ‘Broken’…” 12-28-2017.

—    985  Excess deaths over 2016 rate, 40 days after Hurricane Maria.[9]

—    499  CNN. “We surveyed 112 Puerto Rican funeral homes…hurricane death toll…” 11-20-2017.[10]

—  ~450  Shankar. “Real death toll in Puerto Rico is probably 450…” USA Today, 10-18-2017.[11]

—    124  (64 fatalities, 60 missing). Wikipedia. “Hurricane Maria,” 2-3-2018. Accessed 2-4-2018

—    102  (55 official deaths and 47 unofficial “deaths related to the hurricane…”[12]

—      93  Blanchard tally of Locality and/or Cause of Death breakouts below.

—      81  Vox. “Everything that’s been reported about deaths in Puerto Rico is at…” 10-11-2017.

—      64  Official death toll as of Dec 9.[13]

—      62  Official death toll, Dec 2 with addition of deaths due to CO, suicide, vehicle, and fall.[14]

—      60  Vox. “Puerto Rico finally updated the Hurricane Maria death toll to 34.” 10-3-2017.[15]

—      58  Algona Radio. “Puerto Rico’s Hurricane Maria death toll rises to 58.” 12-1-2017.

—      55  Official list as of 11-6-2017. (Pascual and Wiscovitch, 11-16-2017.)

—      54  AP. “Hurricane death toll in Puerto Rico increases to 54.” Fox News, 11-2-2017.

—      51  CBS/AP. “Puerto Rico’s death toll from Hurricane Maria increases to 51.” 10-24-2017.

—      49  AP. “Hurricane Maria death toll rises to 49 in Puerto Rico.” Wash. Post, 10-20-2017.

—      48  AP. “Puerto Rico raises Hurricane Maria death toll to 48.” ABC News, 10-14-2017.

—      45  NY Daily News. “”Members of Congress call for investigation into…” 10-12-2017.

—      43  Thomson Reuters. “Puerto Rico’s death toll from Hurricane Maria…” CBC, 10-10-2017.

—      36  Weather Channel. “Puerto Rico’s Maria Death Toll Climbs to 36…” 10-6-2017.

—      34  AP. “Puerto Rico raises hurricane’s official death count…” Miami Herald, 10-4-2017.[16]

—      18  NBC. “Half of hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico faces lack of drinking water.” 9-28-2017.

—      16  AP. “In Puerto Rico, death toll…Maria.” WJLA, ABC7, Washington DC, 9-25-2017.[17]

 

Breakouts of Hurricane Maria-Related Deaths in PR by Locality and/or Cause of Death:

—  2  Aguada. Angel L. Lorenzo González, 47 and Héctor L. Matías Torres, 52 (official list).[18]

—  3  Aguadilla. Arida Ruiz Gonzalez, 73, Leonardo Enchautegul Flores, 74, Daniel Martinez, 45.[19]

–1  Infection after hospital canceled operation due to storm; death reported Oct 10.[20]

—  4  Añasco. “…at least four people drowned as they tried to rescue people after the storm.”[21]

—  1  Arecibo. Maximilliano Feliciano, 68 (official list). (Pascual and Wiscovitch, 11-16-2017.)

—  3  Barceloneta. Sick persons; lack of “access to the proper medical care after the hurricane.[22]

—  4  Bayamón (official list). (Pascual and Wiscovitch, 11-16-2017.)[23]

—  4  Caguas.[24] Cited is Mayor of Caguas as told to the Washington Post.[25]

–1  Diabetic “died in a hurricane shelter because he didn’t have access to medical care.”

–1  Dialysis treatment unavailable after storm; person died.[26]

–2  Suicides.

—  2  Canóvanas. “…mayor reported that two elderly people died from panic attacks.”[27]

—  5  Carolina. (Four names on official list of 55 as of 11-6-2017.)[28]

–1  Heart attack. Person suffering chest pains could not get treatment and died.[29]

–1  Pneumonia/collapse of right kidney; could not be transported to hosp. during storm.[30]

–1  Stroke on Sep 21, died Sep 25 after inability to receive adequate medical care.[31]

—  2  Cataño. Lucia Torres Vargas, 95, and Juan Enrique Mora Quiñones, 75 (official list).[32]

—  1  Cayey. Male died from inhaling gases from a gas lamp which accidentally fell at home.[33]

—  1  Fajardo. Roberto Serrano Rosa, 65 (official list). (Pascual and Wiscovitch, 11-16-2017.)

—  1  Guaynabo. Aura Rivas Flores, 92 (official list). (Pascual and Wiscovitch, 11-16-2017.)

—  1  Hormigueros. Ramón Jorge Morales, 64 (official list). (Pascual/Wiscovitch, 11-16-2017.)

—  1  Humacao. Betshida Colón, 61 (official list). (Pascual and Wiscovitch, 11-16-2017.)

–18  Jayuya. Vox. “Everything…about deaths…[PR]…at odds with…official count.” 10-11-2017.

—  1  Landslide. Male. (The only Jayuya death “included in the government death count.”)[34]

–17  Lack of “water, oxygen, or dialysis treatments.” (None included in official list.)

—  1  Juana Díaz. Bernardo Santiago Acosta, 80 (official list). (Pascual/Wiscovitch, 11-16-2017.)

—  2  Juncos.

–1  Respiratory. Person with respiratory problems could not get treatment and died.[35]

–1  Cause not noted. Two Juncos deaths from Juncos were on official list when at 55.[36]

—  2  Lajas.

–1  Man dies in shelter due to lack of oxygen for his oxygen respirator.[37]

–1  Person fell from a roof. Death reported Oct 10.[38]

—  1  Las Marías. Louis Cintrón Goden, 42 (official list). (Pascual and Wiscovitch, 11-16-2017.)

—  1  Moca. Driver “whose car fell through an area of the road that had collapsed.”[39]

—  1  Old San Juan, Oct 6. Elizabeth Colón, 60, leptospirosis. (Pascual/Wiscovitch, 11-16-2017.)

—  1  Orocovis, Sep 20. Teodoro Colón, 83, dependent on oxygen, lost when electricity failed.[40]

—  1  Patillas. Doel Ramos Baez, 37 (official list). (Pascual and Wiscovitch, 11-16-2017.)

—  1  Rincón. Harry Arce Tirado, 30 (official list). (Pascual and Wiscovitch, 11-16-2017.)

—  1  Rio Grande. Miguel Angel Orlando Pacheco, 62 (official list). (Pascual/Wiscovitch, 11-16-2017.)

—  1  San Germán; reported Oct 10. Roof falls on man clearing debris.[41]

—  3  San Juan. Martín Lozada Rivera, 64, Santiago Faura, and Molly Rosado Rodriguez, 54.[42]

–1  Sep 26. Power ran out in hospital due to lack of diesel fuel.[43]

—  1  San Lorenzo. Suicide after losing job.[44] (Official count of 55 showed 1 San Lorenzo death.)[45]

—  1  San Sebastian. Noted as accident involving trees.[46]

—  9  Toa Baja. Drownings. Vox. “Everything…about deaths in Puerto Rico…at odds…” 10-11-2017.[47]

–8  Drownings. NY Daily News. “Puerto Rico’s…death toll climbs…” 9-22-2017.

–1  Man on errand swept off his feet near town center by flood water.[48]

–1  Man drowns on far side of the river.[49]

–1  Mile or two away from town center. Man dies of apparent heart attack in bathtub.[50]

–1  Leptospirosis bacterial infection. Jesus Miranda Matos.[51]

—  1  Trujillo Alto. Higinio Calderón Mercado, 93 (official list). (Pascual/Wiscovitch, 11-16-2017.)

—  3  Utuado, Sep 20. Mudslide; elderly bedridden sisters. (Cites El Nuevo Dia News.)[52]

—  2  Vega Alta. Ramón Rivera Pino and Jorge Antonio Pabón Orona, 25 (official list).[53]

—  1  Vega Baja. Accident involving trees.[54] Gretchen G. Miranda Negrón, 49 (official list).[55]

—  1  Vieques, Oct 25. Drowning; boat sank.[56]

—  1  Villalba. Ramón Antonio Mercado Garcia, 60 (official list). (Pascual/Wiscovitch, 11-16-2017.)

—  1  Yabucoa. Luis Manuel Santana Ruiz, 73 (official list). (Pascual/Wiscovitch, 11-16-2017.)

—  1  Location not noted, Oct 20. Leptospirosis (bacterial disease spread through animal urine).[57]

—  2  Locations not noted. Leptospirosis (these are in addition to the one reported Oct 20.).[58]

 

US Virgin Islands                  (  2)

–2  Virgin Islands Daily News. “Five hurricane-related deaths confirmed.”  10-3-2017.

–Anna’s Retreat, Sep 20. Drowning; Maurice Jackson, 66; flooding at his home.

–Estate Frenchman’s Bay. Buried by mudslide in home; Ralph Evert III, 57.[59]

–1  New York Daily News. “Puerto Rico’s…Maria death toll…at least 13.” 9-22-2017.

 

Narrative Information

 

GWU Milken Institute of Public Health Report — Executive Summary: “In order to accurately estimate the excess number of deaths due to Hurricane María, the Governor of Puerto Rico sought an independent assessment of mortality and commissioned The George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health (GW SPH) to complete the assessment.

 

“The project had the following objectives: 1) assess the excess total mortality adjusting for demographic variables and seasonality, report a point estimate and confidence interval and make recommendations; 2) evaluate the implementation of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines for mortality reporting in disasters and identify areas of opportunity for improvement; and 3) assess crisis and mortality communication plans and actions by the government as well as understand experiences and perceptions of key participant groups to make recommendations based on communications best practices.

 

“We implemented the project as three studies, each with specific yet complementary methodologies. Our excess mortality study analyzed past mortality patterns (mortality registration and population census data from 2010 to 2017) in order to predict the expected mortality if Hurricane María had not occurred (predicted mortality) and compare this figure to the actual deaths that occurred (observed mortality). The difference between those two numbers is the estimate of excess mortality due to the hurricane. We developed a series of generalized linear models (GLMs) with monthly data for the pre-hurricane period of July 2010-August 2017, accounting for trends in population size and distribution over this period in terms of age, sex, seasonality and residence by municipal level of socioeconomic development.

 

“Our estimates also considered Puerto Rico’s consistently high emigration during the prior decade and dramatic population displacement after the hurricane. We used the model results to project forward mortality that would have been expected if the hurricane had not occurred for two scenarios—if the population had not changed (census scenario), and explicitly accounting for massive post-hurricane population displacement from the island (displacement scenario). For observed mortality, we used records for all deaths occurring from September 2017-February 2018, provided by the Puerto Rico Vital Statistics Records (PRVSR) division of the Puerto Rico Department of Health (DoH). The estimates of excess all-cause mortality attributable to the hurricane are the result of comparing the projections for the census and displacement scenarios to observed mortality in the vital registration data…. [p. i.]

 

“Total excess mortality post-hurricane using the migration displacement scenario is estimated to be 2,975 (95% CI: 2,658-3,290) for the total study period of September 2017 through February 2018….” [p. iii.] (Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University. Ascertainment of the Estimated Excess Mortality From Hurricanfe Maria in Puerto Rico. 2018.)

 

Santos-Lozada: “….As of Dec. 29, the Department of Public Safety had certified 64 deaths due to Hurricane Maria. However, estimates reported by CNN,[60] The New York Times[61] and others tell a very different story. I was part of the team of demographers that developed the first independent estimates of excess deaths, with the objective of informing the public. Like the estimates published by those media outlets, our numbers contrasted significantly with the official figure. The most shocking results from our study[62] suggest that deaths in September and October were 25 percent above the historical patterns – with about 1,085 added deaths following the hurricane.

 

“Determining the number of excess deaths after a natural disaster is not only a mathematical exercise. Undercounting deaths reduces the attention to the crisis Puerto Ricans live day by day. It can also delay international recovery efforts and the approval of policies to help those who need it the most.…

 

“Our study compared preliminary data from the Department of Public Safety with historical patterns for the same months in the past decade. In other words, we compared the number of deaths in September and October last year with data from the same period of time in 2010 to 2016. This is how we concluded that there were 1,085 extra deaths, in excess of historical ranges.

 

“So why are more than 1,000 deaths missing from the official count? My colleagues and I suspect it may come down to how deaths are recorded by government officials. In Puerto Rico, deaths are recorded using international classifications.[63] This system doesn’t capture all of the circumstances surrounding a death that happens following a natural disaster. The death may have been accelerated by some conditions – like difficulty communicating during the emergency.

 

“Deaths associated with a particular natural disaster can be classified as direct or indirect deaths. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, direct deaths are those “directly attributable to the forces of the disaster or by the direct consequences of these forces, such as structural collapse, flying debris or radiation exposure.” “Indirect deaths” may be associated with any unsafe or unhealthy conditions before, during and after the natural disaster.

 

“For example, Hurricane Maria destroyed Puerto Rico’s power grid. So, someone whose life depended on a dialysis machine would no longer be able to use one. In official certificates, their death would be classified as kidney-related and not attributed to the hurricane – even though the death was accelerated by lack of resources required by the patient to stay alive. The same would happen to someone whose life depended on respiratory aid. Their death would be classified as pulmonary-related.

 

“Or, say a person feels chest pain and suspects a heart attack. Their immediate reaction might be to call 911. A working communications structure may be able to get help in time and save a life. But in the days following Hurricane Maria, only 25 percent of the cell-phone towers were working. Communication was virtually impossible. Under the international system, a death resulting from these circumstances would be classified as a result of a cardiovascular conditions, and would not be attributed to the hurricane either….

 

“Following the impact of hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria, the CDC published guidelines[64] that state and territorial governments should follow to determine if a death is related or not to a specific event. Following these guidelines could provide the government of Puerto Rico with a more realistic death count. It remains to be seen if the new count will follow this protocol.

 

“An accurate death count could be used to inform policies, supplement requests for aid in the national and international context and inform local governments as they prepare for future natural disasters that may impact Puerto Rico, particularly extreme weather events now that climate change is expected to worsen. Hurricane Maria was the first storm to destroy the power grid in Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico is six months away from the next hurricane season…

 

“Finally, minimized figures could weaken efforts to provide relief to communities affected by the hurricane at the local and international level….” (Santos-Lozada. “Why Puerto Rico’s death toll from Hurricane Maria is…much higher than officials thought.” The Conversation, 1-3-2018.)

 

Sep 28: “Leovigildo Cotté died after not receiving the oxygen he needed at the only shelter that exists in the town of Lajas on the southern coast of Puerto Rico, which has been without electricity since Hurricane Maria careened through a week ago….

 

“Cotté is one of the unaccounted victims of Maria, the potent hurricane that devastated all of Puerto Rico with sustained winds and gusts of up to 200 miles per hour. On Wednesday, the Puerto Rico government, maintained that the official number of deaths as a result of the catastrophe was 16. But the Center for Investigative Journalism (CPI, for its initials in Spanish) has confirmed that there are dozens of hurricane-related deaths and the number could rise to the hundreds.

“The storm-related fatalities are mounting with each passing day, and official numbers are not counting patients who are not receiving dialysis, oxygen and other essential services.

“Among those at risk are people such as Pedro Fontánez, 79, who is bedridden at the Pavía Hospital in Santurce in San Juan and was due to be released even though he lacks electricity at home to support the oxygen and gastric tube-feeding he needs to keep him alive. His daughter, Nilka Fontánez, went to the government’s Emergency Operations Center desperately seeking help, but was told they were not accepting patients….

 

“The dead are at the hospital morgues, which are at capacity and in remote places where the government has yet to go. In many cases, families are unaware of the deaths. The government’s Demographic Registry is responsible for certifying deaths so bodies can be removed by funeral homes, many of which are not operating because of lack of resources. The agency began to certify some of the dead Monday, Health Secretary Rafael Rodríguez-Mercado confirmed in an interview.

 

“Public Safety Secretary Héctor Pesquera told the CPI that the names of the dead because of the hurricane will not be revealed until relatives can be notified. The continuing lack of communication has kept many people from knowing the whereabouts of their families. Since the storm’s immediate aftermath, many people have gone daily to radio stations so the on-air personalities can announce the names of family members with whom they have been unable to communicate.

“A week after Maria, the government of Puerto Rico is struggling to supply basic services, such as fuel, road access and electricity. It provides a progress report of the efforts through a daily press conference at the Emergency Operations Center in San Juan. But not discussed is that the number of deaths resulting from the disaster are much higher than the 16 or 19 that have been given as the official tally.

 

“CPI sources in half a dozen hospitals said those bodies are piling up at the morgues of the 69 hospitals in Puerto Rico, of which 70 percent are not operating. The majority of the hospital morgues that provided information — including Doctor’s Center in Bayamón and Santurce, Pavía Hospital in Santurce, Manatí Medical Center, Dr. Pila in Ponce, Río Piedras Medical Center, Mayagüez Medical Center and the HIMA hospitals in Caguas and Bayamón — are at full capacity. Those hospitals are among the 18 that are partially operational….

 

“CPI also has learned that the Institute of Forensic Sciences is also full of bodies and that 25 of those are hurricane victims. On Tuesday, the IFS reported that it had increased its storage capacity for bodies with a trailer that was obtained through The Morgue federal program. It’s unclear what is happening with the deceased who are at the morgues of the 51 hospitals that have had to close their doors.

 

“Secretary Rodríguez-Mercado acknowledged that hospital morgues are full. He said the accumulated bodies cannot be removed from the morgues by funeral homes until the deaths can be certified by the Demographic Registry, which barely began operating from regional emergency centers Monday.

 

“Rodríguez-Mercado said that he documented seven additional hurricane-related deaths at three hospitals on the island’s western region he was able to visit on Monday, even as the official death toll remains at at least 16.

“Rodríguez-Mercado did not know the status of the situation at the hospitals in Ponce on the southern coast because the region remains completely cut off from communications. But he planned to go to there to explore the matter. ‘We’re finding dead people, people who have been buried, [people] have made common graves,’ Rodríguez-Mercado told CPI. ‘We’ve been told people have buried their family members because they’re in places that have yet to be reached.’….

 

“Hospitals that had to close their doors after the storm have more than 4,000 beds. Asked what happened to those patients, where they were transferred, the health secretary responded with a sincere, “I don’t know.”

 

“Another looming problem is that patients are arriving in critical condition, with ventilators, for example, and with poorly documented records of medical procedures at the hospitals where patients were originally admitted. For that reason, and because of the limited resources and fuel to power generators, the majority of hospitals that are currently “operational” are not accepting transfers or new patients, sources said. The Río Piedras Medical Center in the capital, the government’s main hospital for this disaster, has been operating at half capacity….

“Meanwhile, the dead continue to accumulate. ‘We’re fighting. I would love for the government to understand that it has to open dialysis centers. If they don’t receive the service, the patients’ health is compromised quickly and they die. And yes, they have died,” said Armando Rodríguez, vice president of the Grupo HIMA medical provider. He confirmed that the morgues of his two hospitals in Bayamón and Caguas are above capacity.

“Meanwhile, thousands of doctors and nurses are at home unable to work, said Dr. Joaquín Vargas, president of the Puerto Rico Primary Physicians Groups Association, who was at the COE to see if the government would set up an operations center where they could at least answer calls from citizens.

 

“The CPI also has learned that a large portion of specialized physicians is unable to work because hospitals don’t have supplies and the ability to conduct their procedures, nor basic resources such as fuel or electricity to run their medical practices.”[65] (Miami Herald (Omaya Sosa Pascual). “Hurricane Maria’s death toll in Puerto Rico is higher than official count, experts say.” 9-28-2017.)

 

Oct 10: “The death toll in Puerto Rico attributed to Hurricane Maria has reached 43, an official said on Tuesday, up from 39 previously reported, as islanders continue to fall victim to infections, bad road conditions and other consequences of the storm.

 

“Ramon Rosario, secretary of public affairs and public policy, also told reporters that the island now has 16 per cent of electricity service restored, up from 15 per cent on Monday [Oct 9].

 

“Maria slammed into the Caribbean island on Sept. 20 as the most powerful hurricane to hit the U.S. territory in nearly 90 years. It knocked out electricity to the whole island and caused widespread damage to homes and infrastructure….

 

“Of the four newly reported deaths, one was a person who was operated on for an infection but died, another was killed in a car accident caused by road damage and a third died when a damaged roof fell on him while he was clearing debris from a road, Rosario said. He did not give details of the fourth death.” (Thomson Reuters. “Puerto Rico’s death toll from Hurricane Maria rises to 43, power outages remain.” CBC, Canada, 10-10-2017.)

 

Oct 11: “Death tolls are the primary way we understand the impact of a disaster. And for nearly two weeks after Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico, as a humanitarian crisis was intensifying, the death toll was frozen at 16…. The death toll from the hurricane is now up to 45, according to Gov. Ricardo Rosselló. But 90 percent of the 3.4 million American citizens on the island still don’t have power, and 35 percent still don’t have water to drink or bathe in. And given how deadly power outages can be, 45 deaths seems low, according to disaster experts.

 

“At Vox, we decided to compare what the government has been saying with other reports of deaths from the ground. We searched Google News for reports of deaths in English and Spanish media from Puerto Rico since Hurricane Maria. We found reports of a total of 81 deaths linked directly or indirectly to the hurricane. Of those, 45 were the deaths certified by the government. The remaining 36 deaths were confirmed by local public officials or funeral directors, according to the reports. We also found another 450 reported deaths, most of causes still unknown, and reports of at least 69 people still missing.

 

“The broader issue here relates to how storm deaths are counted. There are clear deaths from the storm, clear deaths indirectly from the storm, and then deaths that are harder to determine — for instance, a sick patient who died in a hospital experiencing frequent power outages. And then there’s the issue of how effective authorities are at finding and investigating the deaths to make sure they’re included in the count. The breakdown of these categories suggests that the government is being much more cautious in designating deaths as directly or indirectly hurricane-related, given the public information available.

 

“At a Sunday news conference, Karixia Ortiz, press officer for the Department of Public Safety, said that “every death must be confirmed by the Institute of Forensic Science, which means either the bodies have to be brought to San Juan to do an autopsy or a medical examiner must be dispatched to the local municipality to verify the death,” according to an audio recording obtained by Huffington Post.

 

“John Mutter, a disaster researcher at Columbia University who studied the death toll in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, says he’s skeptical of this methodology. “This is the way to go about it if you want to come up with smallest number possible,” he said, adding he suspects the death toll in Puerto Rico from Maria should already be in the hundreds based on what’s known about the conditions on the ground.

 

“Our review of reports certainly suggests the real death toll is far higher than what the government has, thus far, estimated:

 

In our search of local and US news reports, we found 36 deaths attributed to the hurricane in addition to the official 43. We cross-checked news accounts with the official death reports to make sure they didn’t overlap.

 

NPR reported an additional 49 bodies with unidentified cause of death sent to a hospital morgue since the storm.

 

The Los Angeles Times reported 50 more deaths than normal in one region in the three days after the hurricane.

 

Puerto Rico’s Center for Investigative Reporting reported 69 hospital morgues are at “capacity.” Exact figure is unknown.

 

According to El Vocero newspaper, 350 bodies are being stored at the Institute of Forensic Sciences (equivalent to the state medical examiner’s office), many of which are still awaiting autopsies. In the report, Héctor Pesquera, secretary of the Puerto Rico Department of Public Safety, did not say how many, if any, of the cadavers were there before the storm. (On Sunday, Pesquera denied claims that there was a backlog of unexamined bodies.)

 

“ ‘I don’t think there will be hundreds of deaths, but we will see,’ Pesquera told reporters on Sunday. ‘We can’t speculate if there will be 100 or 200.’

 

“Meanwhile, the situation on the ground remains life-threatening in some areas. And reporters and first responders are continuing to paint a much more aggressive picture about life and death on the island….

 

“There are no state or federal guidelines in the US for calculating storm death tolls for the medical examiners usually responsible for determining what constitutes a storm-related death….

 

“Because we’ve had trouble reaching officials in Puerto Rico, it’s been difficult to decipher what exactly the process is for documenting and attributing deaths to disasters. But it is clear that the hurricane has disrupted it and that the government is now insisting that every body be inspected directly by the Institute of Forensic Sciences in San Juan before any death is attributed to the storm….” (Vox (Eliza Barclay and Alexia Fernandez Campbell). “Everything that’s been reported about deaths in Puerto Rico is at odds with the official count.” 10-11-2017.)

 

Oct 12: “Puerto Rico’s death toll from Hurricane Maria could be substantially higher than the 45 fatalities reported by the government, experts said….

 

“Adding to the headache are communication breakdowns that some experts believe is keeping the officially reported death toll astonishingly lower — possibly by hundreds.

 

“In a letter to the Department of Homeland Security, Reps. Nydia Velasquez (D-NY) and Bennie Thompson (D-MS) said they’re concerned the death toll in Puerto Rico is being “woefully underreported,” and demanded an urgent review, citing reports that up to 450 people may have died….

 

“An analysis by Vox published Wednesday found Puerto Rico’s hurricane death toll closer to 81, citing news reports and statements by local officials.

 

“Both post-storm illnesses and accidents will boost the numbers even further, along with proper death reporting once rural areas can be contacted or accessed, one expert said…

 

“Citizens have died from a number of post-storm causes such as failing medical help, landslides, falling debris and illnesses such as leptospirosis, which is spread through drinking water tainted by animal urine….

 

“Volunteer rescue workers also say that the death toll far exceeds official estimates.

 

“A number of those workers have reported that the morgue in Aguadilla — a coastal town in northwest Puerto Rico — was closed because it could no longer accommodate bodies. Numerous sources said 400 to 500 bodies were in the town’s morgue, and FEMA was sending in freezers to have bodies removed from the facility. FEMA didn’t immediately return a request for comment.

 

“El Vocero reported last week that another 350 bodies were in the Institute of Forensic Science’s morgue, but it remained unclear how many were from the storm.” (NY Daily News. “Members of Congress call for investigation into underreporting in Puerto Rico death toll.” 10-12-2017.)

 

Oct 28: “There have been more than 900 cremations in Puerto Rico since Hurricane Maria made landfall on September 20, but the official death toll from the devastating storm is still listed as 51. The number of cremations has increased scrutiny over the Department of Public Safety’s count of deaths related to Hurricane Maria. In a statement provided to ABC News, the Department of Public Safety says that 911 authorized cremations have been carried out between September 20 and October 18.

 

“The cremations were all carried out after an analysis of several documents including “the death summary, the death certificate, the ballot, the medical summary or a document that certifies and evidence the death cause, and the form that the family completes for requesting a cremation,” according to the statement. All the deaths have been designated as due to natural causes.

 

“The Department of Public Safety previously said that any increase in the number of deaths listed as related to Hurricane Maria would happen only if a body was sent to San Juan to be examined by a medical examiner or if a medical examiner went to a town to review a body. Hector Pesquera, the secretary for the Department of Public Safety continues to say that the number of deaths related to Hurricane Maria remains at 51.” (ABC News (Hoyos and Schabner). “900-plus cremations since Maria, but hurricane death toll still 51.” 10-29-2017.)

 

Nov 3: “San Juan mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz estimates the actual death toll in Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria is far higher than the number of officially reported deaths. ‘It appears, for whatever reason, that the death toll is much higher than what has been reported,’ Cruz said in an appearance on CNN’s ‘The Lead with Jake Tapper.’ The official death toll stands at 54, but Cruz said that the true number of deaths following Hurricane Maria is likely closer to 500. Cruz told Tapper there have been 911 cremations in the U.S. territory in the last month, a far greater number than normal. ‘Usually it’s about half that,’ Cruz said….

 

“The San Juan mayor said some deaths, like those who die from their respirators losing power, are being categorized as “natural causes” but are in fact related to the damage left by Hurricane Maria.

 

“BuzzFeed News reported last week that 911 people died following Hurricane Maria, and a spokesperson for the Department of Public Safety said the deaths were not related to the hurricane but were instead caused by ‘natural causes.’ BuzzFeed reported that none of the bodies were examined by a medical examiner for consideration to be included in the Maria death toll. The spokesperson said the classifications of death by ‘natural causes’ were made by reviewing records and not inspection by medical examiners. Those bodies were cremated before medical examiners looked at them.

 

“Top Democrats called on the Department of Homeland Security earlier this month to provide accurate death counts following the hurricane. ‘We urge you to provide all necessary resources to confirm that storm-related deaths are being counted correctly,’ the senators wrote in the letter to acting Homeland Security Secretary Elaine Duke. The senators argued that the official death toll does not include about 450 people who have died since the hurricane or 69 people who have been reported missing, all of whom have been included in various media reports.” (Carter, Brandon. “San Juan mayor: Hurricane Maria death toll closer to 500 than 50.” The Hill, 11-3-2017.)

 

Nov 8: “Ponce, P.R. — Almost two months after Hurricane Maria tore through Puerto Rico, there were more signs of how unsettled the situation remains here and how grievous the toll of the storm was….

 

“On Wednesday [Nov 8], Puerto Rico officials, facing increasing questions about the accuracy of the official death toll from the storm, acknowledged for the first time that 472 more people died this September compared with the same month last year. The storm made landfall on Sept. 20. The government’s official death toll is 55. The numbers confirmed what had been speculated for weeks: After the waters receded and the roads were cleared, people here continued to die at rates far beyond normal.

 

“As temperatures frequently rose above 90 degrees, the lack of power in nursing homes, private houses and hospitals hit the elderly particularly hard. Soaring temperatures accelerated the deaths of people who were already seriously ill. Ambulances could not arrive, medicines ran out and oxygen tanks that ran on electricity were useless, several funeral directors said.

 

“Even with the increase in mortality in the weeks after Hurricane Maria, authorities insisted that the official death toll remained at 55: 20 direct deaths; 31 indirect deaths, such as suicides; and four more from leptospirosis, a waterborne bacterial disease.

 

“The government said it was up to doctors to certify whether other conditions — such as lack of air conditioning or dialysis because of the blackout — contributed to a person’s death. If families believe an error has been made they should file a report, Héctor M. Pesquera, the secretary of public safety, told reporters Wednesday. But the government, he said, would not be influenced by anecdotal reports or suppositions. ‘We are not going to question 29,649 doctors who signed all those death certificates,’ Mr. Pesquera said, referring to the number of people who died in the past year. ‘There’s a process, and there’s the law, and we follow the process and the law.’….” (Robles, Frances. “Puerto Rico Deaths Spike, but Few Are Attributed to Hurricane.” New York Times, 11-8-2017.)

 

Dec 1: “….Three additional deaths were announced on Wednesday [Nov 29] by the U.S. territory’s Department of Public Safety, bringing the storm death toll there to 58.

 

“One of the cases was reported in Carolina, regarding a person who was bleeding from the mouth during the hurricane, but could not be transported to the hospital on time,” the Department of Public Safety said in a statement announcing the death toll’s increase. “Later, the person was taken to the hospital, treated, and diagnosed with pneumonia and a collapse of the right kidney. However, days later the person died in the hospital.”

 

“The second fatality, according to the Department of Public Safety, was reported in Vieques, ‘about a person who died when the boat in which he was traveling sank. However, on October 25, 2017, FURA personnel of the Puerto Rico Police carried out a mission to recover the body of the person who has not yet been identified and who is currently in the Department of Forensic Sciences under the identification process.’

 

“The third death involved a person who inhaled gases that emanated from a gas lamp when it accidentally fell at his home in Cayey. The unidentified individual also suffered burns.

 

“The government’s official death toll count has faced scrutiny following the storm. The Department of Public Safety, which is the agency keeping track of the count, said in late October that there had been more than 900 cremations in Puerto Rico following the storm, but they were not counted as a part of the storm-related death toll because those cremated were designated to have died due to natural causes….” (Algona Radio. “Puerto Rico’s Hurricane Maria death toll rises to 58.” 12-1-2017.)

 

Dec 18: “San Juan, Puerto Rico (CNN) — Puerto Rico is launching an official review of the death count from Hurricane Maria, which devastated this US territory on September 20. Monday’s announcement from the island’s governor follows investigations from CNN[66] and other news outlets that called into question the official death toll of 64.[67] “I welcomed recent news analysis on the number of hurricane-related deaths, and that they may be higher than the official count certified to date,” Gov. Ricardo Rosselló said in a statement. “Those reports used the data provided by the Puerto Rico Demographic Registry, but the Government needs to (investigate) if the increase of the deaths is related directly or indirectly with Hurricane Maria.”

 

“Last month, CNN surveyed half of the funeral homes in Puerto Rico and found that funeral home directors and staff believe that at least 499 deaths in the first month after the storm were attributable to Hurricane Maria.[68] Reporters surveyed funeral home directors because they have access to death certificates and often speak with family members about the circumstances of a person’s death.

 

“The New York Times and others subsequently compiled statistics from the island’s Demographic Registry showing that the death toll may be more than 1,000. Those reviews were statistical in nature; they counted excess deaths in 2017 compared with deaths in previous years. Experts have said that such an analysis is a respected way to estimate a storm’s death toll.

 

“Puerto Rico plans to review all deaths that followed the hurricane, regardless of the cause listed on death certificates, according to the governor’s statement. The government also plans to convene a “panel of experts” to review the process for counting deaths.

 

“Only one lab in Puerto Rico — the Bureau of Forensic Sciences — certifies deaths as hurricane-related. Pathologists review cases sent to them by doctors, hospitals and other authorities.

 

“CNN’s investigation found that some doctors and hospitals were not sending all possibly hurricane-related cases to that forensics office for review. Most of the cases in question might have been “indirect” hurricane deaths, meaning the person died because of the conditions the storm created. Such deaths should be classified as hurricane-related, according to the government. The official death toll does include suicides, heart attacks and other such cases….

 

“The death toll has real-world ramifications. Experts say public aid follows higher death counts. And the families of people who officially died in Hurricane Maria are eligible to have some of their loved ones’ funeral costs covered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. According to Puerto Rico’s governor, an accurate death toll also helps the government “identify ways in which we can prevent fatalities in advance of future disasters.”” (CNN/John D. Sutter. “Puerto Rico orders review of deaths after hurricane.” 12-18-2017.)

 

2018

 

Jan 4: “Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rosselló on Thursday [Jan 4] announced the formation of a task force to examine the number of deaths related to Hurricane María. The group is expected to report its findings, including any revised numbers, in 90 days. Saying it was important to “guarantee transparency” as part of the island’s recovery process, the executive order tasks Public Safety Secretary Héctor Pesquera with creating and coordinating a process, in conjunction with health, forensic and demographic registries, to review deaths following Hurricane María and whether they are related to the devastating storm. Pesquera, who will coordinate the task force, had been highly critical in the past of claims that the death toll was in the hundreds. He called San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz “irresponsible” in November when she said that the number could be closer to 500….” (NBC News (Sandra Lilley). “Puerto Rico governor announces task force to examine hurricane-related deaths.” 1-4-2018.)

 

Feb 22: “San Juan, Puerto Rico — a team of George Washington University researchers will lead an independent investigation into Hurricane Maria’s death toll in Puerto Rico and will examine the methods local government officials used to count hurricane-related fatalities in the aftermath of the September storm, officials here said Thursday [Feb 22]….

 

“Some estimates say that the hurricane’s lingering effects — long-term loss of power, lack of health care, inaccessibility in some remote areas — have led to hundreds of deaths and heavy criticism of the official tally [64]…. ‘I want to know the truth of the number the same as you do,’ Gov. Ricardo Rosselló said at a news conference here Thursday, saying that there was no effort to intentionally downplay the death county. ‘We want to get as close as the most accurate number as possible.’….

 

“Power has not yet been restored to parts of the island.

 

“Puerto Rico’s government is funding the first phase of the $305,000 review, but the group is seeking grant funding to study the process local officials undertook and plans to make recommendations to better understand deaths that are related to natural disasters. They hope the findings will help prevent fatalities in future storms.

 

“Lynn Goldman, dean of George Washington’s Milken Institute School of Public Health, said that within three months, the research team led by epidemiologist Carlos Santos-Burgoa will be able to determine an approximate death toll. ‘We will call it as we see it, I promise,’ Goldman said. Santos-Burgoa, a former public health minister in Mexico who oversaw the response to the 2009 H1N1 flue outbreak, said he will work with researchers and demographers in collaboration with the University of Puerto Rico to collect data from government sources, death certificates, official demographic statistics and news reports.

 

“Hundreds of death certificates had to be completed by hand by local officials during telecommunications and power outages, in many cases attributing potentially hurricane-related deaths to natural causes. Goldman said some of those documents will make clear the underlying causes of death, but she expects there will be many cases that researchers will need to investigate further to determine the cause and circumstances.

 

“Santos-Burgoa cautioned that there always will be a degree of uncertainty surrounding the final estimate of the death toll. Counting deaths related to a hurricane or other natural disasters often is a subjective exercise, and tallies sometimes include people who died while preparing for a storm’s arrival or of natural causes afterward that can’t be linked to the storm itself….

 

“The scientists plan to deliver their first report within 90 days and full findings within a year. They expect to publish a warehouse of mortality records for the public to peruse, and the group plans to submit its work to peer review.

 

“Questions surfaced shortly after the government of Puerto Rico released early death toll numbers in September as the island-wide power outage dragged on; the governor ordered a recount in December. Members of Congress, concerned that the Rosselló administration was suppressing the number, asked the Government Accountability Office to audit the territorial government’s methodology. GAO spokesman Charles Young said the agency’s work won’t begin for several months.” (Washington Post (Arelis R. Hernández). “GWU experts tapped to review Hurricane Maria death toll in Puerto Rico.” 2-22-2018.)

 

Feb 28: “Two months after Hurricane Maria ripped through Puerto Rico, scores of people were still dying in its aftermath, new government data suggest. The data show total deaths in the U.S. territory by month and do not break them down by cause. But month-to-month comparisons with previous years show the number of deaths after the hurricane…was far higher than average. The total number of deaths above average in September, October and November was 1,230, according to Alexis Santos, a demographer at Pennsylvania State University who obtained the data from the Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics and conducted an analysis that he released to the Los Angles Times this week.

 

“Of those deaths, 491 occurred in September and 584 in October — figures very close to estimates Santos published late last year based on more limited data. The new analysis shows the higher death rate continued into November, the most recent month for which he obtained figures, with 155 more than average. ‘With the limited information available to the academic and policy community, we can say the humanitarian crisis resulting from Hurricane Maria continued affecting the people of Puerto Rico after October,’ Santos said….

 

“Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rosselló announced last week that the government had hired the Milken Institute School of Public Health at the George Washington University to investigate the death count.

 

“Puerto Rico’s Center for Investigative Journalism has sued the government requesting access to death certificates and other information that could paint a more complete picture of the reasons for the increase in mortality rates. ‘We have faced multiple difficulties gathering the information related to these deaths,’ said Carla Minet, the center’s director.

 

“A more detailed analysis would lead to a greater understanding of how people die in hurricanes — whether from the immediate impact of the storm or after-effects such as disease or shortages of food and water — and potentially how to prepare for future storms. ‘To be able to establish public policy that corrects our deficiencies we must have a precise diagnosis,’ Minet said. But for now, they can only make estimates.

 

“For his analysis, Santos looked at death statistics going back to 2010 to calculate an average death toll for each month and the amount of variation that could be attributed to chance. He then compared those averages to September, October and November of 2017 to calculate the number of unexpected deaths. In October, for example, there were 2,991 deaths, or 24% more than in an average October.  The November total was 6.4% higher than average. Santos said that figure offers ‘a first glimpse at where or not the crisis has been mitigated,’ suggesting that it was not. He said the higher death rate in November occurred despite a declining population on the island, which had 3.4 million people before the hurricane. More than 87,000 people are thought to have moved to the U.S. mainland.” (Los Angeles Times (Milton Carrero). “Puerto Rico deaths related to Hurricane Maria continued for months after the storm, data suggest.” 2-28-2018.)

 

Aug 28: “Puerto Rico’s governor says he’s revising the official death toll from Hurricane Maria in the wake of a report from George Washington University that estimated the storm caused 2,975 deaths. “Even though it is an estimate, we are officially changing, or we are putting an official number to the death toll,” Gov. Ricardo Rosselló told reporters Tuesday. ‘We will take the 2,975 number as the official estimate for the excess deaths as a product of Maria.’ Rosselló acknowledged that the 2,975 statistic is only an estimate, and not a concrete list of names. Moving forward, he said, officials will continue to investigate deaths from the storm and refine the official tally. ‘This is an approximation, a scientific study where the deaths are estimated. We don’t have the names,’ Rosselló said. ‘That is something that will take place throughout this process. And this number can change. It could be less, it could be more, as time passes,’ he said. It could take months or years, he said, to come up with a complete list of storm-related deaths….” (CNN. “Puerto Rico revises Hurricane Maria death toll to 2,975 after study.” 8-28-2018.)

 

Sources

 

ABC News (Joshua Hoyos and Dean Schabner). “900-plus cremations since Maria, but hurricane death toll still 51.” 10-29-2017. Accessed 10-29-2017 at: http://abcnews.go.com/US/900-cremations-maria-hurricane-death-toll-51/story?id=50787771

 

Algona Radio. “Puerto Rico’s Hurricane Maria death toll rises to 58.” 12-1-2017. Accessed 12-2-2017 at: http://algonaradio.com/index.php/2017/12/01/puerto-ricos-hurricane-maria-death-toll-rises-to-58/

 

Associated Press. “Hurricane death toll in Puerto Rico increases to 54.” Fox News, 11-2-2017. Accessed 11-4-2017 at: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/11/01/hurricane-death-toll-in-puerto-rico-increases-to-54.html

 

Associated Press. “Hurricane Maria death toll rises as storm kicks up ocean on the coast.” Orlando Sentinel, 9-25-2017. Accessed 9-25-2017 at: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/weather/hurricane/os-hurricane-maria-dominica-death-toll-20170925-story.html

 

Associated Press. “Hurricane Maria death toll rises to 49 in Puerto Rico.” Washington Post, 10-20-2017. Accessed 10-20-2017 at: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/hurricane-maria-death-toll-rises-to-49-in-puerto-rico/2017/10/20/a8d827aa-b5ae-11e7-9b93-b97043e57a22_story.html?utm_term=.99f7bc01922b

 

Associated Press. “In Puerto Rico, death toll from Hurricane Maria reaches 16.” WJLA, ABC7, Washington DC, 9-25-2017. Accessed 9-26-2017 at: http://wjla.com/news/nation-world/in-puerto-rico-death-toll-from-hurricane-maria-reaches-16

 

Associated Press. “Puerto Rico raises Hurricane Maria death toll to 48.” ABC News, 10-14-2017. Accessed 10-14-2017 at: http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/puerto-rico-raises-hurricane-maria-death-toll-48-50480190

 

Associated Press. “Puerto Rico raises hurricane’s official death count to 34.” Miami Herald, 10-4-2017. Accessed 10-4-2017 at: http://www.miamiherald.com/latest-news/article176869231.html

 

Associated Press. “The Latest: Puerto Rico counts 2 suicides among storm deaths.” Fox News, 10-4-2017. Accessed 10-5-2017 at: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/10/04/latest-puerto-rico-counts-2-suicides-among-storm-deaths.html

 

Carter, Brandon. “San Juan mayor: Hurricane Maria death toll closer to 500 than 50.” The Hill, 11-3-2017. Accessed 11-4-2017 at: http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/358730-san-juan-mayor-death-toll-following-hurricane-maria-closer-to

 

CBS News. “Hurricane Maria gains strength, heads for Bahamas — live updates.” 9-21-2017. Accessed 9-21-2017 at: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/hurricane-maria-path-puerto-rico-latest-update-2017-09-21/

 

CBS/Associated Press. “Puerto Rico’s death toll from Hurricane Maria increases to 51.” 10-24-2017. Accessed 10-24-2017 at: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/hurricane-maria-puerto-rico-death-toll-increases/

 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “A Reference Guide for Certification of Deaths in the Event of a Natural, Human-induced, or Chemical/Radiological Disaster.” Vital Statistics Reporting Guidance, Report No. 1, October 2017. CDC, National Center for Health Statistics, 14 pages. Accessed 1-3-2018 at: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvss/vsrg/vsrg01.pdf

 

CNN. “Puerto Rico: Death toll from hurricane climbs to 64 with 2 ‘indirect deaths’.” 12-10-2017. Accessed 12-10-2017 at: http://cw39.com/2017/12/10/puerto-rico-death-toll-from-hurricane-climbs-to-64-with-2-indirect-deaths/

 

CNN (John D. Sutter). “Puerto Rico orders review of deaths after hurricane.” 12-18-2017. Accessed 1-3-2018 at: http://www.cnn.com/2017/12/18/health/puerto-rico-maria-death-count-review/index.html

 

CNN (Leyla Santiago, Catherine E. Shoichet and Jason Kravarik). “Puerto Rico revises Hurricane Maria death toll to 2,975 after study.” 8-28-2018. Accessed 8-28-2018 at: https://www.cnn.com/2018/08/28/health/puerto-rico-gw-report-excess-deaths/index.html

 

CNN (John D. Sutter, Leyla Santiago and Khushbu Shah). “We surveyed 112 Puerto Rican funeral homes to check the accuracy of the hurricane death toll. This is what we found.” 11-20-2017. Accessed 11-28-2017 at: http://www.cnn.com/2017/11/20/health/hurricane-maria-uncounted-deaths-invs/index.html

 

Los Angeles Times (Milton Carrero). “Puerto Rico deaths related to Hurricane Maria continued for months after the storm, data suggest.” 2-28-2018. Accessed 2-28-2018 at: http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-puerto-rico-death-toll-20180228-htmlstory.html

 

Miami Herald (Omaya Sosa Pascual). “Hurricane Maria’s death toll in Puerto Rico is higher than official count, experts say.” 9-28-2017. Accessed 9-29-2017 at: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/weather/hurricane/article175955031.html

 

Milken Institute School of Public Health, The George Washington University. Project Report: Ascertainment of the Estimated Excess Mortality From Hurricanfe Maria in Puerto Rico (In Collaboration with the University of Puerto Rico Graduate School of Public Health). Wash., DC: GWU Milken Institute School of Public Health, Aug 2018, 69 pages. Accessed 8-28-2018 at: http://prstudy.publichealth.gwu.edu/sites/prstudy.publichealth.gwu.edu/files/reports/Acertainment%20of%20the%20Estimated%20Excess%20Mortality%20from%20Hurricane%20Maria%20in%20Puerto%20Rico.pdf

 

NBC4, Washington, DC (Matthew Daly). “Puerto Rico’s Hurricane Maria Death Toll Rises to 43…” 10-10-2017. Accessed 10-10-2017 at: https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/national-international/Puerto-Rico-Hurricane-Maria-Death-Toll-Lawmakers-Seek-Longer-Jones-Act-Waiver-450234693.html

 

NBC New York 4. “3 Drown Off Jersey Shore, Dozens Rescued Despite ‘No Swimming’ Warning.” 9-25-2017. Accessed 2-4-2018 at: https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/Jersey-Shore-Beach-Swimmer-Rescue-Ban-Ocean–447725023.html

 

NBC News. “Half of hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico faces lack of drinking water.” 9-28-2017. Accessed 9-28-2017 at: https://www.aol.com/article/news/2017/09/28/half-of-hurricane-ravaged-puerto-rico-faces-lack-of-drinking-water/23225790/

 

NBC News (Sandra Lilley). “Puerto Rico governor announces task force to examine hurricane-related deaths.” 1-4-2018. Accessed 1-5-2018 at: https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/puerto-rico-crisis/puerto-rico-governor-announces-task-force-examine-hurricane-related-deaths-n834756

 

New York Daily News (Megan Cerullo and Terrence Cullen). “Members of Congress call for investigation into underreporting in Puerto Rico death toll.” 10-12-2017. Accessed 10-13-2017 at: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/hurricane-maria-killed-people-puerto-rico-article-1.3558545

 

New York Daily News (Rich Schapiro). “Puerto Rico’s Hurricane Maria death toll climbs to at least 13.” 9-22-2017. Accessed 9-22-2017 at: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/puerto-rico-hurricane-maria-death-toll-climbs-13-article-1.3513516

 

New York Times. “Hurricane Maria Live Updates: Puerto Rico Loses Power, Officials Say, 9-20-2017. Accessed 9-20-2017 at: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/20/us/hurricane-maria-puerto-rico.html

 

New York Times (Frances Robles, Kenan Davis, Sheri Fink, Sarah Almukhtar). “Official Toll in Puerto Rico: 64. Actual Deaths May Be 1,052.” 12-9-2017. Accessed 1-3-2018 at: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/12/08/us/puerto-rico-hurricane-maria-death-toll.html

 

Newsweek (Maria Perez and Linley Sanders). “Puerto Rico is ‘Broken’ 100 Days After Hurricane Maria and Trump is no Help Locals Say.” 12-28-2017. Accessed 12-28-2017 at: http://www.newsweek.com/puerto-rico-recovery-100-days-hurricane-maria-760965

 

NOAA, National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI). Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters: Table of Events. 2018. Accessed 2-4-2018 at: https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/billions/events/US/1980-2017

 

Pascual, Omaya Sosa and Jeniffer Wiscovitch (English version by Julio Recardo Varela). “Dozens of Uncounted Deaths from Hurricane Maria Emerge in Puerto Rico.” Puerto Rico: Center for Investigative Journalism, 11-16-2017. Accessed 12-10-2017 at:  http://latinousa.org/2017/11/16/dozens-uncounted-deaths-hurricane-maria-emerge-puerto-rico/

 

Pascual, Omaya Sosa (Center for Investigative Journalism). English version by Julio Ricardo Varela. “Nearly 1,000 More People Died in Puerto Rico After Hurricane Maria.” CPI, 12-7-2017. Accessed 12-10-2017 at: http://latinousa.org/2017/12/07/nearly-1000-people-died-puerto-rico-hurricane-maria/

 

Resnick, Brian and Eliza Barclay. “What every American needs to know about Puerto Rico’s hurricane disaster.” Vox.com, 9-27-2017. Accessed 9-27-2017 at: https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2017/9/26/16365994/hurricane-maria-2017-puerto-rico-san-juan-humanitarian-disaster-electricty-fuel-flights-facts

 

Robles, Frances, Kenan Davis, Sheri Fink, Sarah Almukhtar. “Official Toll in Puerto Rico: 64. Actual Deaths May Be 1,052.” New York Times, 12-9-2017. Accessed 12-9-2017 at: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/12/08/us/puerto-rico-hurricane-maria-death-toll.html

 

Robles, Frances. “Puerto Rico Deaths Spike, but Few Are Attributed to Hurricane.” New York Times, 11-8-2017. Accessed 11-9-2017 at: https://mobile.nytimes.com/2017/11/08/us/puerto-rico-deaths-fema.html?action=click&module=&pgtype=Homepage

 

Santos-Lozada, Alexis (Pennsylvania State University) and Jeffrey T. Howard (Independent Researcher). Estimates of excess deaths in Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria. 11-21-2017. SocArXif Papers. Accessed 12-10-2017 at: https://osf.io/preprints/socarxiv/s7dmu

 

Santos-Lozada, Alexis R. “Why Puerto Rico’s death toll from Hurricane Maria is so much higher than officials thought.” The Conversation, 1-3-2018. Accessed 1-3-2018 at: http://theconversation.com/why-puerto-ricos-death-toll-from-hurricane-maria-is-so-much-higher-than-officials-thought-89349

 

Schwartz, Mattathias. “Maria’s Bodies. The hurricane in Puerto Rico has become a man-made disaster, with a death toll threatening to eclipse Katrina’s.” New York Magazine, 12-22-2017. Accessed 12-22-2017 at: http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2017/12/hurricane-maria-man-made-disaster.html

 

Shankar, Amulya (PRI’s {Public Radio International} The World). “Real death toll in Puerto Rico is probably 450…” USA Today, 10-18-2017. Accessed 12-22-2017 at: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2017/10/18/real-death-toll-puerto-rico-probably-450-much-higher-than-official-count/774918001/

 

Swanson, Mark. “PR’s Problematic Review of Hurricane Deaths: Examining Buried Bodies.” Newsmax.com, 12-21-2017. Accessed 12-21-2017 at: https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/puerto-rico-hurricane-maria-death-toll/2017/12/21/id/833150/

 

Telemundo PR. “Aumentan a 64 muertes certificadas por María.” 12-9-2017. Accessed 1-3-2018 at: https://www.telemundopr.com/noticias/destacados/Aumentan-a-64-las-muertes-por-el-huracan-Maria-463005263.html

 

Thomson Reuters. “Puerto Rico’s death toll from Hurricane Maria rises to 43, power outages remain.” CBC, Canada, 10-10-2017. Accessed 10-10-2017 at: http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/puerto-rico-maria-update-1.4347571

 

Virgin Islands Daily News (Suzanne Carlson). “Five hurricane-related deaths confirmed.” 10-3-2017 [Irma/3, Maria/2]. Accessed 2-4-2018 at:  http://www.virginislandsdailynews.com/breaking/five-hurricane-related-deaths-confirmed/article_90b2f60d-7abd-5313-a1da-7c3a4c976fc7.html

 

Vox (Eliza Barclay and Alexia Fernandez Campbell). “Everything that’s been reported about deaths in Puerto Rico is at odds with the official count.” 10-11-2017. Accessed 10-13-2017 at: https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2017/10/11/16424356/puerto-rico-official-hurricane-maria-death-toll

 

Vox (Eliza Barclay). “Puerto Rico finally updated the Hurricane Maria death toll to 34.” 10-3-2017. Accessed 10-4-2017 at: https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2017/10/2/16392670/puerto-rico-death-toll-trump

 

Washington Post (Arelis R. Hernández). “GWU experts tapped to review Hurricane Maria death toll in Puerto Rico.” 2-22-2018. Accessed 2-28-2018 at:  https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/gwu-experts-tapped-to-review-hurricane-maria-death-toll-in-puerto-rico/2018/02/22/7f0a1c94-17e7-11e8-8b08-027a6ccb38eb_story.html?utm_term=.16a4e7d6f982

 

Weather Channel. “Puerto Rico’s Maria Death Toll Climbs to 36, Governor…” 10-6-2017. Accessed 10-6-2017 at: https://weather.com/storms/hurricane/news/puerto-rico-death-toll-hurricane-maria

 

Wikipedia. “Hurricane Maria,” “Deaths and damage by territory” sidebar.” 2-3-2018. Accessed 2-4-2018 at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Maria#Undercounting_of_fatalities

 

World Health Organization. “Classification of Diseases.” 11-29-2016. Accessed 1-3-2018 at: http://www.who.int/classifications/icd/en/

[1] Notes another thirty-seven reported missing.

[2] Assoc. Press. “Hurricane Maria death toll rises as storm kicks up ocean on the coast.” Orlando Sentinel, 9-25-2017. Cites Chief of Police of Dominica, and also notes that another 27 were missing.

[3] CBS News. “Hurricane Maria gains strength, heads for Bahamas…” 9-21-2017. Wikipedia. “Hurricane Maria,” 2-3-2018, notes another two people missing.

[4] Concerning all three deaths, “Officials said ‘notifications were made to not go into the water’.”

[5] CNN. “Puerto Rico revises Hurricane Maria death toll to 2,975 after study.” 8-28-2018.

[6] Los Angeles Times (Milton Carrero). “Puerto Rico deaths related to Hurricane Maria continued for months after the storm, data suggest.” 2-28-2018. According to article, Santos “obtained the data from the Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics and conducted an analysis that he released to the Los Angeles Times this week.” [Feb 28 is a Wednesday.]

[7] Santos-Lozada and Howard. Estimates of excess deaths in Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria. 11-21-2017.

[8] “The Times’s analysis found that in the 42 days after Hurricane Maria made landfall on Sept. 20 as a Category 4 storm, 1,052 more people than usual died across the island. The analysis compared the number of deaths for each day in 2017 with the average of the number of deaths for the same days in 2015 and 2016.”

[9] Pascual. “Nearly 1,000 More People Died in Puerto Rico…Maria.” Ctr. for Investigative Journalism, 12-7-2017.

[10] CNN notes that the 112 responding funeral homes represents about half the island’s total, and are portrayed as “Deaths believed to be storm-related by funeral homes.” Time frame of deaths was Sep 20 to Oct 19.

[11] Cites Vox.

[12] Pascual and Wiscovitch. “Dozens of Uncounted Deaths from Hurricane Maria Emerge in Puerto Rico.” Puerto Rico: Center for Investigative Journalism, 11-16, 2017. “…in the last three weeks — through interviews with mayors, security officials and emergency management from the island’s municipalities, as well as interviews with relatives and a review of death certificates — the Center for Investigative Journalism (CPI) has identified 47 deaths related to the hurricane, in addition to the 55 officially reported by the government of Puerto Rico.”

[13] Robles, et al. “Official Toll in Puerto Rico: 64. Actual…May be 1,052.” NYT, 12-10-2017. A CNN article notes that the figure of 64 reflected an increase of two storm-related deaths: Jose ‘Pepe’ Sanchez, who died during the storm after collapsing and “emergency medical personnel could not make it to the house.” (CNN. “Puerto Rico: Death toll from hurricane climbs to 64 with 2 ‘indirect deaths’.” 12-10-2017.)

[14] CNN. “Puerto Rico: Death toll from hurricane climbs to 64 with 2 ‘indirect deaths’.” 12-10-2017.

[15] We show 60 rather than the 34 in title in that the article cites interview with Omaya Sosa Pascual of CPI: “By her count, there are now an estimated 60 confirmed deaths linked to the hurricane an possibly hundreds more to come.” This is based on her communications with “dozens of doctors, administrators, morgue directors, and funeral directors around the country.” A primary reason for difference between official and unofficial numbers is that a death is not officially recognized until a death certificate is signed and recorded. Quoting Pascual, “Some of the people who work in the government lost their homes themselves and aren’t at work. So they can’t do death certificates. The dead can’t be documented because of all the logistics and legal aspects of declaring someone dead.”

[16] Nineteen direct and fifteen indirect.

[17] Another source, however, in reference to the official death toll of 16 as of Sep 27, writes: “…the Center for Investigative Journalism (CPI, for its initials in Spanish) has confirmed that there are dozens of hurricane-related deaths and the number could rise to the hundreds. The storm-related fatalities are mounting with each passing day, and official numbers are not counting patients who are not receiving dialysis, oxygen and other essential services.” (Miami Herald. “Hurricane Maria’s death toll in Puerto Rico is higher than official count, experts say.” 9-28-2017.)

[18] Pascual/Wiscovitch. “Dozens of Uncounted Deaths…Hurricane Maria Emerge in Puerto Rico.” CPI, 11-16, 2017.

Lorenzo was a police officer who died “when he tried to cross a river in his car…” (Swanson, Mark. “PR’s Problematic Review of Hurricane Deaths: Examining Buried Bodies.” Newsmax.com, 12-21-2017.)

[19] Pascual/Wiscovitch. “Dozens of Uncounted Deaths…Hurricane Maria Emerge in Puerto Rico.” CPI, 11-16, 2017.

[20] NBC4, Washington, DC (Matthew Daly). “Puerto Rico’s Hurricane Maria Death Toll Rises to 43…” 10-10-2017.

[21] Vox. “Everything that’s been reported about deaths in Puerto Rico is at odds with the official count.” 10-11-2017.

[22] Vox. “Everything that’s been reported about deaths in Puerto Rico is at odds with the official count.” 10-11-2017. Cites “The director of federal programs for the town of Barceloneta as told to Primera Hora. Two had cancer.

[23] Identified from official list of 55 deaths as of 11-6-2017 as: Enrique Acevedo Rivera, 81, David Serrano Hernandez, 57, Wesley Negron Adorno, 29, Merairis Class Adorno, 34.

[24] The official list of deaths when total was at 55 noted 3 for Caguas: Luz Maria Ortiz Ortiz, 72, Héctor Luis Merced Hernández, 59, and Emma Díaz Morales, 65.

[25] Vox. “Everything that’s been reported about deaths in Puerto Rico is at odds with the official count.” 10-11-2017

[26] Associated Press. “Puerto Rico raises Hurricane Maria death toll to 48.” ABC News, 10-14-2017.

[27] “The official death count only mentioned one person who died from respiratory problems.” (Vox. “Everything that’s been reported about deaths in Puerto Rico is at odds with the official count.” 10-11-2017.) Pascual and Wiscovitch identify the person on the official death list of 55 as on 11–6-2017 as Rosa Cintrón Irizarry, 69.

[28] These four names are Tomás Quintana Ortiz, 70; Vicenta Hernández Guzmán, 90; Kayla Damaris Santiago Cabrera, 38; and Benigno De Jesús Ortiz, 68. The fifth person, not on official list, is Salvador Rosa Montañez, 72.

[29] Associated Press. “Puerto Rico raises Hurricane Maria death toll to 48.” ABC News, 10-14-2017.

[30] Algona Radio. “Puerto Rico’s Hurricane Maria death toll rises to 58.” 12-1-2017.

[31] Pascual/Wiscovitch. “Dozens of Uncounted Deaths…Hurricane Maria Emerge in Puerto Rico.” CPI, 11-16-2017. Victim identified as Salvador Rosa Montañez, male, 72.

[32] Pascual/Wiscovitch. “Dozens of Uncounted Deaths…Hurricane Maria Emerge in Puerto Rico.” CPI, 11-16, 2017.

[33] Algona Radio. “Puerto Rico’s Hurricane Maria death toll rises to 58.” 12-1-2017. Official death of Quintin Videl Roldan, 89, without noting cause of death, is noted as one of 55 such deaths in: Pascual/Wiscovitch. “Dozens of Uncounted Deaths…Hurricane Maria Emerge in Puerto Rico.” CPI, 11-16, 2017 — the only official Cayey death.

[34] The only official death in Jayuya when list was at 55 was José Antonio Rivera Santiago, 58. List reproduced in: Pascual/Wiscovitch. “Dozens of Uncounted Deaths…Hurricane Maria Emerge in Puerto Rico.” CPI, 11-16-2017.

[35] Associated Press. “Puerto Rico raises Hurricane Maria death toll to 48.” ABC News, 10-14-2017.

[36] The two persons were Francisca Del Valle, 75, and Lidia Rivera Saldana, 94. (Pascual/Wiscovitch. “Dozens of Uncounted Deaths…Hurricane Maria Emerge in Puerto Rico.” CPI, 11-16-2017.)

[37] Victim identified as Leovigildo Cotté. Miami Herald (Omaya Sosa Pascual). “Hurricane Maria’s death toll in Puerto Rico is higher than official county, experts say.” 9-28-2017.

[38] NBC4, Washington, DC (Matthew Daly). “Puerto Rico’s Hurricane Maria Death Toll Rises to 43…” 10-10-2017.

[39] NBC4, Washington, DC (Matthew Daly). “Puerto Rico’s Hurricane Maria Death Toll Rises to 43…” 10-10-2017. Presumably death of Obed Rivera Crespo, 71, whose name is on the official death list of 55 as of 11-6-2017.

[40] Pascual/Wiscovitch. “Dozens of Uncounted Deaths…Hurricane Maria Emerge in Puerto Rico.” CPI, 11-16-2017.

[41] Thomson Reuters. “Puerto Rico’s death toll from Hurricane Maria rises to 43…” CBC, Canada, 10-10-2017; NBC4, Washington, DC (Matthew Daly). “Puerto Rico’s Hurricane Maria Death Toll Rises to 43…” 10-10-2017. The official death list includes the death of Gabriel Omar Rodríguez, 27, in San Germán, the only listing for locality.

[42] Official death toll of 55 as of 11-6-2017 shows three San Juan deaths. Noted in Pascual/Wiscovitch, 11-16-2017. Schwartz, in New York Magazine, notes a doctor told him two patients died in a hospital near San Juan “when there weren’t enough staff on hand to operate the pumps” [hand-operated pumps used when mechanical ventilators were inoperable due to loss of electricity.]

[43] Resnick and Barclay. “What every American needs to know about Puerto Rico’s hurricane disaster.” 9-27-2017.

[44] Associated Press. “Hurricane death toll in Puerto Rico increases to 54.” Fox News, 11-2-2017.

[45] Pascual/Wiscovitch. “Dozens of Uncounted Deaths…Hurricane Maria Emerge in Puerto Rico.” CPI, 11-16, 2017. Identified victim as Miguel Omar Coos Medina, 36.

[46] Associated Press. “Hurricane death toll in Puerto Rico increases to 54.” Fox News, 11-2-2017. Perhaps a reference to the death of Juan J. Valentín Fuentes, 33, who was the only person from San Sebastián on the official list of 55.

[47] “The mayor of Toa Baja told El Nuevo Día newspaper that at least nine people died after the storm. One man was dragged by a flood current [presumably drowned], and eight others drowned. Residents confirmed these deaths to reporters and named some of the victims. The official death count only includes one drowning in Toa Baja.” Pascual and Wiscovitch identify that person as Harold Cancel Rosa, 55, from the official death list of 55 as of 11-6-2017.

[48] Schwartz, Mattathias. “Maria’s Bodies,” New York Magazine, 12-22-2017.

[49] Schwartz, Mattathias. “Maria’s Bodies,” New York Magazine, 12-22-2017.

[50] Schwartz, Mattathias. “Maria’s Bodies,” New York Magazine, 12-22-2017.

[51] Schwartz, Mattathias. “Maria’s Bodies,” New York Magazine, 12-22-2017.

[52] NY Daily News. “Puerto Rico’s…Maria death toll climbs to at least 13.” 9-22-2017.

[53] Pascual/Wiscovitch. “Dozens of Uncounted Deaths…Hurricane Maria Emerge in Puerto Rico.” CPI, 11-16, 2017.

[54] Associated Press. “Hurricane death toll in Puerto Rico increases to 54.” Fox News, 11-2-2017.

[55] Pascual/Wiscovitch. “Dozens of Uncounted Deaths…Hurricane Maria Emerge in Puerto Rico.” CPI, 11-16, 2017.

[56] Algona Radio. “Puerto Rico’s Hurricane Maria death toll rises to 58.” 12-1-2017.

[57] Associated Press. “Hurricane Maria death toll rises to 49 in Puerto Rico.” Washington Post, 10-20-2017.

[58] CBS/Associated Press. “Puerto Rico’s death toll from Hurricane Maria increases to 51.” 10-24-2017. Report notes that “authorities have said they are investigating at least 74 other suspected cases of the disease.” Also note “Several previous fatalities have also been linked to the infections.”

[59] Mr. Evert “died due to asphyxiation and blunt force trauma after being trapped in his home by a mudslide…his body was found on Sept. 24.” Cites Attorney General Claude Walker press release.

[60] CNN (John D. Sutter). “Puerto Rico orders review of deaths after hurricane.” 12-18-2017.

[61] New York Times. “Official Toll in Puerto Rico: 64. Actual Deaths May Be 1,052.” 12-9-2017.

[62] Santos-Lozada, Alexis (Pennsylvania State University) and Jeffrey T. Howard (Independent Researcher). Estimates of excess deaths in Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria. 11-21-2017.

[63] Highlighted term takes one to World Health Organization page on “Classification of Diseases.” 11-29-2016.

[64] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “A Reference Guide for Certification of Deaths in the Event of a Natural, Human-induced, or Chemical/Radiological Disaster.” Vital Statistics Reporting Guidance, Report No. 1, October 2017. CDC, National Center for Health Statistics.

[65] “The Center for Investigative Journalism (CPI), located at the School of Law at Interamerican University of Puerto Rico, is an independent, nonprofit organization that promotes and defends the citizens’ right of access to information through journalistic research, education and the promotion of transparency of public and private authorities.”

 

[66] CNN . “We surveyed 112 Puerto Rican funeral homes to check the accuracy of the hurricane death toll. This is what we found.” 11-20-2017.

[67] CNN. “Puerto Rico: Death toll from hurricane climbs to 64 with 2 ‘indirect deaths’.” 12-10-2017.

[68] CNN. “We surveyed 112 Puerto Rican funeral homes…hurricane death toll…” 11-20-2017

 

Highlighting in Green below denotes an unofficial, probably indirect, death.

Highlighting in Yellow below denotes we are not using.

 

Caribbean and US Mainland                       (144)

–144  Blanchard tally based on breakouts below.

–134  Wikipedia. “Hurricane Irma.” As of Oct 10. Accessed 10-11-2017.

—    1  Anguilla (UK). Wikipedia. “Hurricane Irma.” Accessed 9-20-2017.

—    1  Barbados. Wikipedia. “Hurricane Irma.” Accessed 9-20-2017.

—    3  Barbuda (AG). Wikipedia. “Hurricane Irma.” Accessed 9-20-2017.

—    4  British Virgin Islands (UK). Wikipedia. “Hurricane Irma.” Accessed 9-20-2017.

—  10  Cuba. Wikipedia. “Hurricane Irma.” Accessed 9-20-2017.

—  11  French West Indies islands of Saint Martin and Saint Barthélemy.

—    1  Haiti. Wikipedia. “Hurricane Irma.” Accessed 9-20-2017.

—    3  Puerto Rico. Reuters. “Hurricane Irma kills three…government says.” 9-7-2017.

—    4  Sint Maarten (Netherlands)

–100  United States mainland. Blanchard tally of State breakouts below.

—  90  U. S. mainland. Wikipedia. “Hurricane Irma.” As of Oct 10. Accessed 10-11-2017.[1]

—    4  US Virgin Islands. Saint Thomas. Weather Channel. “Days After Irma…” 9-12-2017.[2]

—    2  Unknown. Wikipedia. “Hurricane Irma.” Accessed 9-20-2017.

 

Caribbean                                                      ( 44)

—  44  Wikipedia. “Hurricane Irma.” Accessed 9-20-2017.

–>40  AFP. “Number of Deaths Due to Hurricane Irma Rises to 50 in Florida.” 9-19-2017.

—>38  Caribbean. CBS/AP. “Hurricane Irma death toll at 69; Florida power…” 9-14-2017.

 

US Mainland, PR, US Virgin Islands          (107)

Puerto Rico    (    3)

US Mainland  (100)

US Virgin Isl. (    4)

 

US Mainland                                                  (100)

–Florida         (91)

–Georgia        (  3)

–N. Carolina  (  1)

–S. Carolina  (  5)

 

Florida                        (91)

–91  Blanchard extrapolation. (69 official/Oct 6 + 14 nursing home +8 Monroe Co./Keys)

–91  Blanchard tally of locality breakout fatalities below.[3]

–82  Wikipedia. “Hurricane Irma.” As of Oct 10. Accessed 10-11-2017.

–75  Miami Herald. “Unofficial death toll…Hurricane Irma now stands at 75…” 9-23-2017.[4]

–69  Official toll of Oct 6. News Service of FL. “Irma death toll up to 69…” 10-6-2017 update.[5]

 

Summary of Hurricane Irma Deaths in Florida by County:       (91)

–23  Broward

—  1  Cole

—  1  Collier

—  5  Duval

—  2  Hardee

—  1  Hendry

—  4  Highlands

—  4  Hillsborough

—  1  Lake

—  1  Lee

—  2  Leon

—  1  Liberty

—  1  Manatee

—  3  Marion

—  5  Miami-Dade

–14  Monroe               (6 official)

—  1  Nassau County

—  1  Okeechobee

—  6  Orange

—  4  Palm Beach

—  1  Pasco

—  3  Polk

—  1  Seminole

—  1  St. Lucie

—  2  Taylor

—  1  Volusia

—  1  Straits of Florida, south of Garden Key, Monroe County (west of Key West)

 

Detailed Breakout of Hurricane Irma Deaths in Florida by County:

–23  Broward County. Blanchard. Nine noted by State EM and 14 at Hollywood nursing home.[6]

—  9  Broward County (Official, not counting 14 Hollywood Hills Rehabilitation Center deaths.)

—  2  Blunt Trauma.[7]

–1  Davie, Sep 8. Male, 57, falls from ladder; putting up hurricane shutters.[8]

–1  Fort Lauderdale, Sep 17. Utility lineman falls from parking garage; male, 26.[9]

—  1  Carbon monoxide poisoning.[10]

—  2  Cardiovascular disease.[11]

—  1  Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.[12]

—  1  Diabetic Crisis.[13]

—  1  Heat exhaustion/chronic alcoholism.[14]

—  1  Subdural hematoma.[15]

–14  Hollywood Hills, Sep 13. Nursing home without AC; high outdoors heat.[16]

–1  Female, 71.

–1  Female, 71.

–1  Female, 78.

–1  Female, 84.

–1  Female, 99.

–1  Male, 84.

–1  Male, 92.

–1  Male, 93, Sep 19.[17]

–1  Male, 96.

–1  Female 94, Sep 20.[18]

–1  Female, 94, Sep 21. (Broward Medical Examiner’s Office.)[19]

–1  Female, 57, Sep 28 (Broward County Medical Examiner’s office statement.)[20]

–1  Female, 90, death reported by Hollywood police on Oct 9.[21]

–1  Female, 95, death reported by Hollywood police on Oct 9.[22]

—  1  Cole Co., Middleburg, Sep 11. Cardiac arrest after setting up generator for home power.[23]

—  1  Collier Co., Golden Gate Estates, Sep 11. Carbon mon. poisoning, car/garage; male 35.[24]

—  5  Duval County. News Service of Florida. “Irma death toll up to 69 in Florida” 10-6-2017.[25]

–1  Cardiac-related. [Male][26]

–1  Cardiac issues.[27]

–2  Drowning.

–1  Jacksonville, Sep 13. Susan Tonn.[28]

–1  Argyle, Sep 15. Male, 64, died “as he worked on a hurricane-damaged fence.”[29]

—  2  Hardee County, Sep 10. Head-on collision; sheriff’s deputy and corrections officer.[30]

—  1  Hendry County. Blunt trauma.

—  4  Highlands County. News Service of [FL]. “Irma death toll up to 69 in Florida.” 10-6-2017.

–1  Carbon monoxide poisoning.

–1  Drowning.

–1  Electrocution.[31]

–1  Heart disease.

—  4  Hillsborough Co. Miami Herald. “Some…poisoned…drowned. How 42…” 9-19-2017.

–1  Tampa, Sep 11. Accidental exsanguination (severe loss of blood); chain-saw; male, 55.[32]

–1  Blunt trauma. (Other than the Lake Placid fall from ladder.)

–1  Sep 10  Lake Placid. Male, 55, prepping home for Irma fell from ladder.[33]

–1  Tampa, Sep 11. Tree-cutting accident during cleanup, knocked off ladder.[34]

–1  Drowning.

—  1  Lake County. Blunt trauma. Miami Herald. “Some…poisoned…drowned…” 9-19-2017.

—  1  Lee County. Blunt force injury. Miami Herald. “Some…poisoned…” 9-19-2017.

—  2  Leon County. Florida Times-Union. “Weeks after Irma, [FL]…still counting…,” 10-7-2017.[35]

–1  Blunt trauma/cardiogenic shock and respiratory failure.

–1  Complications of chest trauma.

—  1  Liberty Co. Blunt trauma. Miami Herald. “Some…poisoned…drowned…” 9-19-2017.

—  1  Manatee County. Drowning. (FL. Dept. of EM; from State Medical examiner reports.)[36]

—  3  Marion County. Florida Times-Union. “Weeks after Irma, [FL]…still counting…,” 10-7-2017.[37]

–1  Ocklawaha, Sep 14. Fire from candle; mobile home without power; male, 10.[38]

–1  Sep 12. Vehicular crash; pickup truck collides with semi, traffic lights out.[39][40]

–1  Blunt force injuries; no other information provided.

—  5  Miami-Dade Co. Florida Times-Union. “Weeks after Irma, [FL]…still counting…,” 10-7-2017.[41]

–1  Hialeah, Sep 13. Carbon monoxide poisoning, generator in use at home.[42]

–1  Miami, Sep 11. Carbon monoxide poisoning, improper generator use.[43]

–1  Locality/date not noted. Blunt force injury.[44]

–1  Locality/date not noted. Coronary atherosclerosis.[45]

–1  Locality/date not noted. Electrocution.[46]

–14  Monroe County. Miami Herald. 9-20-2017. Cites Monroe Co. Medical Examiner.

–9  Monroe Co. Miami Herald/Times. “Some were poisoned…Irma.” 9-19-2017.[47]

–6  Monroe Co. Florida Times-Union. “Weeks after Irma…still counting…dead, 10-7-2017.[48]

–2  Blunt force injury.

–1  Cardiovascular disease.

–1  Complications of congestive heart failure.

–1  Complications of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

–1  Subdural hematoma.

–1  Big Pine Key. Male, 60s, found near shoreline across from Big Pine Key cemetery.[49]

–3  Key West. Miami Herald. 9-20-2017. Cites Monroe Co. Medical Examiner.

–1  Marathon, Sep 10/11. Crashed car; male, 60.[50]

–1  Marathon. Preexisting medical conditions; female, 61, who did not evacuate.[51]

–1  Marathon. Unidentified older white male found in rubble on 28^th Street.[52]

–1  Marathon shelter during storm. Preexisting medical conditions; elderly male.[53]

–1  Shark Key. Preexisting medical conditions; male who did not evacuate.[54]

–1  Stock Island, during storm. Apparent drowning; body found in partially sunken boat.[55]

–1  Tavernier. Preexisting medical conditions; male, 66, who did not evacuate.[56]

–1  Sep 10. Male lost control of truck in tropical force wind, carrying generator.[57]

–1  Location/date not noted. White male, 59, fell, was injured, died at trauma center.[58]

–2  Location/date/cause not noted. Miami Herald. 9-20-2017. Cites Monroe Co. MEO.

—  1  Nassau County, Sep 27. Cleanup; cut tree hits power service pole, breaks, hits male, 24.[59]

—  1  Okeechobee Co. Pulmonary Thromboembolism.[60] Miami Herald. “Some…” 9-19-2017.

—  6  Orange Co. Florida Times-Union. “Weeks after Irma…still counting…dead, 10-7-2017.[61]

–1  Orlando area state hwy., Sep 11. Car crash/blunt force injuries; female, 50.[62]

–3  Orlando. Sep 12. Carbon monoxide poisoning; gasoline generator in home.[63]

–1  Winter Park, Sep 11. Electrocution by downed power in street; male, 51.[64]

–1  Electrocution (not Sep 11, Winter Park).[65]

—  4  Palm Beach Co. Miami Herald. “Some…poisoned…drowned. How 42…” 9-19-2017.

–1  Loxahatchee. Carbon monoxide poisoning, generator set up next to garage; female.[66]

–2  Drowning.

–1  Blunt force injury.

—  1  Pasco County, Port Richey. Male, 69, “crashed his car after fleeing his home…”[67]

—  2  Pinellas County. Miami Herald. “Some…poisoned…drowned. How 42…” 9-19-2017.

–1  Largo, Sep 8. Male, 68, fell and struck his head while packing car to evacuate.[68]

–1  Blunt trauma.

—  3  Polk County. Miami Herald. “Some…poisoned…drowned. How 42…” 9-19-2017.

–1  Lakeland, Sep 13. Carbon monoxide poisoning, generator in home; girl, 7.[69]

–1  Lakeland, Azalea Park assist. living facility, died Sep 17; Sep 11 fall, breaking hip.[70]

–1  Pericardial tamponade/ruptured acute myocardial infarction.[71]

—  1  Seminole County. Head injury.[72]

—  1  St. John’s Co., Ponte Vedra Beach, Sep 11. Medical emergency, response could not reach.[73]

—  1  St. Lucie Co. Drowning. Miami Herald. “Some…poisoned…drowned…” 9-19-2017.

—  2  Taylor Co. CO poisoning. Miami Herald. “Some…poisoned…drowned…” 9-19-2017.

—  1  Volusia Co. CO poisoning. Miami Herald. “Some…poisoned…drowned…” 9-19-2017.

—  1  Straits of FL, south of Garden Key, Monroe Co. (west of Key West), Sep 10. Male, 71.[74]

 

Georgia                      (   3)

–3  ABC News. “Irma death toll rises to 30 in 3 states.” 9-13-2017.

–3  Blanchard tally based on locality breakouts below

–2  AP. “Irma death toll rises to at least 24 after carbon monoxide poisonings…” 9-13-2017.

–1  Forsyth County. Tree falls on vehicle in driveway; female, 67, passenger killed.[75]

–1  Fulton County, Sandy Springs, Tree fall onto home, killing male, 59, lying in bed.[76]

–1  Worth County, Sep 11. Heart attack, Male, 62, after climbing onto shed in high winds.[77]

 

North Carolina          (  1)

–1  Henderson County, body found Sep 12. Carbon monoxide poisoning; male, in home.[78]

 

South Carolina          (  5)

–5  AP. “S.C.’s Irma death total climbs to 5, as man hurt in wreck succumbs to injuries.” Sep 27.

–5  Wikipedia. “Hurricane Irma.” As of Oct 10. Accessed 10-11-2017.

–1  Calhoun Falls, Sep 11. Male, 57, when tree limb fell on him during cleanup.[79]

–1  Columbia, Sep 10. Carbon monoxide poisoning, generator in home; male, 48.[80]

–1  Columbia, I-77, Sep 11. Car crash. Male, 21, from Florida.[81]

–1  Jasper County. Male, 87, injured when car hits downed tree, Sep 11, died Sep 21.[82]

–1  Sumter County, Sep 12 (body found). Carbon monoxide poisoning; male, 54.[83]

 

Puerto Rico                (   3)

–3  Reuters. “Hurricane Irma kills three in Puerto Rico, government says.” 9-7-2017.

–1  Female, 79, after falling while being transported to a shelter.

–1  Camuy. Female; electrocuted in her home.

–1  Canóvanas, Traffic accident during the storm, according to Governor’s statement.

 

U.S. Virgin Islands    (  4)

–4  Saint Thomas. Weather Channel. “Days After Irma Ravages Caribbean…” 9-12-2017.[84]

 

Breakout of Hurricane Irma-Related Fatalities by Cause of Death

 

Blunt Trauma/Blunt Force Injury

–1  FL, Broward County, Davie, Sep 8. Male, 57, falls from ladder; putting up hurricane shutters

–1  FL, Broward County, Fort Lauderdale, Sep 17. Utility lineman falls from parking garage.

–1  FL, Hendry County. Blunt trauma.

–1  FL, Hillsborough Co., Lake Placid, Sep 10. Male prepping home for Irma fell from ladder.

–1  FL, Hillsborough Co., Tampa, Sep 11. Tree-cutting fall during cleanup, knocked off ladder.

–1  FL, Lake County. Blunt trauma.

–1  FL, Lee County. Blunt force injury.

–1  FL, Leon County. Blunt trauma/cardiogenic shock and respiratory failure.

–1  FL, Leon County. Complications of chest trauma.

–1  FL, Liberty County. Blunt trauma.

–1  FL, Marion County.

–1  FL, Miami-Dade County. Blunt force injury.

–2  FL, Monroe County. Blunt force injury.

–1  FL, Monroe County. Subdural hematoma.

–1  FL, Monroe County. White male, 59, fell, was injured, died at trauma center.

–1  FL, Palm Beach County. Blunt force injury.

–1  FL, Pinellas Co., Largo, Sep 8. Male, 68, fell, struck his head while packing car to evacuate.

–1  FL, Pinellas County. Location/date/gender/age not noted.

–1  FL, Polk County, Lakeland, Azalea Park assist. living facility, died Sep 17; Sep 11 fall.

–1  FL, Seminole County. Head injury.

–1  GA, Forsyth County. Tree falls on vehicle in driveway; female, 67, passenger killed.

–1  GA, Fulton County, Sandy Springs, Tree fall onto home, killing male, 59, lying in bed.

–1  SC, Calhoun Falls, Sep 11. Male, 57, when tree limb fell on him during cleanup.

–1  PR. Female, 79, after falling while being transported to a shelter.

 

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning                                                                                               (16)

–1  FL, Broward County.

–1  FL, Collier Co., Golden Gate Estates, Sep 11. Generator in car/garage; male 35.

–1  FL, Highlands County.

–1  FL, Miami-Dade Co., Hialeah, Sep 13. Carbon monoxide poisoning from home generator.

–1  FL, Miami-Dade Co., Miami, Sep 11. Carbon monoxide poisoning, improper generator use.

–3  FL, Orange Co., Orlando. Sep 12. Carbon monoxide poisoning; gasoline generator in home.

–1  FL, Palm Beach County, Loxahatchee. From generator set up next to garage; female, 66.

–1  FL, Polk County, Lakeland, Sep 13. Carbon monoxide poisoning, generator in home; girl, 7.

–2  FL, Taylor County. Carbon monoxide poisoning.

–1  FL, Volusia County. Carbon monoxide poisoning.

–1  NC, Henderson County, body found Sep 12. Carbon monoxide poisoning; male, in home.

–1  SC, Columbia, Sep 10. Carbon monoxide poisoning, generator in home; male, 48.

–1  SC, Sumter County, Sep 12 (body found). Carbon monoxide poisoning; male, 54.

 

Cardiac Arrest                                                                                                                      (  4)

–1  FL, Cole Co., Middleburg, Sep 11. Cardiac arrest after setting up generator for home power.

–1  FL, Duval County, Argyle, Sep 15. Male, 64 working on friend’s hurricane-damaged fence.

–1  FL, Polk County. Pericardial tamponade/ruptured acute myocardial infarction.

–1  GA, Worth County, Sep 11. Heart attack, Male, 62, after climbing onto shed in high winds.

 

Cardiovascular Disease and other Heart-Related Ailments                                             (  8)

–2  FL, Broward County. Cardiovascular disease.

–1  FL, Duval County. Cardiac-related; male.

–1  FL, Duval County. Cardiac issues.

–1  FL, Highlands County. Heart Disease.

–1  FL, Miami-Dade County. Coronary atherosclerosis.

–1  FL, Monroe County. Cardiovascular disease.

–1  FL, Monroe County. Complications of congestive heart failure.

 

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease/Pulmonary Thromboembolism                     (  3)

–1  FL, Broward County. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

–1  FL, Monroe County. Complications of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

–1  FL, Okeechobee County. Pulmonary Thromboembolism.

 

Cleanup Accident                                                                                                                  (  1)

–1  FL, Tampa, Sep 11. Exsanguination (severe loss of blood) from chain-saw mishap; male, 55.

 

Diabetic Crisis                                                                                                                       (  1)

–1  FL, Broward County.

 

Drowning                                                                                                                               (11)

–1  FL, Duval County, Jacksonville, Sep 13. Female.

–1  FL, Duval County, location/gender/age not noted.

–1  FL, Highlands County.

–1  FL, Hillsborough County.

–1  FL, Manatee County.

–1  FL, Monroe County, Big Pine Key; male body wearing life jacket found near shoreline.

–1  FL, Monroe Co., Stock Island. Apparent drowning; body found in partially sunken boat.

–2  FL, Palm Beach County.

–1  FL, St. Lucie County.

–1  Straits of Florida, south of Garden Key, Monroe Co. (west of Key West), Sep 10. Male, 71.

 

Electrocution                                                                                                                         (  5)

–1  FL, Highlands County.

–1  FL, Miami-Dade County.

–1  FL, Orange Co., Winter Park, Sep 11. Electrocution by downed power in street; male, 51.

–1  FL, Orange Co., Winter Park. (Other than the Sep 11 electrocution of male, 51.)

–1  PR. Camuy. Female; electrocuted in her home.

 

Fire/Smoke Inhalation                                                                                                          (  1)

–1  Marion County, Ocklawaha, Sep 14. Fire from candle; mobile home without power; boy, 10

 

Heat Exhaustion                                                                                                                    (15)

—  1  FL, Broward County (combined with chronic alcoholism).

–14  FL, Broward County, Hollywood Hills Rehabilitation Center, after AC lost.

 

Medical Emergency/Inability of Emer. Response Personal to Respond/Storm Con.    (  1)

–1  FL, St. John’s Co., Ponte Vedra Beach, Sep 11. Medical emer.; response could not reach.

 

Subdural Hematoma                                                                                                             (  1)

–1  FL, Broward County.

 

Vehicular Accident                                                                                                               (  9)

–2  FL, Hardee County, Sep 10. Head-on collision; sheriff’s deputy and corrections officer.

–1  FL, Marion Co., Sep 12. Vehicular crash; pickup truck collides with semi, traffic lights out.

–1  FL, Monroe County, Marathon, Sep 10.11. Crashed car; male, 60.

–1  FL, Orange Co., Orlando area state hwy., Sep 11. Car crash/blunt force injuries; female, 50.

–1  FL, Pasco County, Port Richey. Male, 69, “crashed his car after fleeing his home…”

–1  SC, Columbia, I-77, Sep 11. Car crash. Male, 21, from Florida.

–1  SC, Jasper County. Male, 87, injured when car hits downed tree, Sep 11, died Sep 21.

–1  PR, Canóvanas, Traffic accident during the storm, according to Governor’s statement.

 

Unidentified Chronic Medical Condition                                                                           (  4)

–1  FL, Monroe County, Marathon. Female, 61, who did not evacuate.

–1  FL, Monroe County, Marathon. Elderly male in shelter during the hurricane.

–1  FL, Monroe County, Shark Key. Male.

–1  FL, Monroe County, Tavernier. Male, 66.

 

Unstated                                                                                                                                 (  5)

–3  Monroe County, Key West.

–1  Monroe County, Marathon. Unidentified older white male found in rubble on 28^th Street.

–1  U.S. Virgin Islands, Saint Thomas.

 

Sources

 

ABC News (Emily Shapiro). “8 dead after Irma knocks out air conditioning at Florida nursing home,” 9-13-2017. Accessed 9-13-2017 at: http://abcnews.go.com/US/dead-florida-nursing-home-irma-tore-state/story?id=49817477

 

ABC News (Emily Shapiro, Karma Allen, Julia Jacobo). “Irma death toll in US climbs to 12, power restored to over 2 million Florida customers.” 9-12-2017. Accessed 9-12-2017 at: http://abcnews.go.com/US/irma-death-toll-us-climbs-12-part-florida/story?id=49758372

 

ABC News (Mark Osborne and Emily Shapiro). “Irma death toll rises to 30 in 3 states.” 9-13-2017. Accessed 9-13-2017 at: http://abcnews.go.com/US/irma-death-toll-rises-30-states/story?id=49814367

 

ABC News (Mark Osborne and Emily Shapiro). “Irma death toll rises to 31 in 3 states.” 9-14-2017. Accessed 9-14-2017 at: http://abcnews.go.com/US/irma-death-toll-rises-30-states/story?id=49814367

 

ABC News (Emily Shapiro). “Naples braces for Hurricane Irma’s wrath; at least 3 dead in Florida.” 9-10-2017. Accessed 9-10-2017 at: http://abcnews.go.com/US/hurricane-irma-close-landfall-florida-keys-dead-state/story?id=49738525

 

Agence France-Presse. “Number of Deaths Due to Hurricane Irma Rises to 50 in Florida.” 9-19-2017. Accessed 9-10-2017 at: http://www.ndtv.com/world-news/number-of-deaths-due-to-hurricane-irma-rises-to-50-in-florida-1752039

 

Associated Press. “2 More Dead After Florida Nursing Home Lost AC During Hurricane Irma.” Time.com, 10-9-2017. Accessed 10-9-2017 at: http://time.com/4975095/florida-nursing-home-hurricane-irma-air-conditioning-death-toll/

 

Associated Press. “Florida Nursing Home Death Toll Rises to Twelve After Irma Knocked Out A/C.” NBC News, 9-29-2017. Accessed 9-29-2017 at: https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/hurricane-irma/florida-nursing-home-death-toll-rises-twelve-after-irma-knocked-n805846

 

Associated Press. “Irma death toll rises to at least 24 after carbon monoxide poisonings in Florida.” WJLA, Washington, DC, 9-13-2017. Accessed 9-13-2017 at: http://wjla.com/news/nation-world/irma-death-toll-rises-3-dead-in-florida-from-apparent-carbon-monoxide-poisoning

 

Associated Press (Seth Borenstein). “Irma’s life and demise: 2 weeks of destruction and fear.” 9-13-2007. Accessed 9-13-2017 at: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/irmas-life-and-demise-2-weeks-of-destruction-and-fear/2017/09/13/95b352cc-98ca-11e7-af6a-6555caaeb8dc_story.html?utm_term=.b480b0c0d611

 

Associated Press. “Lineman restoring power after Hurricane Irma falls to death.” Fox News, 9-21-2017. Accessed 9-22-2017 at: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2017/09/21/lineman-restoring-power-after-hurricane-irma-falls-to-death.html

 

Associated Press. “S.C.’s Irma death total climbs to 5, as man hurt in wreck succumbs to injuries.” ABC4 News, Charleston, SC, 9-27-2017. Accessed 10-11-2017 at: http://abcnews4.com/news/local/scs-irma-death-total-climbs-to-5-as-man-hurt-in-wreck-succumbs-to-injuries

 

Associated Press. “Seniors fight post-hurricane heat with Popsicles, compresses.” ABC News, 9-14-2017. Accessed 9-14-2017 at: http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/death-florida-nursing-home-sounds-alarms-irma-49840239

 

Associated Press. “The Latest: Virgin Island Governor Defends Recovery Pace.” USNews.com, 9-13-2017. Accessed 9-13-2017 at: https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/florida/articles/2017-09-13/the-latest-macron-promises-to-rebuild-in-caribbean

 

Associated Press. “What’s Happening: Irma death toll rises; recovery cost soars.” Miami Herald, 9-13-2017. Accessed 9-13-2017 at: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/article173080026.html

 

CBS News/Associated Press. “Hurricane Irma death toll at 69; Florida power outage at 6.8 million people.” 9-14-2017. Accessed 9-14-2017 at: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/huricane-irma-death-toll-florida-power-outage/

 

CBS/Associated Press. “Ninth person dead in Florida nursing home where Irma knocked out power.” 9-20-2017. Accessed 9-20-2017 at: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/nine-confirmed-dead-in-florida-nursing-home-where-irma-knocked-out-power/

 

CBS Miami. “Man Killed by Carbon Monoxide Poisoning in Hialeah.” 9-14-2017. Accessed 9-19-2017 at: http://miami.cbslocal.com/2017/09/14/hialeah-carbon-monoxide-poisoning/

 

Florida Times-Union (Dan Scanlon), Jacksonville. “Nassau County man on state’s latest list of Irma-related deaths.” 10-9-2017. Accessed 10-11-2017 at: http://jacksonville.com/news/public-safety/2017-10-09/nassau-county-man-state-s-latest-list-irma-related-deaths

 

Florida Times-Union (Dan Scanlon), Jacksonville. “Weeks after Irma, Florida is still counting the dead, 10-7-2017. Accessed 10-11-2017 at: http://jacksonville.com/news/public-safety/2017-10-06/weeks-after-irma-florida-still-counting-dead

 

Los Angeles Times. “Hurricane Irma live updates: Images of devastation emerge from Florida Keys as storm batters Georgia and South Carolina.” 9-11-2017. Accessed 9-12-2017 at: http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-updates-hurricane-irma-20170909-htmlstory.html

 

Miami Herald (Julie K. Brown). “11^th death blamed on AC failure at Hollywood Hills nursing home.” 9-22-2017. Accessed 9-25-2017 at: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/broward/article174904001.html

 

Miami Herald (Gwen Filosa). “How 9 people died in the Florida Keys from Hurricane Irma.” 9-17-2017. Accessed 9-20-2017 at: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/weather/hurricane/article173811341.html

 

Miami Herald (Gwen Filosa). “Hurricane Irma-related deaths up to 14 in Florida Keys.”  9-20-2017. Accessed 9-21-2017 at: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/florida-keys/article174520191.html

 

Miami Herald/Times Tallahassee Bureau (Mary Ellen Klas). “Some were poisoned. Others drowned. How 42 people in Florida died from Hurricane Irma.” 9-19-2017. Accessed 9-19-2017 at: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/weather/hurricane/article174097351.html

 

Miami Herald (Charles Rabin). “Unofficial death toll from Hurricane Irma now stands at 75 across the state.” 9-23-2017. Accessed 9-25-2017 at: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/weather/hurricane/article175029276.html

 

Miami Herald (Caitlin Ostroff). “Voicemails from nursing home where 11 died were deleted by governor’s office.”  9-24-2017. Accessed 9-25-2017 at: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/broward/article175156471.html

 

News Service of Florida. “Irma death toll up to 69 in Florida.” News4Jax.com, 10-6-2017 update. Accessed 10-11-2017 at: https://www.news4jax.com/weather/hurricane-irma/irma-death-toll-up-to-69-in-florida

 

News4Jax, Jacksonville FL. “Jacksonville death among 42 in Florida attributed Hurricane Irma. Medical examiner says there were ‘a few’ in Duval County…” 9-19-2017. Accessed 9-19-2017 at: https://www.news4jax.com/weather/hurricane-irma/hurricane-irmas-florida-death-toll-increases-to-42

 

Phys.org. “Hurricane Irma Death toll rises to 72 in Florida.” 9-27-2017. Accessed 9-28-2017 at: https://phys.org/news/2017-09-hurricane-irma-death-toll-florida.html

 

Post and Courier, Charleston, SC. “Irma death toll rises to 4 in South Carolina as officials assess devastation.” 9-12-2017. Accessed 9-14-2017 at: http://www.postandcourier.com/news/irma-death-toll-rises-to-in-south-carolina-as-officials/article_2512e7f6-97e6-11e7-a0d3-e34694be7f8b.html

 

Reuters (Scott Malone). “Hurricane Irma kills three in Puerto Rico, government says.” 9-7-2017. Accessed 9-10-2017 at: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-storm-irma-puerto-rico-casualties/hurricane-irma-kills-three-in-puerto-rico-government-says-idUSKCN1BI25Q

 

Sun Sentinel, South FL. “Hurricane Irma: Who were the victims.” 9-15-2017. Accessed 9-19-2017 at: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/weather/hurricane/fl-reg-hurricane-irma-death-toll-20170915-story.html

 

Tampa Bay Times (Kathryn Varn). “Death of deckhand in Hurricane Irma leaves void in Tarpon Springs,” 9-29-2017. Accessed 9-29-2017 at: http://www.tbo.com/news/humaninterest/death-of-deckhand-in-hurricane-irma-leaves-void-in-tarpon-springs/2339014

 

The Ledger (John Chambliss), Lakeland, FL. “3^rd Polk death tied to Irma.” 9-29-2017 update. Accessed 10-11-2017 at: http://www.theledger.com/news/20170928/3rd-polk-death-tied-to-irma

 

Washington Post (Mark Berman and Katie Zezima). “6 dead at South Florida nursing home as state grapples with heat and outages after Irma.” 9-13-2017. Accessed 9-13-2017 at: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2017/09/13/irma-death-toll-rises-as-5-dead-at-south-florida-nursing-home/?utm_term=.4d49f417a4c1

 

Weather Channel. “Days After Irma Ravages Caribbean, Survivors Still Trying to Get Out,” 9-12-2017. Accessed 9-12-2017 at: https://weather.com/storms/hurricane/news/deadly-hurricane-irma-caribbean-impacts-0

 

Wikipedia. “Hurricane Irma.” 9-21-2017 Accessed 9-21-2017 at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Irma

 

 

 

 

[1] The four sources cited, however, do not support or mention 90 fatalities.

[2] Identification of St. Thomas as location from: Sun Sentinel, South FL. “Hurricane Irma: Who were the victims.” 9-15-2017, which writes “Rescue crews found four people dead amid the rubble…[in] ruined homes in Saint Thomas after the storms passed, but the cause of death is unclear.”

[3] This is assuming that the drowning death of Carl Shepherd when shrimp boat sank in the Straits of FL off the Keys, is not one of the two unidentified Monroe County unidentified deaths.

[4] “Florida’s official death toll from Hurricane Irma stood at 50 through Friday night [Sep 22] — but those numbers do not appear to include 14 storm-related deaths in the Florida keys or the 11 seniors who perished in a Hollywood nursing home….The Miami Herald added 14 deaths confirmed by the Monroe County Medical Examiner…”

[5] Writes that “the number released Friday [Oct 6] should continue to grow.” Notes the Broward County deaths do not include any of the 12 (now 14) Hollywood Hills Rehabilitation Center deaths. Also notes that Monroe county reports six deaths.

[6] The seven deaths other than Hollywood nursing home, are from: Miami Herald. “Some…poisoned…drowned. How 42 People…” 9-19-2017.

[7] News Service of Florida. “Irma death toll up to 69 in Florida” News4Jax.com, 10-6-2017 update.

[8] Sun Sentinel, South FL. “Hurricane Irma: Who were the victims.” 9-15-2017.

[9] AP. “Lineman restoring power after Hurricane Irma falls to death.” Fox News, 9-21-2017. Identified victim as Scott Christopher Reid Jr.

[10] News Service of Florida. “Irma death toll up to 69 in Florida” News4Jax.com, 10-6-2017 update.

[11] News Service of Florida. “Irma death toll up to 69 in Florida” News4Jax.com, 10-6-2017 update.

[12] News Service of Florida. “Irma death toll up to 69 in Florida” News4Jax.com, 10-6-2017 update.

[13] News Service of Florida. “Irma death toll up to 69 in Florida” News4Jax.com, 10-6-2017 update.

[14] News Service of Florida. “Irma death toll up to 69 in Florida” News4Jax.com, 10-6-2017 update.

[15] News Service of Florida. “Irma death toll up to 69 in Florida” News4Jax.com, 10-6-2017 update.

[16] Miami Herald (Caitlin Ostroff). “Voicemails from nursing home where 11 died were deleted by governor’s office.” 9-24-2017, which notes that “some [of the fatalities] with body temperatures as high as 109.9 degrees.”; ABC News. “8 dead after Irma knocks out air conditioning at Florida nursing home,” 9-13-2017 (gives name of facility as “Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills, cites medical examiner’s office for identifying the victims as Bobby Owens, 84; Manuel Mario Medieta, 96; Miguel Antonio Franco, 92; Estella Hendricks, 71; Gail Nova, 71; Carolyn Eatherly, 78; Betty Hibbard, 84; and Albertina Vega, 99”); Washington Post (Mark Berman and Katie Zezima). “6 dead at South Florida nursing home as state grapples with heat and outages after Irma.” 9-13-2017. Notes that “Police opened a criminal investigation…” Another source quotes the Emergency room director at nearby Memorial Regional Hospital, to effect that those who had been removed to the hospital were mostly being treated for Dehydration, respiratory distress and heat-related problems. Writes” “Hollywood police Chief Tom Sanchez said investigators who arrived at a nursing home found ‘very hot’ conditions inside.” (Brown County Democrat, Nashville, IN. “The Latest: 20^th Irma victims in the US identified.” 9-13-2017.) Another report writes: “Investigators want to know why the patients died after the storm even though a fully functioning hospital sits just across the street from the nursing home, Grossman said” (reference to Miranda Grossman, Hollywood police spokeswoman). (AP. “Florida Nursing Home Death Toll Rises to Twelve After Irma Knocked Out A/C.” NBC News, 9-29-2017.

[17] CBS/AP. “Ninth person dead in Florida nursing home…knocked out power.” 9-20-2017. Cite Police. Writes”: “Those who died ranged in age from 71-99 years old, and they all appeared to have died from heat-related injuries.”

[18] NBC News (Siemaszko). “Tenth Persons Dies From Nursing Home That Lost Air Conditioning After Hurricane Irma.” 9-21-2017. Identified victim as Martha Murray. NBC cites Hollywood Police Dept. as source.

[19] Miami Herald (Julie K. Brown). “11^th death blamed on AC failure at Hollywood Hills nursing home.” 9-22-2017. Victim identified as Alice Thomas.

[20] AP. “Florida Nursing Home Death Toll Rises to Twelve After Irma Knocked Out A/C.” NBC News, 9-29-2017. Victim identified as Dolores Biamonte, whose death was one of 12 as part of a criminal investigation, re. police.

[21] Victim identified as Cecilia Franco. (Associated Press. “2 More Dead After Florida Nursing Home Lost AC During Hurricane Irma.” Time.com, 10-9-2017.)

[22] Victim identified as Francesca Andrade, who “died from ailments suffered when the Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills lost power Sept. 10 during the hurricane’s passage.” (Associated Press. “2 More Dead After Florida Nursing Home Lost AC During Hurricane Irma.” Time.com, 10-9-2017.)

[23] Florida Times-Union, Jacksonville. “Nassau County man on state’s latest list of Irma-related deaths.” 10-9-2017. Victim identified as Carl Thomas Trevorah. Report is from Medical Examiner. Paper notes that for an unknown reason this death is listed under Duval County, though Middleburg is in Clay County.

[24] Naples Daily News (Alexi C. Cardona). “Golden Gate Estates man found dead of possible carbon monoxide poisoning.” 9-15-2017. Victim, Yusdel Moreno Iglesias, had gone to his car in his garage to cool off via car conditioner and to recharge portable electronics. At one point, according to girlfriend, he came back in to “grab a pillow and blanket so he could keep charging the electronics in the car.” Paper notes that Sheriff deputies reported that “The strong smell of carbon monoxide was throughout the garage.”

[25] Another source notes that that the victims were Susan Tonn of Jacksonville, who died Sep 13, Carl Tevorah, Martin Woods Sr., Gordon Frazier and Donald McAuliff. (Florida Times-Union (Dan Scanlon), Jacksonville. “Weeks after Irma, Florida is still counting the dead, 10-7-2017.)

[26] “News4Jax learned that an out-of-state man, who came to Jacksonville after Irma passed to help a relative rebuild a fence suffered a heart attack and died. (News4Jax, Jacksonville FL. “Jacksonville death among 42 in Florida attributed Hurricane Irma. Medical examiner says there were ‘a few’ in Duval County…” 9-19-2017.)

[27] Florida Times-Union, Jacksonville. “Nassau County man on state’s latest list of Irma-related deaths.” 10-9-2017.

[28] Florida Times-Union (D. Scanlon), Jacksonville. “Weeks after Irma, Florida is still counting the dead, 10-7-2017.

[29] “…the autopsy relating the cause of death to the hurricane.” (Florida Times-Union (Dan Scanlon), Jacksonville. “Nassau County man on state’s latest list of Irma-related deaths.” 10-9-2017.) [Blanchard note: This could be a duplication of the “cardiac-related” death noted above. Victim identified as Donald McAuliff, who collapsed while working on girlfriend’s fence. Was pronounced dead at Orange Park Medical Center, where it was later stated he had coronary artery disease and hypertension. (Florida Times-Union (Don Scanlon), Jacksonville. “Weeks after Irma, Florida is still counting the dead, 10-7-2017.)

[30] ABC News (Emily Shapiro). “Naples braces for Hurricane Irma’s wrath; at least 3 dead in Florida.” 9-10-2017. Identified deputy as Julie Bridges, 13-year veteran of Hardy County Sheriff’s office. She was heading home after her night shift. The Hardee County Correctional Institute officer, was on his way to work. Blunt force trauma deaths.

[31] Florida Times-Union (D. Scanlon), Jacksonville. “Weeks after Irma, Florida is still counting the dead, 10-7-2017.

[32] Victim identified as Wilfredo Hernandez, who “died when the chain saw he was using to clear trees in the aftermath of…Irma became entangled in a branch, causing it to kick up and cut his carotid artery.” (Sun Sentinel, South FL. “Hurricane Irma: Who were the victims.” 9-15-2017.)

[33] Brown County Democrat, Nashville, IN. “The Latest: 20^th Irma victims in the US identified.” 9-13-2017. Identifies victim as Vincent Forest, who was “pronounced dead Sunday at a Tampa hospital, a day after the accident at his Lake Placid home.”

[34] ABC News (Shapiro, Allen, and Jacobo). “Irma death toll in US climbs to 12…” 9-12-2017. Victim identified as John Knight, 60, who “was cutting a tree branch at his home Thursday afternoon during cleanup from the storm when the branch hit him, knocking him off a ladder…[and] fell a distance between 20 feet and 25 feet…” (Sun Sentinel, South FL. “Hurricane Irma: Who were the victims.” 9-15-2017.)

[35] Cites Florida Department of Emergency Management based on state medical examiners.

[36] Florida Times-Union (D. Scanlon), Jacksonville. “Weeks after Irma, Florida is still counting the dead, 10-7-2017.

[37] Cites Florida Department of Emergency Management, based on reports from state Medical Examiner Offices.

[38] Sun Sentinel, South FL. “Hurricane Irma: Who were the victims.” 9-15-2017. Identifies victim as Matthew Aaron Nicklin. Writes “The blaze also left a 1-year-old hospitalized, but the child was reported in stable condition…”

[39] AP. “Irma death toll rises to at least 24 after carbon monoxide poisonings in Florida.” WJLA, DC, 9-13-2017. Notes the victims was a male, 59, from Coffeeville, Mississippi.

[40] Categorized as “Blunt Force injures” by State Division of Emergency Management.

[41] Cites Florida Department of Emergency Management, based on reports from state Medical Examiner Offices.

[42] CBS Miami. “Man Killed by Carbon Monoxide Poisoning in Hialeah.” 9-14-2017. “….The Miami-Dade County Medical Examiner Department reported Thursday [Sep 14] that 26-year-old Elvin Milian was pronounced dead one day earlier at a hospital.”

[43] ABC News. “Irma death toll in US climbs to 12…” 9-12-2017. Another source writes: Authorities suspect 65-year-old David Boatswain, a Miami man, died of carbon monoxide poisoning from a generator running inside his home.” (AP. “Irma death toll rises to at least 24 after carbon monoxide poisonings…” 9-13-2017.

[44] Florida Times-Union (D. Scanlon), Jacksonville. “Weeks after Irma, Florida is still counting the dead, 10-7-2017.

[45] Florida Times-Union (D. Scanlon), Jacksonville. “Weeks after Irma, Florida is still counting the dead, 10-7-2017.

[46] Florida Times-Union (D. Scanlon), Jacksonville. “Weeks after Irma, Florida is still counting the dead, 10-7-2017.

[47] In another Miami Herald article it is written: “Nine Hurricane Irma-related deaths have been reported in Monroe County so far. First responders are still going door-to-door and performing welfare checks…By Saturday [Sep 16], about 98 percent of homes had been checked — an estimated 15,000 homes, county officials said….Currently, the Medical Examiner…and the Sheriff’s Major Crimes Unit are investigating nine deaths which took place either because of the storm, during the storm or are somehow storm related in Monroe County, excluding the city of Key West, according to the Sheriff’s Office. A number of the people who died remain unidentified and, in coming days detectives will work to find out who they are.” (Miami Herald/Gwen Filosa. “How 9 people died in the Florida Keys from Hurricane Irma.” 9-17-2017.)

[48] Florida Times-Union (D. Scanlon), Jacksonville. “Weeks after Irma, Florida is still counting the dead, 10-7-2017.

[49] Miami Herald (Gwen Filosa). “How 9 people died in the Florida Keys from Hurricane Irma.” 9-17-2017. Unidentified; wearing life jacket.

[50] Miami Herald (Gwen Filosa). “How 9 people died in the Florida Keys from Hurricane Irma.” 9-17-2017. Victim identified as Roy Vincent Pardee.

[51] Miami Herald. “How 9 people died in the Florida Keys from Hurricane Irma.” 9-17-2017. Victim identified as Marcia Angelena Rodriguez. (Miami Herald. “Hurricane Irma-related deaths up to 14 in Florida Keys.”  9-20-2017.)

[52] Miami Herald (Gwen Filosa). “How 9 people died in the Florida Keys from Hurricane Irma.” 9-17-2017.

[53] Miami Herald. “How 9 people died in the Florida Keys from Hurricane Irma.” 9-17-2017. Victim identified as Robert Owen Wheeler, Jr. (Miami Herald. “Hurricane Irma-related deaths up to 14 in Florida Keys.”  9-20-2017.)

[54] Miami Herald (Gwen Filosa). “How 9 people died in the Florida Keys from Hurricane Irma.” 9-17-2017. Victim identified as James Armantrout.

[55] Miami Herald (Filosa). “How 9 people died in the Florida Keys from Hurricane Irma.” 9-17-2017. Unidentified.

[56] Miami Herald (Gwen Filosa). “How 9 people died in the Florida Keys from Hurricane Irma.” 9-17-2017. Victim identified as David Speraw. (Miami Herald. “Hurricane Irma-related deaths up to 14 in Florida Keys.”  9-20-2017.

[57] ABC News (Emily Shapiro). “Naples braces for Hurricane Irma’s wrath; at least 3 dead in Florida.” 9-10-2017. Since we have breakouts for 10 deaths and reporting on nine, we make assumption this death is the same as the Marathon crashed car death.

[58] Miami Herald (Filosa). “How 9 people died in the Florida Keys from Hurricane Irma.” 9-17-2017. Unidentified.

[59] Victim identified as Timothy Scott Rowland Jr. of Fernandina Beach who was cutting trees on 700 block of Geiger Road when the tree fell the wrong way. Mr. Rowland was taken to Baptist Medical Center Nassau with critical head injuries, where he died on Sep 28. (Florida Times-Union (Dan Scanlon), Jacksonville. “Nassau County man on state’s latest list of Irma-related deaths.” 10-9-2017.)

[60] “…sudden obstruction of a lung artery due to a blood clot dislodged in the body.” (Health24.com.)

[61] Cites Florida Division of Emergency Management, based on reports from state Medical Examiner offices.

[62] ABC News (Shapiro, Allen, and Jacobo). “Irma death toll in US climbs to 12…” 9-12-2017. The categorization of “blunt force injuries” is from Florida Division of Emergency Management in Miami Herald (Klas), 9-19-2017. Victim identified as Heidi Zehner. (Sun Sentinel, South FL. “Hurricane Irma: Who were the victims.” 9-15-2017.) Sun Sentinel writes that this accident came ashore “a couple hours after Irma made landfall…”

[63] AP. “Irma death toll rises to at least 24 after carbon monoxide poisonings in Florida.” WJLA, DC, 9-13-2017. Notes: “Firefighters pulled seven people from the home, three of whom died at the scene. Four other were taken to a nearby hospital in various conditions. Rescue workers found a portable gasoline generator running inside the home.” Another source notes deaths were a mother and two teenage children. (Miami Herald. “Some…poisoned… drowned. How 42…” 9-19-2017.) Another source identifies the victims as Jan Lebron Diaz, 13, Kiara Lebron Diaz, 16, and Desiree Diaz Molina, 34. (Sun Sentinel, South FL. “Hurricane Irma: Who were the victims.” 9-15-2017.)

[64] ABC News (Shapiro, Allen, and Jacobo). “Irma death toll in US climbs to 12…” 9-12-2017. Victim identified as Brian Buwalda, 51. (Sun Sentinel, South FL. “Hurricane Irma: Who were the victims.” 9-15-2017.)

[65] Florida Times-Union (D. Scanlon), Jacksonville. “Weeks after Irma, Florida is still counting the dead, 10-7-2017.

[66] Another source identifies victim as Elaine Kotake, 66. Notes that generator was to power her home near Loxahatchee, according to officials. (Sun Sentinel, south FL. “Hurricane Irma: Who were the victims.” 9-15-2017.)

[67] Associated Press. “The Latest: Virgin Island Governor Defends Recovery Pace.” 9-13-2017. . Victim identified by medical examiner’s office as Mart Daniels.

[68] Associated Press. “The Latest: Virgin Island Governor Defends Recovery Pace.” 9-13-2017. Victim identified by medical examiner’s office as Freddie Bryant.

[69] AP. “The Latest: Virgin Island Governor Defends Recovery Pace.” USNews.com, 9-13-2017. Victim identified as Terryn Wilson. (Sun Sentinel, South FL. “Hurricane Irma: Who were the victims.” 9-15-2017.)

[70] Victim identified as Harvey Wallace Friedman, 77, of New Port Richey, who fell during power/light outage. Died at Lakeland Regional Health Medical Center from injuries suffered during the fall. (The Ledger (John Chambliss), Lakeland, FL. “3^rd Polk death tied to Irma.” 9-29-2017 update.) The Ledger notes that Mr. Friedman “came inland to Lakeland from New Port Richey to flee the storm.”

[71] “…pericardial tamponade is when fluid in the pericardium (the sac around the heart) build up and results in compression of the heart.” (Wikipedia. “Cardiac tamponade.”) “Myocardial rupture is a laceration or tearing of the wall of the ventricles or atria of the heart, of the interatrial [between the atria of the heart] or interventricular [between ventricles] septum [dividing wall or membrane], or of the papillary muscles. It is most commonly seen as a serious sequela [consequence] of an acute myocardial infarction (heart attack).” (Wikipedia. “Myocardial rupture.”) See also Merriam-Webster Medical Dictionary. Victim identified as Carlos Arencigia, 63, who “complained of chest pains preparing for the hurricane and while he was cleaning up after the storm. He died while “cleaning debris from the hurricane.” (The Ledger (John Chambliss), Lakeland, FL. “3^rd Polk death tied to Irma.” 9-29-2017 update.)

[72] Florida Times-Union (D. Scanlon), Jacksonville. “Weeks after Irma, Florida is still counting the dead, 10-7-2017.

[73] An indirect death and not on official state list. (Florida Times-Union (D. Scanlon), Jacksonville. “Weeks after Irma, Florida is still counting the dead, 10-7-2017.) According to this source: “Barbara Lee LaFountain, 75…died between 4 and 6:30 a.m. Sept. 11 at the height of the storm’s impact, according to the Sheriff’s Office report on her death. She died when St. Johns Fire Rescue units were blocked from getting to her South Roscoe Boulevard home due to bad weather and a fallen tree blocking the route. The Sheriff’s Office said a deputy found the road blocked at 6:30 a.m. and saw a fire engine on the other side. The fire lieutenant on board said they had been trying to get to LaFountain’s home for a while after multiple calls from there about a woman with a medical problem…The deputy took the lieutenant to the home, where they found the victim dead in her bedroom and a neighbor saying he had been calling 911 since 4:15 a.m…..The Sheriff’s Office investigation showed the storm was so bad that no help could get to the home for three hours, and fire vehicles trying to get there after the first 911 call stopped because ‘water was too high.’ The fire department requested a county vehicle that could get through high water at 5:15 a.m. following another 911 call, but it was blocked by fallen trees. LaFountain was pronounced dead at 7:27 a.m.”

[74] Victim identified as Carl Shepherd of Tarpon Springs, who went out as a deck hand on a shrimp trawler Capt. Eddie, with the boat’s captain, Edward Potter. The boat sank during Irma and Shepherd drowned. Captain Potter made it onto a life raft and was picked up by a Carnival cruise ship headed to the Bahamas. (Tampa Bay Times/Kathryn Varn. “Death of deckhand in Hurricane Irma leaves void in Tarpon Springs,” 9-29-2017.)

[75] ABC News (Shapiro, Allen, and Jacobo). “Irma death toll in US climbs to 12…” 9-12-2017. Victim identified as Nancy Eason. (Sun Sentinel, South FL. “Hurricane Irma: Who were the victims.” 9-15-2017.)

[76] ABC News (Shapiro, Allen, and Jacobo). “Irma death toll in US climbs to 12…” 9-12-2017. Victim identified as Stanley Williams. (Sun Sentinel, South FL. “Hurricane Irma: Who were the victims.” 9-15-2017.)

[77] ABC News (Shapiro, Allen, and Jacobo). “Irma death toll in US climbs to 12…” 9-12-2017; LA Times. “Hurricane Irma live updates: Images of devastation emerge from Florida Keys as storm batters Georgia…” 9-11-2017. Another account writes he was found under debris on the roof of his shed where winds topped 40 mph. (Sun Sentinel, South FL. “Hurricane Irma: Who were the victims.” 9-15-2017.)

[78] Sun Sentinel, South FL. “Hurricane Irma: Who were the victims.” 9-15-2017. “North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper’s office said the man was using a generator after the storms knocked out power to his home.”

[79] Post and Courier, Charleston, SC. “Irma death toll rises to 4 in [SC] as officials assess devastation.” 9-12-2017. Victim identified as Charles Saxon.

[80] Post and Courier, Charleston, SC. “Irma death toll rises to 4 in [SC] as officials assess devastation.” 9-12-2017. Victim identified as Arthur Strudwick.

[81] Post and Courier, Charleston, SC. “Irma death toll rises to 4 in [SC] as officials assess devastation.” 9-12-2017. Victim identified as Zhen Tain. Cites SC Department of Public Safety Director for Irma-related attribution.

[82] Victim identified as Richard Clarence Lading whose “car ran into a tree that had fallen across U.S. 278 near Yemassee.” (Associated Press. “S.C.’s Irma death total climbs to 5, as man hurt in wreck succumbs to injuries.” ABC4 News, Charleston, SC, 9-27-2017.)

[83] Post and Courier, Charleston, SC. “Irma death toll rises to 4 in [SC] as officials assess…” 9-12-2017. Victim identified as William McBride. (Sun Sentinel, South FL. “Hurricane Irma: Who were the victims.” 9-15-2017.)

[84] Identification of St. Thomas as location from: Sun Sentinel, South FL. “Hurricane Irma: Who were the victims.” 9-15-2017, which writes “Rescue crews found four people dead amid the rubble…[in] ruined homes in Saint Thomas after the storms passed, but the cause of death is unclear.”

[Blanchard Note: Highlighting in yellow denotes not including in our tally. Highlighted in green denotes not counted in official tally, but included in ours.]

 

Guyana          (  1) Aug 17, village of Jawalla, Rgn 7. Female, 29; her house collapsed on her.[1]

 

United States  (>89)

—   >89  Blanchard based on TX Gov. report of 88 deaths as of Oct 16; 1 TN.

—>88  Texas.

—    1  Tennessee.

 

Texas              (>88)

— >88  62 Direct and 26 Indirect. (Not included are 5 “Possible” hurricane-related deaths.)[2]

—   88  Texas Tribune (Afiune). “State says Harvey’s death toll has reached 88.” 10-13-2017.[3]

—   83  Blanchard based on TX Gov. report of 82 deaths as of Sep 14, and Sep 15 death.

— >82  Thomson Reuters. “Hurricane Harvey: Reports of 82 Texas deaths…” 9-14-2017.[4]

—   79  Blanchard tally based on locality breakouts below.

—   76  Wikipedia. “Hurricane Harvey.” 10-5-2017 edit.

 

Tennessee       (  1)

–1  Memphis, I-40, Aug 31. Motorist, hits tractor-trailer head-on; heavy rain related.[5]

 

Texas Summary of Deaths by County

 

Aransas County:                   (    1)

Fort Bend County                 (    3)

Galveston County:                (    6)

Hardin County:                     (    1)

Harris County:                      (  39)

Jasper County                       (    2)

Jefferson County                   (    3)

Montgomery County:           (    5)

Newton County                     (    2)

Nueces County                      (    1)

Orange County                     (  11)

San Jacinto County              (    3)

Victoria County                    (    1)

Walker County                     (    1)

            Total=79

 

Texas Breakout of Fatalities by County and locality

 

Aransas County:                   (   1)

–1  Houston Chronicle. “Storm deaths: Harvey claims…more than 75 in Texas.” 9-26-2017.

–1  Rockport, Aug 25/26. House fire during storm, male. CNN. “Houston area…” 8-27-2017.[6]

 

Fort Bend County                 (  3)

–3  Houston Chronicle. “Storm deaths: Harvey claims…more than 75 in Texas.” 9-26-2017.

–2  Houston Chronicle. “Storm deaths: Death toll from Harvey exceeds 75.” 9-12-2017.

–2  Simonton area, Pool Hill Road, Aug 30. Drownings; couple drove pickup into high water.[7]

–1  Body found Sep 12, sand dune, recently flooded area. Male, 63, with early onset dementia.[8]

 

Galveston County:                (  6)

–6  Austin American-Statesman, TX. “Death toll rises in wake of Harvey’s…” 8-29-2017.[9]

–6  Houston Chronicle. “Storm deaths: Death toll from Harvey exceeds 75.” 9-12-2017.

–6  Blanchard tally based on locality breakouts below. (Dickinson is 2-3.)

–3  Dickinson. Washington Post (Lowery & Selk). “Harvey’s death toll rises…” 8-29-2017.[10]

–1  Aug 27. Drowning during rescue attempt; male, 54.[11]

–1  Aug 27. Drowning; male, 83.[12]

–1  Sep 3. “…man [64]…who had cellulitis died after getting sepsis from floodwaters.”[13]

–1  La Marque. Homeless man, 52; flooded parking lot, holding onto shopping cart corral.[14]

–1  League City, Aug 27. Drowning; male, 59.[15]

–1  Santa Fe. Aug 26/27, female, 69 at home; oxygen tank failed when electricity was lost.[16]

–1  Texas City nursing home. Female, 80, unable to get dialysis due to storm and flooding.[17]

 

Hardin County:                     (  1)

–1  Silsbee. Body found Sep 7 floating facedown in 3 feet of water in his trailer; male, 67.[18]

 

Harris County:                      (39 Harris County {36 Houston})

–39  Harris County.  Blanchard tally based on locality breakouts below.

–38  Houston Chronicle. “Harvey’s human toll: Each victim’s tale carries…arc.” 9-16-2017.[19]

–36  Houston Chronicle. “Storm deaths: Harvey claims…75 in Texas.” 9-26-2017.

–28  San Antonio Express-News. “Harris County morgue pushed to limit…” 9-1-2017.[20]

–36  Houston. Blanchard tally based on locality breakouts below.

–33  Houston Chronicle. “Storm deaths: Death toll from Harvey exceeds 75.” 9-12-2017.

–1  Aug 26, SW ~Buffalo Bayou. Drowning; female, 76, drove into water; tried to walk out.[21]

–2?  Aug 27, I-10 ~Lathrop St.[22] Drowning; female and child in a submerged vehicle.[23]

–1  Aug 27, I-45, No. Harris Co. Drowning; police officer trapped in car in high water.[24]

–6  Aug 27, NE area. Drowning; van in water; grandparents, 4 grandchildren <16.[25]

–Manuel Saldivar, 84.[26]

–Belia Saldivar, 81.

–Daisy Saldivar, 6.

–Xavier Saldivar, 8.

–Dominic Saldivar, 14.

–Devy Saldivar, 16.

–1  Aug 27, North Wayside Dr. (3500 block). Male, 48, drives into high water.[27]

–1  Aug 27, South Houston. Drowning; male, 64; his clock repair business on College.[28]

–1  Aug 28, East Houston, Arkansas St. Body of male, 67 found after water receded.[29]

–1  Aug 28. Drowning; male, 45; left vehicle, fell into floodwater; died at hospital.[30]

–1  Aug 28, LBJ Hosp. Female, 73, found floating in floodwater; initially resuscitated.[31]

–1  Aug 28, Omni Hotel in the Galleria, female employee, 48, after hotel flooded.[32]

–4  Aug 28, Wallisville Rd./Normandy St. intersec. ~Greens Bayou. Males, electrocution.[33]

–1  Aug 29. Baytown. Male, 66, found dead, 4 feet of water after leaving his residence.[34]

–1  Aug 29. Bear Creek 1 subdivision ~Hwy 6 and Clay Road. Male, 25, electrocution.[35]

–2  Aug 29, Cypress Creek. Male vol. rescuers; boat crashed/capsized/went under bridge.[36]

–1  Aug 29. East Freeway vic. Male, 42; body found in parking lot after water receded.[37]

–1  Aug 29, Eastex Freeway grassy area, body of male, 54, found.[38]

–1  Aug 29, Hardy Toll Rd. Heart disease/pneumonia; male, 82, on evacuation bus.[39]

–1  Aug 29, Katy Park area drainage ditch. Drowning; body of male, 26, found.[40]

–1  Aug 29, Meyerwood rd. Female, 89, found floating in 4 feet of water in a home.[41]

–1  Aug 30, Airline Drive (4900 block). Drowning; male, 62, collapsed in floodwater.[42]

–1  Aug 30, Woodforest Boulevard Body of female, 32, found, after water receded.[43]

–1  Aug 30. Boy, 8, following asthma attack, and inability to get emergency care.[44]

–1  Aug 31, Claiborne (7400 block). Male, 65, found floating in water residential st.[45]

–1  Aug 31, Greens Bayou/Houston Ship Channel area, body of male, 24, found.[46]

–1  Aug 31, Houston Ship Channel (within). Body recovered; male, 58.[47]

–1  Sep 3, Memorial area, west Houston. Drowning; body of male, 71, found in home.[48]

–1  Sep 7 (body found), Memorial Area, Pines Condominiums; drowning, female, 71.[49]

–1  Sep 15, Kingwood. Flash-eating bacteria; female, 77, after falling into floodwater.[50]

–1  Friendswood area. Retired coach, 58, died in flooding; body recovered by boat Aug 31.[51]

–1  Humble, NE Harris Co., Aug 29. Female, 38, recovering from surgery, needed emer. care.[52]

–1  Pasadena, Aug 29. Male, 49, trying to drive home; body recovered in a retention pond.[53]

 

Jasper County                       (2)

–3  KJAS.com, Jasper, TX. “The local Harvey death toll continues to rise.” 9-7-2017.[54]

–2  Houston Chronicle. “Storm deaths: Death toll from Harvey exceeds 75.” 9-12-2017.

–2  Aug 29, FM 777, Alvin area. High wind; tree falls on truck.[55] Male, 51, female, 43.[56]

 

Jefferson County                   (3)

–4  Houston Chronicle. “Storm deaths: Death toll from Harvey exceeds 75.” 9-12-2017.

–3  Houston Chronicle. “Storm deaths: Harvey claims…more than 75 in Texas.” 9-26-2017.

–1  Beaumont, Aug 29. Female, 41, drowns; drove into water; swept away after getting out.[57]

–1?       “         Aug 30. Woman’s body found floating near Guess Road and Old Voth Rd.[58]

–1         “         Aug 30, 8600 block Overhill Lane. Apparent drowning after leaving vehicle, male, 69.[59]

–1  Port Arthur. Sep 2. Body of female, 88, found on floor of bedroom (2 feet of water).[60]

 

Montgomery County:           (5)

–5  Houston Chronicle. “Storm deaths: Death toll from Harvey exceeds 75.” 9-12-2017.

–5  Blanchard tally of locality breakouts below.

–1  Conroe, Fish Creek, Aug 28. Male, 33, drove pickup around barricade into water; swept away.[61]

–1  FM 2854,[62] Aug 26. Male, 23, hit by multiple vehicles while walking along the road.[63]

–1  Porter, Aug 28. Tree falls onto mobile home on Louis Lane killing female, 60.[64]

–1  Spring, Aug 28. Drowning; male, 61 enters flood water; disappears; body found Aug 29.[65]

–1  Aug 29. Heart attack, woman; first-responders unable to respond, flooded streets in area.[66]

 

Newton County                     (2)

–2  Newton County Sheriff reports man and woman died in county “due to floodwaters.”[67]

–1  Deweyville, Aug 31. Drowning; male, 68, who left home to check on neighbor.[68]

–1  Newton area, Aug 30. Drowning; female, 61; vehicle, went into creek off TX 87.[69]

 

Nueces County                      (1)

–1  Houston Chronicle. “Storm deaths: Death toll from Harvey exceeds 75.” 9-12-2017.

–?  Corpus Christi area, Aug 26. Drowning; male, 82, whose back yard borders Nueces River.[70]

–1  Port Aransas, Sand Castle, found Sep 2. Male, 57, found dead in a residence.[71]

 

Orange County                     (11)

–11  Blanchard tally of locality breakouts below.

–11  Houston Chronicle. “Harvey’s human toll: Each victim’s tale carries…arc.” 9-16-2017.[72]

–10  Houston Chronicle. “Storm deaths: Harvey claims…more than 75 in Texas.” 9-26-2017.[73]

–10  Beaumont Enterprise. “Orange Co. opens temporary morgue for Harvey victims.” 9-6-2017

—  9  Beaumont Enterprise (Teitz). “SE Texas death toll rises to 17 reported deaths.” 9-4-2017.[74]

Breakout of Orange County Hurricane-Related Fatalities by Locality:

–1  Cole Creek, west of FM 1136. Apparent drowning; male, 54, attempting rescue.[75]

–1  Nederland, went missing Aug 30, body found Sep 1. Male, 77, “from the floodwaters.”[76]

–1  Orange, Aug 25, Cross Lane home; unidentified infant; no details released.[77]

–1  Orange, Aug 28, 700 block Levingston Street. Unidentified infant. No details.[78]

–1  Orange, Aug 29. “Storm-related.”[79] Female, 82.[80]

–1  Orange, Aug 30. Hospice patient; female, 87.[81]

–1  Orange, Aug 31. “Storm-related.”[82] Female, 73.[83]

–2  Orange, 1800 block of 24^th st., Aug 29. Electrocution; two males, one 19.[84]

–1  Vidor, Spruce Street. Male, 75, at home during Harvey; no details provided.[85]

–1  Vidor, Aug 31,[86] I-10 & Church street. Male, 55, found Sep 6, after water receded.[87]

–4  Elderly; deaths were “possibly related to a power outage, according to officials.[88]

 

San Jacinto County              (3)

–3  Houston Chronicle. “Storm deaths: Harvey claims…more than 75 in Texas.” 9-26-2017.

–1  Hwy 59, Aug 27. Male, 64, drove into floodwaters drowned. [San Jacinto Co. Sheriff’s Office].[89]

–1  Highway 150, Aug 27. Drowning; baby girl, 3-months-old, swept from father’s arms.[90]

–1  Precinct 3, Aug 28. Drowning; male, 69, swept away herding cattle away from floodwater.[91]

 

Victoria County                    (1)

–1  Houston Chronicle. “Storm deaths: Harvey claims…more than 75 in Texas.” 9-26-2017.

–1  Sep 5. Electrocution; male, 22, from TN working as electric power lineman.[92]

 

Walker County                     (1)

–1  Houston Chronicle. “Storm deaths: Harvey claims…more than 75 in Texas.” 9-26-2017.

–1  Rural road, San Jacinto River. Drowning; female, 83; vehicle “was caught in floodwaters.”[93]

 

Summary of Cause of Death Breakouts (78)

 

Disease                        (  3)

Drowning                   (51)

Electrocution             (  8)

Fire                             (  1)

Power Outage            (  5)

Unavailability of Emergency Medical Care Due to Storm or Floodwater          (  4)

Wind/Tree Falls        (  3)

Other or Not Noted   (  6)

            Total   78

 

Breakout of Fatalities by Cause of Death (81)

 

Disease            (  3)

–1  Galveston County, Dickinson, Sep 3. Sepsis, contact with floodwater; male, 64, had cellulitis

–1  Harris Co., Houston, Hardy Toll Rd., Aug 29, Heart disease/pneumonia; male, 82; evacuation bus.

–1  Harris Co., Kingwood, Sep 15. Flash-eating bacteria; female, 77, after falling into water.[94]

 

Drowning       (51)

–2  Fort Bend Co., Simonton area, Pool Hill Rd., Aug 30. Couple drove pickup into high water.

–1  Fort Bend Co. Body found Sep 12, sand dune, recently flooded. Male, 63, early onset dementia.

–1  Galveston County, Dickinson, Aug 27. Drowning during rescue attempt; male, 54.

–1  Galveston County, Dickinson, Aug 27. Drowning; male, 83.

–1  Galveston County, League City, Aug 27. Drowning; male, 59.

–1  Harden Co., Silsbee. Body found Sep 7 facedown in 3 feet of water in his trailer; male, 67.

–1  Harris Co., Houston, Aug 26, ~Buffalo Bayou. Female, 76, drove into water; tried to walk out.

–1  Harris Co., Houston, Aug 27, I-45, Drowning; police officer trapped in car in high water.

–6  Harris Co., Houston, Aug 27, NE area. Drowning; van in water; grandparents, grandchildren.

–1  Harris Co., Houston, Aug 27, North Wayside Dr. Male, 48, drives into high water.

–1  Harris Co., Houston, College St., Aug 27. Male, 64; in his clock repair business.

–1  Harris Co., Houston, Aug 28. Drowning; male, 45; left vehicle, fell into floodwater.

–1  Harris Co., East Houston, Arkansas St., Aug 28. Body of male, 67, found after water receded

–1  Harris Co., Houston, Aug 28. Female, 73, found floating in floodwater after initial rescue.

–1  Harris Co., Houston, Omni Hotel, Aug 28. Female employee, 48, after hotel flooded.

–2  Harris Co., Houston, Cypress Creek. Aug 29, Male rescuers/boat crash/capsized/went under bridge.

–1  Harris Co., Houston, East Fwy. vic., Aug 29. Male, 42; found in parking lot after water receded.

–1  Harris Co., Houston, Eastex Freeway grassy area, Aug 29. Drowned body of male, 54, found

–1  Harris Co., Houston, Katy Park area drainage ditch, Aug 29. Body of male, 26, found.

–1  Harris Co., Houston, Meyerwood Rd. Aug 29. Female, 89, found floating 4 ft water in home.

–1  Harris Co., Houston, Aug 29. Male, 66, found dead in 4 ft of water after leaving residence.

–1  Harris Co., Houston, Airline Drive (4900 block), Aug 30. Male, 62, collapsed in floodwater.

–1  Harris Co., Houston, Woodforest Blvd., Aug 30, Female, 32, found after water receded.

–1  Harris Co., Houston, Claiborne (7400 block). Aug 31. Male, 65, found floating in water.

–1  Harris Co., Greens Bayou/Houston Ship Channel area, Aug 31. Body of male, 24, found.

–1  Harris Co., Houston Ship Channel (within), Aug 31. Body recovered; male, 58.

–1  Harris Co., Houston (west), Memorial area, Sep 3. Body of male, 71, found in water; home.

–1  Harris Co., Houston, Memorial Area, Pines Condominiums, Sep 7 (body found). Female, 71.

–1  Harris Co., Friendswood area. Male, 58, died in flooding; body recovered by boat Aug 31.

–1  Harris Co., Pasadena, Aug 29. Male, 49, trying to drive home; body found in retention pond.

–1  Jefferson Co., Beaumont, Aug 29. Female, 41; drove into water; swept away after getting out

–1  Jefferson Co., Beaumont, Overhill Lane, Aug 30, Apparent drowning; left vehicle, male, 69.

–1  Jefferson Co., Port Arthur. Sep 2. Female, 88, found on floor of bedroom (2 feet of water).

–1  Montgomery Co., Conroe, Fish Creek, Aug 28. Male, 33, drove pickup around barricade into water.

–1  Montgomery Co., Spring, Aug 28. Male, 61, enters flood water; disappears; found Aug 29.

–1  Newton County, Deweyville, Aug 31. Male, 68, left home to check on neighbor.

–1  Newton Co., Newton area, Aug 30. Female, 61; vehicle, went into creek off TX 87.

–1  Orange Co., Cole Creek, west of FM 1136. Apparent drowning; male, 54, attempting rescue.

–1  Orange Co., Nederland, went missing Aug 30. Found dead Sep 1 “from the floodwaters.”

–1  Orange Co., Vidor, Aug 31, I-10 & Church street. Male, 55, found Sep 6, after water receded

–1  San Jacinto Co., Hwy 59, Aug 27. Male, 64, drove into floodwaters drowned. [Sheriff]

–1  San Jacinto Co., Hwy 150, Aug 27. Baby girl, 3-months-old, swept from father’s arms.

–1  San Jacinto Co., Precinct 3, Aug 28. Male, 69, swept away herding cattle from floodwater.

–1  Walker Co., Rural road, San Jacinto River. Female, 83; vehicle caught in floodwaters.

 

Electrocution             (  8)

–4  Harris Co., Houston, Aug 28, Wallisville Rd./Normandy St. ~Greens Bayou. Male rescuers.

–1  Harris Co., Houston, Aug 29. Bear Creek 1 subdivision ~Hwy 6 and Clay Road. Male, 25.

–2  Orange Co., Orange, 1800 block of 24^th st., Aug 29. Electrocution; two males, one 19.

–1  Victoria Co., Sep 5. Electrocution; male, 22, from TN working as electric power lineman.

 

Fire                             (  1)

–1  Rockport, Aransas County, Aug 25/26. House fire during storm, male.

 

Power Outage            (  5)

–1  Galveston Co., Santa Fe. Aug 26/27, female, 69; oxygen tank failed when electricity was lost

–1  Orange County. Unidentified No. 1 of 4. “Possibly related to a power outage…officials.”

–1  Orange County. Unidentified No. 2 of 4. “Possibly related to a power outage…officials.”

–1  Orange County. Unidentified No. 3 of 4. “Possibly related to a power outage…officials.”

–1  Orange County. Unidentified No. 4 of 4. “Possibly related to a power outage…officials.”

 

Unavailability of Emergency Medical Care Due to Storm or Floodwater          (  4)

–1  Galveston Co., Texas City nursing home. Female, 80, dialysis not available; storm/flooding.

–1  Harris Co., Houston. Aug 30. Boy, 8, after asthma attack, and inability to get emergency care

–1  Harris Co., Humble, Aug 29. Female, 38, recovering from surgery, needed emer. medical care.

–1  Montgomery Co., Aug 29. Heart attack, woman; first-responders unable to respond, flooded streets.

 

Wind (Tree Falls)      (  3)

–2  Jasper Co., FM 777, Alvin area, Aug 29, High wind; tree falls on truck; male, 51, female, 43.

–1  Montgomery Co., Porter, Louis Lane, Aug 28. Tree falls on mobile home killing female, 60.

 

Other or Not Noted   (  6)

–1  Montgomery Co., FM 2854, Aug 26. Male, 23, hit by vehicles while walking along road.[95]

–1  Nueces Co., Port Aransas, Sand Castle, found Sep 2. Male, 57, found dead in a residence.

–1  Orange, Aug 25, Cross Lane home; unidentified infant; no details released.[96]

–1  Orange, Aug 28, 700 block Levingston Street. Unidentified infant. No details.[97]

–1  Orange County, Vidor, Spruce Street. Male, 75. (No cause of death noted.)

–1  Vidor, Spruce Street. Male, 75, at home during Harvey; no details provided.

 

Breakout of Fatalities by County and Name of Victim

 

Aransas County

1. Adams, Arthur Curtis, 39

 

Fort Bend County

1. Rogers, Donald, 65
2. Rogers, Rochelle, 58
3. Simmon, James, 63

 

Galveston County

1. Avila, Mary, 80
2. Brown, Clevelon, 64
3. Hurley, Patrick, 59
4. Murphy, Bobby, 54
5. Parsutt, Bonnie, 69
6. Pellerin, Peter, 83

 

Hardin County:

1. Coyle, Scott.

 

Harris County

1. Acevedo, Victor Manuel, 67
2. Burns, Samuel Lawrence. 62
3. Callihan, Travis, 45
4. Carreon, Tomas Jr., 25 — or Tomas Carreon-Esquival.
5. Delgado, Noah, 8.
6. Dills-Dailey, Cassandra, 38 (Harris County, not Houston)
7. Dowell, Joseph Dwayne, 43
8. Ellis, Wilma Ratcliff, 73
9. Guillen, Alonso, 31
10. Haines, Robert Arthur, 71
11. James, Charles Ray, 65
12. Jordan, Ruben Clifford, 58
13. Juarez, Benito Cavavazos, 42
14. Montalbano, Calvin Oran, 54
15. Montgomery, Cathy Harling, 71
16. Naranjo, Efrain Angel, 26
17. Osorno, Colby Henry, 24
18. Pasek, Andrew, 25
19. Perez, Jorge Raul, 33
20. Perez, Sgt. Steve A., 60
21. Qasem, Batool, 76
22. Renick, Jill, 48
23. Rodriquez, Gustavo Hernandez, 40
24. Saldivar, Manuel Quintanilla Jr., 84
25. Saldivar, Belia Rojas, 81
26. Saldivar, Daisy, 6
27. Saldivar, Devorah “Devy,” 16
28. Saldivar, Dominic, 14
29. Saldivar, Xavier Adam, 8
30. Salazar, Martin, 49
31. Sanchez, Gary Wayne, 58
32. Stanley, Agnes, 89
33. Sung, Alexander Kwoksum, 64
34. Tucker, Michael, 66
35. Vizuet, Benjamin, 33
36. Rubio-Vizuet, Yahir
37. Williams, Keisha Monique, 32
38. Zaring, Ronald, 82

 

Jasper County

1. Barnes, Ginger, 43
2. Barnes, Russell, 51

 

Jefferson County

1. Lacobie, Dorothy “Dot,” 88
2. Simmons, Roy, 69.
3. Sulcer, Collette, 41

 

Montgomery County

1. Esquivel, Remington, 23
2. Feuerstein, Joshua Aedan, 33
3. Gorman, James Conrad Sr., 61
4. Lisa Marie Jones, 60
5. Unidentified woman

 

Nueces County

1. Head, Ronald Darrell

 

Newton County

1. Sneed, Richard, 68.
2. Thomas, Clementine, 61

 

Orange County

1. Brunett, Clifford Allan, 75
2. Caddy, Jimail, 19.
3. DeBlance, Gene, 55
4. Ebanks, Una Celestine, 82
5. Gerity, Francis, 87
6. Lewis, Timothy Michael, Jr., age not noted
7. Marburger, Sheila, 73.
8. McGraw, Lee Roy, 54
9. Riley, Michael “Mickey,” 77
10. Unidentified infant, 700 block of Levingston Street.

 

San Jacinto County

1. Capers, James Lynn “Jimmy,” 69
2. Jones, Ziya, 3-months-old
3. Leutert, George Henry, 64

 

Victoria County

1. Brain, Lachlan Morgan, 22

 

Walker County

1. Crooks, Ola Mae, 82

 

Narrative Information

 

Aug 27, NYT: “….At least five deaths and more than a dozen injuries were reported by Sunday morning in the aftermath of Harvey, the hurricane that tore across the Gulf Coast of Texas on Friday [Aug 25]….” (New York Times. “Harvey Brings Catastrophic Floods to Houston; at Least Five Reported Dead.” 8-27-2017, 12:13 PM.)

 

Aug 30: “Houston (AP). At least 21 people are confirmed dead in the wake of Hurricane Harvey, but Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences spokeswoman Tricia says 17 additional deaths are being investigated to determine if they’re storm related. She says authorities expect to find more bodies in homes and cars as the waters from Harvey begin to recede. A woman whose body was found floating in floodwaters near a residential area in southeast Texas is believed to be at least the 21st person to have died in Harvey’s path….”(Associated Press. “More than 20 confirmed dead in wake of Hurricane Harvey.” KWTX 10, Waco, 8-30-2017.)

 

Sep 14, Wall Street Journal: “With no clear state or federal guidelines, county-level medical examiners have broad discretion in deciding what constitutes a storm-related death.

 

“Following Hurricanes Harvey and Irma’s lethal rampages across the southeast U.S., county-level medical examiners are plugging away at the grim task of counting the dead—a sometimes thorny responsibility with no clear state or federal guidelines.

 

“At least 105 people in Texas and Florida died as a result of the two storms, according to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and an Associated Press tally from local medical examiners and emergency management officials, although it could take months for states to confirm official storm-related death tolls. Both states grant county medical examiners broad discretion in deciding what constitutes a storm-related death, and determinations can vary from county to county.

 

“There are also no federal standards to guide medical examiners in their designations, said a spokeswoman for the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

 

“Some deaths, such as those caused by flooding or falling debris during a hurricane, are easy to stamp as storm-related, said Joshua Stephany, chief medical examiner for Florida’s District Nine Medical Examiner’s Office, which serves the state’s Orange and Osceola counties. Other deaths, such as a fatal heart attack at a shelter, are considerably more complicated. “Those are the gray-area ones,” said Mr. Stephany, who led the team of pathologists that conducted autopsies of the 49 people killed in last summer’s Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando.

 

“If the victim’s shelter was overcrowded, without electricity and lacking in food and clothing, the Medical Examiner’s office would be more inclined to add the victim to the storm’s death toll, Mr. Stephany said. ‘If they already have poor baseline health, and they’re already kind of frail, does the stress of the hurricane push them over, or would they have died anyway?” he said. “Right now, we’re erring on the side that if their baseline health is already bad enough, then it’s probably not hurricane-related.’

 

“Hurricane Harvey has been linked to at least 80 fatalities in Texas, where medical examiners report hurricane deaths to the Texas Department of State Health Services and Texas Division of Emergency Management, said a spokesman for Mr. Abbott.

 

“The Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences, which provides medical examiner services for Houston, considers a death storm-related only “if it occurs as a direct consequence of environmental factors related to the storm or flood,” said spokeswoman Tricia Bentley.

 

“Thirty-four of the state’s deaths occurred in Harris County, according to the most recent report from the institute. All were related to flooding…. ‘Each local jurisdiction must determine the definition that will provide the most meaning and consistency within their jurisdiction,’ Ms. Bentley said.” (Wall Street Journal/Quint Forgey. “Storm-Related Deaths Can Be Difficult to Determine.” 9-14-2017.)

 

Sources

 

ABC 7 News, KABC, Houston (Brandi Hitt). “Hurricane Harvey: Major Texas levee breached; residents urged to ‘get out now’.” 8-29-2017. Accessed 8-29-2017 at: http://abc7.com/death-toll-climbs-to-7-in-texas-as-harvey-flooding-continues/2354257/

 

ABC 13/KTRK, Houston (Kevin Quinn). “Boy suffering asthma attack during flooding dies.” 9-2-2017. Accessed 9-3-2017 at: http://abc13.com/boy-suffering-asthma-attack-during-flooding-dies/2366137/

 

American Statesman, Austin (Nolan Hicks and W. Gardner Selby). “Houston: Flooding along key city bayou hits ‘catastrophic’ levels.” 6 a.m., Aug 27  update, Aug 28, 2017, 4:27 a.m. Accessed 8-28-2017 at: http://www.statesman.com/weather/hurricanes/houston-flooding-along-key-city-bayou-hits-catastrophic-levels/prtx1Xazhy56VkDci4jLZN/

 

American-Statesman, Austin (Nolan Hicks, W. Gardner Selby, Tony Plohetski, Katie Hall). “Houston-area swimmer presumed to be dead, raising death toll to 15, officials say.” 8-29-2017. Accessed 8-29-2017 at: http://www.statesman.com/news/breaking-news/houston-area-swimmer-presumed-dead-raising-death-toll-officials-say/V73GhtZ2NC3re1XuutJrHN/

 

Associated Press. “1 confirmed dead, 12-14 injured after Harvey slams southeast Texas.” ABC 7 News. 8-26-2017. Accessed 8-27-2017 at: http://abc7news.com/weather/1-confirmed-dead-at-least-12-injured-after-harveys-landfall/2345227/

 

Associated Press. “A look at the depth of Harvey’s devastation.” Houston Chronicle, 8-31-2017. Accessed 8-31-2017 at: http://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/texas/article/AP-PHOTOS-A-look-at-the-depth-of-Harvey-s-12163910.php

 

Associated Press. “Death toll from Harvey rises to at least 18 as Harris County, Texas, forensic office reports three more fatalities.” Washington Post, 8-29-2017. Accessed 8-30-2017 at: https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/death-toll-from-harvey-rises-to-at-least-18-as-harris-county-texas-forensic-office-reports-three-more-fatalities/2017/08/29/1747a478-8d31-11e7-9c53-6a169beb0953_story.html?utm_term=.9150116ea4ef

 

Associated Press. “Floodwaters drop across much of Houston; Hurricane Harvey death toll at 20.” Fox 8 Cleveland, 8-30-2017. Accessed 8-30-2017 at: http://fox8.com/2017/08/30/floodwaters-drop-across-much-of-houston-hurricane-harvey-death-toll-at-20/

 

Associated Press. “Harvey brings destruction through Alabama to Tennessee.” AL.com, 9-1-2017. Accessed 9-29-2017 at: http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2017/09/harvey_brings_destruction_thro.html

 

Associated Press. “Harvey-related death toll climbs to 20, official confirms.” Denver Post, 8-30-2017. Accessed 8-30-2017 at: http://www.denverpost.com/2017/08/30/hurricane-harvey-death-toll-rises/

 

Associated Press. “More than 20 confirmed dead in wake of Hurricane Harvey.” KWTX 10, Waco, 8-30-2017. Accessed 8-30-2017 at: http://www.kwtx.com/content/news/At-least-20-confirmed-dead-in-wake-of-Hurricane-Harvey-442257193.html

 

Associated Press (Paul J. Weber and Claudia Lauer). “Relatively low Harvey death toll is ‘astounding’ to experts.” Washington Post, 9-6-2017. Accessed 9-7-2017 at: https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/relatively-low-harvey-death-toll-is-astounding-to-experts/2017/09/06/a5260f52-9347-11e7-8482-8dc9a7af29f9_story.html?utm_term=.abc67ee73b5a

 

Associated Press. “Shivering toddler found clinging to drowned mom in Texas.” ABC News, 8-30-2017. Accessed 8-30-2017 at: http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/harvey-horror-shivering-tot-found-clinging-drowned-mom-49506787

 

Associated Press. “The Latest: Harvey Death toll rises to 25.” Washington Post, 8-30-2017. Accessed 8-30-2017 at: https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/energy-environment/the-latest-leonardo-dicaprio-foundation-donates-1-million/2017/08/30/990fc706-8de0-11e7-9c53-6a169beb0953_story.html?utm_term=.97227c810a4f

 

Associated Press. “The Latest: Harvey Inland, Losing Tropical Characteristics.” U.S. News & World Report, 8-31-2017. Accessed 9-1-2017 at: https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/tennessee/articles/2017-08-31/the-latest-driver-killed-in-interstate-crash-as-harvey-hits

 

Associated Press. “What’s Happening: Harvey Deaths Rise; Victims Face Struggles.” New York Times, 9-3-2017. Accessed 9-3-2017 at: https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2017/09/03/us/ap-us-harvey-whats-happening.html?mcubz=0

 

Austin American-Statesman, TX. “Death toll rises in wake of Harvey’s record-smashing 50-inch deluge.” 8-29-2017. Accessed 8-30-2017 at: http://www.mystatesman.com/news/state–regional/death-toll-rises-wake-harvey-record-smashing-inch-deluge/UgBtsIoqsjsCvkTMQ1N86N/

 

Austin American-Statesman (W. Gardner-Selby). “How many people did Hurricane Harvey kill? Counting Isn’t easy.” 8-31-2017. Accessed 8-31-2017 at: http://www.mystatesman.com/news/breaking-news/how-many-people-did-hurricane-harvey-kill-counting-isn-easy/OBDNbIboRoVFXDhGCgDT5K/

 

Beaumont Enterprise, TX (Morgan Gstalter). “4 local deaths linked to Harvey.” 8-30-2017. Accessed 8-31-2017 at: http://www.beaumontenterprise.com/news/article/4-local-deaths-linked-to-Harvey-12162285.php

 

Beaumont Enterprise (Morgan Gstalter), TX. “Death of Vietnam vet from Silsbee linked to Harvey.” 9-28-2017. Accessed 11-16-2017 at: http://www.beaumontenterprise.com/news/article/Death-of-Vietnam-vet-from-Silsbee-linked-to-Harvey-12237569.php

 

Beaumont Enterprise (Morgan Gstalter, Paul J. Weber, Claudia Lauer), TX. “Orange Co. opens temporary morgue for Harvey victims.” 9-6-2017. Accessed 9-7-2017 at: http://www.beaumontenterprise.com/news/article/Orange-Co-opens-temporary-morgue-for-Harvey-12178540.php

 

Beaumont Enterprise (Liz Teitz). “SE Texas death toll rises to 17 reported deaths.” 9-4-2017. Accessed 9-4-2017 at: http://www.beaumontenterprise.com/news/weather/article/SE-Texas-death-toll-rises-to-16-reported-deaths-12166834.php

 

Beaumont Enterprise, TX (Morgan Gstalter). “Third body found in Beaumont flood waters.” 9-1-2017 update. Accessed 9-1-2017 at: http://www.beaumontenterprise.com/news/weather/article/Third-body-found-in-Beaumont-flood-waters-12166834.php

 

CDEMA News (Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency). 8-18-2017. Accessed 9-29-2017 at: http://www.cdema.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1721:guyana-emergency-situation-at-jawalla-village-region-7-&catid=35:press-releases

 

Chron.com (Keri Blakinger). “Body of baby ripped from father’s arms in flood found in muddy puddle 100 yards from parents’ truck.” 9-5-2017. Accessed 9-6-2017 at: http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Body-of-baby-ripped-from-father-s-arms-in-flood-12175231.php

 

Chron.com (Cindy George) Houston. “Four deaths recorded Saturday attributed to Harvey.” 9-2-2017. Accessed 9-3-2017 at: http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Four-deaths-recorded-Saturday-attributed-to-Harvey-12169912.php

 

Chron.com (Cindy George), Houston. “Harris County morgue pushed to limit as Harvey death toll rises.” 9-1-2017. Accessed 9-4-2017 at: http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Harris-County-morgue-pushed-to-limit-as-Harvey-12168466.php

 

Chron.com (Cindy George and Todd Ackerman), Houston. “Kingwood woman confirmed as Harvey death from flesh-eating bacteria. Woman infected in flood-ravaged home.” 9-26-2017. Accessed 9-27-2017 at: http://www.chron.com/houston/article/Kingwood-woman-confirmed-as-Harvey-death-from-12230105.php

 

Chron.com (Cindy George, Margaret Kadifa, Lindsay Ellis, Keri Blakinger). “Storm deaths: Death toll from Harvey exceeds 60.” 9-5-2017. Accessed 9-6-2017 at: http://www.chron.com/news/houston-weather/hurricaneharvey/article/Harvey-Aftermath-Houston-police-officer-dies-19-12159139.php?ipid=hpctp#photo-14053540

 

Click2Houston.com. “Couple dies after driving through Simonton floodwaters.” 8-30-2017, updated 8-31-2017. Accessed 9-17-2017 at: https://www.click2houston.com/news/couple-dies-after-driving-through-simonton-floodwaters

 

CNN (Holly Yan, Nicole Chavez, Ray Sanchez). “Harvey aftermath: Texas governor says ‘worst is not yet over’.” 8-30-2017. Accessed 8-30-2017 at: http://www.cnn.com/2017/08/30/us/harvey-texas-louisiana/index.html

 

CNN (Ray Sanchez, Nichole Chavez, Steve Almasy, Doug Criss). “Houston area copes with flooding as Harvey delivers pounding rainfall.” 8-27-2017, 7:37 AM ET. Accessed 8-27-2017 at: http://www.cnn.com/2017/08/26/us/hurricane-harvey-landfall/index.html

 

Corpus Christi Caller-Times (Tim Acosta)/USA Today Network. “Hurricane Harvey’s first U.S. victim stayed behind to help others.” 9-6-2017. Accessed 9-6-2017 at: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2017/09/06/first-hurricane-harvey-victim-identified/636111001/

 

Fox News. “Family of six counted among the dead as Harvey death toll rises to 14.” 8-29-2017. Accessed 8-29-2017 at: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2017/08/29/family-six-counted-among-dead-as-harvey-death-toll-rises-to-14.html

 

Fox News. “Harvey’s death toll climbs in Texas; at least 23 killed.” 8-30-2017. Accessed 8-30-2017 at: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2017/08/30/harvey-makes-2nd-landfall-just-west-cameron-louisiana.html

 

Houston Chronicle (Keri Blakinger). “6 more Hurricane Harvey victims identified. Beaumont Enterprise, 9-7-2017. Accessed 9-8-2017 at: http://www.beaumontenterprise.com/news/article/Six-dead-from-Hurricane-Harvey-in-Galveston-12179659.php

 

Houston Chronicle (Cindy George, Brooke A. Lewis). “Additional victims of Hurricane Harvey identified. 9-8-2017. Accessed 9-10-2017 at: http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Additional-victims-of-Hurricane-Harvey-identified-12181752.php

 

Houston Chronicle (Cindy George). “Authorities confirm a third west Houston drowning from Harvey.” 9-12-2017. Accessed 9-13-2017 at: http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Authorities-confirm-a-third-west-Houston-drowning-12192947.php

 

Houston Chronicle (Lindsay Ellis and Andrew Kragie). “Authorities look into reports that 6 family members drowned in Houston flooding. 8-28-2017, 4:37 PM. Accessed 8-28-2017 at: http://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-weather/hurricaneharvey/article/Authorities-look-into-reports-that-6-family-12080594.php

 

Houston Chronicle (Shelby Webb, John D. Harden, St. John Barned-Smith, Dug Begley, Susan Carroll. “Death toll reportedly reaches 5 as Harvey spawns massive flooding in Houston area.” 8-27-2017. Accessed 8-27-2017 at: http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Harvey-impacts-Texas-Latest-tropical-weather-11953474.php?ipid=chronhpholdreccos

 

Houston Chronicle (Keri Blakinger) “Flooding from Harvey leaves at least 6 dead in Galveston.” 8-29-2017. Accessed 9-2-2017 at: http://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/article/At-least-6-dead-in-Galveston-County-from-12155105.php?cmpid=premartcl

 

Houston Chronicle. “Harvey’s human toll: Each victim’s tale carries its own tragic arc.” 9-16-2017. Accessed 9-17-2017 at: http://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Harvey-s-human-toll-Each-victim-s-tale-carries-12203760.php

 

Houston Chronicle. “Harvey’s human toll: Each victim’s tale carries its own tragic arc.” 9-16-2017, 9-17-2017 update. Accessed 9-18-2017 at: http://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Harvey-s-human-toll-Each-victim-s-tale-carries-12203760.php

 

Houston Chronicle online (Jacob McAdams). “Hurricane Harvey claims life of SJC sheriff’s uncle.” 8-28-2017. Accessed 9-1-2017 at: http://www.chron.com/neighborhood/eastex/news/article/Hurricane-Harvey-claims-life-of-SJC-sheriff-s-12115874.php

 

Houston Chronicle. “Hurricane Harvey: Those Who Died…Image 17 of 19,” 9-1-2017. Accessed 9-1-2017 at: http://www.chron.com/neighborhood/pasadena/news/article/Storm-claims-life-of-Pasadena-city-employee-on-12167494.php#photo-14030532

 

Houston Chronicle/Margaret Kadifa. “Missing Omni spa manager’s body found at hotel after flood.” 9-7-2017. Accessed 9-7-2017 at: http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Omni-spa-manager-s-body-found-at-hotel-12180344.php

 

Houston Chronicle (Cindy George, Margaret Kadifa, Lindsay Ellis, Keri Blakinger). “Storm deaths: Harvey claims lives of more than 75 in Texas.” 9-26-2017. Accessed 9-27-2017 at: http://www.chron.com/news/houston-weather/hurricaneharvey/article/Harvey-Aftermath-Houston-police-officer-dies-19-12159139.php

 

Houston Chronicle (Cindy George, Margaret Kadifa, Lindsay Ellis, Keri Blakinger). “Storm deaths: Death toll from Harvey exceeds 75.” 9-12-2017. Accessed 9-13-2017 at: http://www.chron.com/news/houston-weather/hurricaneharvey/article/Harvey-Aftermath-Houston-police-officer-dies-19-12159139.php

 

Houston Chronicle (Cindy George, Margaret Kadifa, Lindsay Ellis). “Storm deaths: Death toll from Harvey tops 50.” 9-1-2017. Accessed 9-2-2017 at: http://www.chron.com/news/houston-weather/hurricaneharvey/article/Harvey-Aftermath-Houston-police-officer-dies-19-12159139.php

 

Houston Chronicle (Cindy George, Margaret Kadifa, Lindsay Ellis). “Storm deaths: Death toll from Harvey exceeds 60.” 9-4-2017. Accessed 9-4-2017 at: http://www.chron.com/news/houston-weather/hurricaneharvey/article/Harvey-Aftermath-Houston-police-officer-dies-19-12159139.php

 

Houston Press (Zach Despart). “Former Houston Press Editor, Missing After Harvey, Found Dead in For Bend County.” 9-13-2017. Accessed 9-14-2017 at: http://www.houstonpress.com/news/former-houston-press-editor-missing-after-harvey-found-dead-9788049

 

KABC, Los Angeles. “Texas mom dies in Harvey floods as her child clung to her body; death toll rises to 9.” 9-29-2017. Accessed 8-29-2017 at: http://abc7.com/texas-mom-dies-in-harvey-floods-as-her-child-clung-to-her-body/2356502/

 

KFDM, Beaumont (Brandon Scott). “Two killed after tree falls onto pickup truck in Jasper County.” Accessed 9-13-2017 at: http://kfdm.com/news/local/two-killed-after-tree-falls-onto-pickup-truck-in-jasper-county

 

KHOU, Houston. “At least 8 dead in Houston area from Harvey flooding, winds.” 8-28-2017, 4:20 PM CDT. Accessed 8-28-2017 at: http://www.khou.com/weather/harvey/houston-area-deaths-from-tropical-storm-harvey/468653709

 

KHOU, Houston. “At least 22 killed in flooding, winds from Harvey.” 8-30-2017. Accessed 8-30-2017 at: http://www.kgw.com/weather/houston-area-deaths-from-tropical-storm-harvey/468914391

 

KHOU, Houston. “Live Blog: St. Luke’s Hospital in NW Houston evacuated.” 8-28-2017, 1:05 PM CDT. Accessed 8-28-2017 at: http://www.khou.com/weather/hurricanes/hurricane-harvey/hurricane-harvey-blog-what-you-need-to-know/467436849

 

KHOU, Houston. “Man found dead in La Marque Walmart parking lot.” 8-27-2017, 11:57 AM CDT. Accessed 8-29-2017 at: http://www.khou.com/news/local/man-found-dead-in-la-marque-walmart-parking-lot-/468168813

 

KHOU, Houston. “The victims of Hurricane Harvey.” 9-1-2017. Accessed 9-2-2017 at: http://www.khou.com/weather/harvey/houston-area-deaths-from-tropical-storm-harvey/468653709

 

KJAS.com, Jasper, TX. “The local Harvey death toll continues to rise.” 9-7-2017. Accessed 9-8-2017 at: http://www.kjas.com/news/local_news/article_6f79cc12-9410-11e7-b717-e328ef0ecd71.html

 

KTRK, Houston (Steven Romo). “Family warns about unseen dangers after son is electrocuted in flood waters.” 8-30-2017. Accessed 8-30-2017 at: http://abc13.com/warning-about-flood-dangers-after-man-is-electrocuted/2358976/

 

Los Angeles Times (Matt Pearce and Jenny Jarvie). “Houston is battered by ‘unprecedented’ storm; flooding is widespread with more to come.” 8-27-2017, 10:15 AM. Accessed 8-27-2017 at: http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-tropical-storm-harvey-20170827-story.html

 

NBC 5 News Dallas-Fort Worth (Frank Heinz). “Sleeping Woman Killed When Massive Oak Tree Falls Onto Mobile Home.” 8-28-2017. Accessed 8-28-2017 at: http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/Sleeping-Woman-Killed-When-Massive-Oak-Tree-Falls-Onto-Mobile-Home-442040303.html

 

New York Daily News (Dan Good). “Five reported dead as Harvey floodwaters rise; emergency crews race to rescue people stranded in homes, cars.” 8-17-2017, 11:33 AM. Accessed 8-27-2017 at: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/harvey-death-toll-rise-residents-urged-stand-roof-article-1.3446395

 

New York Post (Tamar Lapin). “Ex-newspaper editor who went missing after Harvey found dead.” 9-14-2017. Accessed 9-14-2017 at: http://nypost.com/2017/09/14/ex-newspaper-editor-who-went-missing-after-harvey-found-dead/

 

New York Post (Tamar Lapin). “Harvey death toll rises to 50 as residents begin long recovery.” 9-4-2017. Accessed 9-3-2017 at: http://nypost.com/2017/09/03/harvey-death-toll-rises-to-50-as-residents-begin-long-recovery/

 

New York Post (Ruth Brown). “Hurricane Harvey death toll climbs to at least 5.” 8-27-2017. Accessed 8-27-2017 at: http://nypost.com/2017/08/27/hurricane-harvey-claims-second-life-as-floodwaters-rise/

 

New York Times. “Harvey Brings Catastrophic Floods to Houston; at Least Five Reported Dead.” 8-27-2017, 12:13 PM. Accessed 8-27-2017 at: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/27/us/harvey-texas-storm.html

 

New York Times. “Harvey Live Updates: New Reports of Fire and Smoke at Chemical Plant. 9-1-2017. Accessed 9-1-2017 at: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/01/us/harvey-texas-flooding.html?mcubz=0

 

New York Times (Julie Bosman). “Stories Emerge of Harvey’s Victims as Death Toll Rises.” 8-30-2017. Accessed 8-30-2017 at: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/30/us/harvey-death-toll.html

 

New York Times. “With Death Toll at 30, Storm Makes 2^nd Landfall.” 8-30-2017. Accessed 8-30-2017 at: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/29/us/hurricane-harvey-storm-flooding.html

 

Pasadena Citizen (a division of the Houston Chronicle). “Storm claims life of Pasadena city employee on his way home from work.” 9-1-2017. Accessed 9-1-2017 at: http://www.chron.com/neighborhood/pasadena/news/article/Storm-claims-life-of-Pasadena-city-employee-on-12167494.php

 

Reuters. “Harvey soaks Louisiana as Houston is paralyzed by flooding.” CNBC.com, 8-30-2017. Accessed 8-30-2017 at: https://www.cnbc.com/2017/08/30/harvey-to-make-landfall-again-texas-death-toll-mounts-from-record-floods.html

 

San Antonio Express-News. “Harris County morgue pushed to limit as Harvey Death toll rises.” 9-1-2017. Accessed 9-2-2017 at: http://www.expressnews.com/news/local/article/Harris-County-morgue-pushed-to-limit-as-Harvey-12168524.php

 

Texas Department of State Health Services (Mary Castillo, Public Information Coordinator, DSHS Office of General Counsel). Email of 10-16-2017 to Wayne Blanchard entitled “RE: Hurricane Harvey Fatalities and Casualty in Texas.”

 

Texas Tribune (Giulia Afiune). “State says Harvey’s death toll has reached 88.” 10-13-2017. Accessed 10-14-2017 at: https://www.texastribune.org/2017/10/13/harveys-death-toll-reaches-93-people/

 

The Guardian. “Houston residents begin ‘massive’ cleanup as Harvey death toll hits 45. 9-1-2017. Accessed 9-1-2017 at: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/sep/01/hurricane-harvey-death-toll-rises-houston-residents-return

 

Thomson Reuters. “Hurricane Harvey: Reports of 82 Texas deaths, but state still investigating.” CBC News, Canada, 9-14-2017. Accessed 9-14-2017 at: http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/hurricane-harvey-death-toll-1.4290318

 

Thomson Reuters. “Search for survivors moves forward in Texas as Harvey heads north.” 8-31-2017. Accessed 8-31-2017 at: https://www.aol.com/article/weather/2017/08/31/search-for-survivors-moves-forward-in-texas-as-harvey-heads-north/23190398/

 

Time. “Hurricane Harvey’s Death Toll Rises to at Least 70, The Deaths Span 13 Counties Across Texas.” 9-6-2017. Accessed 9-7-2017 at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7bj2W6SXWQ

 

Wall Street Journal (Quint Forgey). “Storm-Related Deaths Can Be Difficult to Determine.” 9-14-2017. Accessed 9-14-2017 at: https://www.wsj.com/articles/what-counts-as-a-storm-related-death-it-can-depend-1505416887

 

Washington Post (Wesley Lowery and Avi Selk). “Harvey’s death toll rises amid stories of harrowing attempts to escape rising waters.” 8-29-2017. Accessed 8-30-2017 at: https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/harveys-death-toll-rises-amid-stories-of-harrowing-attempts-to-escape-rising-waters/2017/08/29/192ce972-8cfc-11e7-8df5-c2e5cf46c1e2_story.html?utm_term=.bfa950bd2c4a

 

Washington Post (Todd C. Frankel, Avi Selk, David A. Fahrenthold). “Residents warned to ‘get out or die’ as Harvey unleashes new waves of punishing rains and flooding.” 8-30-2017. Accessed 8-30-2017 at: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2017/08/30/harvey-again-makes-landfall-this-time-as-a-tropical-storm-near-cameron-la/?utm_term=.cdb541ef38a5

 

Washington Post (Kevin Sullivan and Tim Craig). “Two volunteer rescuers killed in Harvey floodwaters after bringing families to safety. 8-30-2017. Accessed 9-1-2017 at: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2017/08/30/two-volunteer-rescuers-killed-in-harvey-floodwaters-after-bringing-families-to-safety/?utm_term=.ed71cf34ef49

 

Wikipedia. “Hurricane Harvey.” 9-29-2017 edit. Accessed 9-29-2017 at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Harvey

 

WKRN.com, Nashville. “Tennessee man dies while working in Texas for Harvey relief.” 9-5-2017. Accessed 9-6-2017 at: http://wkrn.com/2017/09/05/tennessee-man-killed-while-working-in-texas-for-harvey-relief/

 

WNYT.com, Albany, NY. “Desperate search for Harvey missing, funerals begin for dead.” 9-1-2017. Accessed 9-1-2017 at: http://wnyt.com/news/grim-reality-in-the-aftermath-of-hurricane-harvey-more-dead/4591013/

 

WTVD, Houston. “Harvey Latest: Houston police officer drowns in flood water.” 8-29-2017. Accessed 8-29-2017 at: http://abc11.com/weather/harvey-latest-houston-police-officer-drowns-in-flood-water/2337957/

 

 

[1] CDEMA News (Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency). 8-18-2017.

[2] 10-16-2017 email to Blanchard from Mary Castillo, Public Information Coordinator, Office of General Counsel, Texas Dept. of State Health Services, (response to Blanchard information request). Email notes that direct deaths were from drowning and tree-related trauma, and that indirect deaths referred to “Medical Exacerbation, Electrocution, Motor Vehicle Traffic, Flood Water acquired infection, Fire/burn.” The five “possible” hurricane related deaths were “Firearm and Not specified.”

[3] Writes: “Hurricane Harvey took the lives of at least 88 Texans, according to preliminary numbers released Friday morning by the Department of State Health Services.” Further notes that 62 were directly related to the hurricane (wind, water), and “26 deaths were caused by ‘unsafe or unhealthy conditions’ related to the loss or disruption of services such as utilities, transportation and medical care. The state health agency found deaths caused by medical conditions, electrocution, traffic accidents, flood water-related infections, fires and burns.” Further: “Deaths from natural causes are considered indirectly related to Harvey if physical or mental stress caused by the storm exacerbated ‘pre-existing medical conditions and contributed to death,’ the agency said.” Also: The agency said another five deaths could be related to Harvey, but there’s still not enough information to prove a connection. The final death count for Harvey isn’t expected to be released until next year.”

[4] “More than 80 people were likely killed in Texas as a result of Hurricane Harvey…Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said on Thursday [Sep 14]. ‘We have a report in that there are 82 deaths,’ Abbott told a news conference…”

[5] AP. “The Latest: Harvey Inland, Losing Tropical Characteristics.” U.S. News & World Report, 8-31-2017: “The Shelby County Office of Preparedness said a driver was killed in a head-on crash with a tractor-trailer on Thursday on I-40 in Memphis. The crash occurred as Harvey dumped heavy rain on Memphis…The emergency management office said in a news release that law enforcement officials believe the bad weather contributed to the crash.” On Sep 1, AP: “Authorities said Harvey’s remnants contributed to the death of a motorist in a head-on crash…with a tractor-trailer on Interstate 40 in Memphis.” (AP. “Harvey brings destruction through [AL] to [TN].” AL.com, 9-1-2017.)

[6] “The first fatality was reported in the hard-hit coastal city of Rockport, where the person died in a house fire during the storm, Aransas County Judge Burt Mills said Saturday afternoon. ‘We didn’t know about it until today,’ he said.” Gender attribution from NY Post. “Hurricane Harvey death toll climbs to at least 5.” 8-27-2017. Victim identified as Arthur Curtis Adams, 39, who had stayed behind to help board up homes in the area when his wife and son evacuated to San Antonio. (Corpus Christi Caller-Times/USA Today Network.. “Hurricane Harvey’s first U.S. victim stayed behind to help others.” 9-6-2017.) Another source writes “Authorities received word of the fire but couldn’t dispatch a crew due to the pounding storm.” (Houston Chronicle. “Storm deaths: Harvey claims…more than 75 in Texas.” 9-26-2017.) Thus, an indirect death due to inability of emergency services to reach victim.

[7] KHOU, Houston. “At least 22 killed in flooding, winds from Harvey.” 8-30-2017. Victims identified as Donald Ray Rogers, 65 and Spenceria Rochelle Rogers, 58. Were reportedly trying to drive to a relative’s house. Another report notes that the pair, who lived in Katy, were checking on the welfare of “family members in Simonton [Fort Bend County] when they drove into high water, authorities said.” (Click2Houston.com. “Couple dies after driving through Simonton floodwaters.” 8-30-2017, updated 8-31-2017.) A Houston Chronicle article on Sep 16 which lists fatalities by county, has the Rogers couple deaths in Harris County, not in Fort Bend. (Houston Chronicle. “Harvey’s human toll: Each victim’s tale carries its own tragic arc.” 9-16-2017.) However, this article writes they drove “into floodwaters in Fulshear that would prove too deep and fast-moving to escape” Fulshear is in Fort Bend County. While Katy, their home town, falls within three counties (Harris, Fort Bend, and Walter), we place the county of death as Fort Bend County, not Harris, in that whether the deaths occurred in Simonton or Fulshear, those locations are in Fort Bend County.

[8] Houston Press (Zach Despart). “Former Houston Press Editor, Missing After Harvey, Found Dead in For Bend County.” 9-13-2017. Victim identified as James B. Simmon. Went missing Aug 30. (New York Post, Tamar Lapin. “Ex-newspaper editor who went missing after Harvey found dead.” 9-14-2017.) Another source, which includes Simmons as a Hurricane Harvey death, writes that “he walked away from his Montrose home in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey….Two seeks alter, on Sept. 12, Simmon’s body was found in a Fort Bend County sand pit some 20 miles from his home. He appeared to have drowned, his ex-wife Jamie Kaelin said.” (Houston Chronicle. “Harvey’s human toll: Each victim’s tale carries its own tragic arc.” 9-16-2017.)

[9] Also: Houston Chronicle (K. Blakinger) “Flooding from Harvey leaves at least 6 dead in Galveston.” 8-29-2017.

[10] Cites the Dickinson Police Department and notes the deaths were as of afternoon of August 29.

[11] Houston Chronicle (K. Blakinger). “6 more Hurricane Harvey victims identified. Beaumont Enterprise, 9-7-2017. Victim identified as Bobby Murphy who “Drowned during ill-fated rescue efforts in Dickinson.”

[12] Houston Chronicle (K. Blakinger). “6 more Hurricane Harvey victims identified. Beaumont Enterprise, 9-7-2017. Victim identified as Peter Pellerien.

[13] Chron.com, Houston. “Storm deaths: Death toll from Harvey exceeds 60.” 9-5-2017; Houston Chronicle. “6 more Hurricane Harvey victims identified. Beaumont Enterprise, 9-7-2017. Victim identified as Clevelon Brown.

[14] KHOU, Houston. “Man found dead in La Marque Walmart parking lot.” 8-27-2017, 11:57 AM CDT. “Police say it is not clear at this time whether or not the man drowned or died from health conditions.” Highlighted in yellow to denote not included in our tally. Another source cites the Galveston County Medical Examiner that the death of Timothy Nolan, wasn’t storm-related — ‘He did not drown’.” (Austin American-Statesman. “How many people did Hurricane Harvey kill? Counting Isn’t easy.” 8-31-2017.)

[15] Houston Chronicle (Keri. Blakinger). “6 more Hurricane Harvey victims identified. Beaumont Enterprise, 9-7-2017. Victim identified as Patrick Hurley.

[16] Houston Chronicle (Keri Blakinger). “6 more Hurricane Harvey victims identified. Beaumont Enterprise, 9-7-2017. Victim identified by Galveston County Medical Examiner’s Office as Bonnie Parsutt. Her body was recovered Aug 27. (Houston Chronicle. “Storm deaths: Death toll…tops 50.” 9-1-2017.) According to Houston Chronicle, family members sought to get her to stay with them in Texas City, “But Parsutt thought it safer to stay with her next-door neighbor who had the generator she hoped could maintain her air supply even if power cut off. But after the storm knocked out electricity in Santa Fe, flooding took out the generator….” (Houston Chronicle. “Harvey’s human toll: Each victim’s tale carries its own tragic arc.” 9-16-2017.)

[17] Houston Chronicle. “Harvey’s human toll: Each victim’s tale carries its own tragic arc.” 9-16-2017. Victim identified as Mary Avila. (Houston Chronicle. “Storm deaths: Harvey claims…more than 75 in Texas.” 9-26-2017.)

[18] Victim identified as Scott Coyle, 67. Beaumont Enterprise (Morgan Gstalter), TX. “Death of Vietnam vet from Silsbee linked to Harvey.” 9-28-2017. We thank Eric Blake of NOAA for alerting us via an 11-15-2017 email that the Hardin County Judge had confirmed a flood fatality of a 67-year-old male on the southside of Lumberton. We assume a directional error was made in that Silsbee is just to the north of Lumberton.

[19] Names of 42 fatalities are noted, but in our footnote to the deaths of the Rogers couple in the Fort Bend County breakout we explain why we include in that county, not Harris County. Additionally, the Houston Chronicle includes the deaths of Ginger and Russell Barnes within its Harris County breakout, while we explain why we include in Jasper County, in a footnote to their deaths in our Jasper County breakout.

[20] “As of 9 p.m. Friday [Sep 1] the institute [Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences] had confirmed 28 storm-related deaths in Harris County — all but one from drowning in floodwaters.” A later account notes that in addition to 28 identified dead, there were three more victims…yet to be identified and the Medical Examiner’s office is investigating one additional death to decide whether it was caused by Hurricane Harvey.” (KHOU, Houston. “The victims of Hurricane Harvey.” 9-1-2017.)

[21] LA Times. “Houston is battered by ‘unprecedented’ storm; flooding is widespread with more to come.” 8-27-2017, writing “In Houston, officials said police Saturday night found the body of a woman in the southwest of the city. She is believed to have been trapped as she drove into high water and tried to get out of her vehicle.” Identification of Buffalo Bayou location from: Houston Chronicle. “Death toll reportedly reaches 5…” 8-27-2017. A KHOU report citing the AP notes she was “on Warrenton near S. Gaston in southwest Houston. She was found by neighbors about 30 yards away from her vehicle.” Houston Chronicle identified the victim as Batool Qasem. (“Storm deaths: Death toll from Harvey tops 50.” 9-1-2017.)

[22] Identification of location from: Houston Chronicle. “Death toll reportedly reaches 5…” 8-27-2017.

[23] We highlight in yellow to show that while we have seen this report, we are not including in our tally because we have not been able to confirm. The following is what we saw: “Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez shared an unconfirmed report that a female and child may have died in a submerged vehicle.” (NY Daily News. “Five reported dead as Harvey floodwaters rise…” 8-17-2017, 11:33 AM.) An American Statesman article also notes these deaths “on Interstate 10” citing the Houston Chronicle. (American Statesman, Austin. “Houston: Flooding along key city bayou hits ‘catastrophic’ levels.” Aug 28, 2017, 4:27 a.m.)

[24] WTVD, Houston. “Harvey Latest: Houston police officer drowns in flood water.” 8-29-2017. Notes that Sgt. Steve Perez, 34-year depart. veteran, drowned when patrol car went into water while reporting to work;  made wrong turn. Later reporting is that he entered an underpass at Beltway 8 and Hardy Toll Road and was trapped. (Houston Chronicle. “Storm deaths: Death toll from Harvey exceeds 60.” 9-4-2017.)

[25] KHOU, Houston. “Live Blog: St. Luke’s Hospital in NW Houston evacuated.” 8-28-2017, 12:05 PM CDT. A 4:30 PM CDT 8-28-2017 post notes” “A family of six is believed to have died after drowning in a white van Sunday while trying to escape the floods…relatives tell KHOU 11 News….It happened while crossing a bridge on Green River Road in Greens Bayou.” (KHOU. “At least 8 dead in Houston area from Harvey flooding…” 8-28-2017. A Houston Chronicle report notes this incident is unconfirmed and being investigated by authorities. Notes that KHOU-TV reported interviewing the driver of the van, a great-uncle of the children, ages 6-17, who said that in addition to the four children their two great-grandparents drowned after “traveling on Green River Drive at Greens Bayou in east Houston when they encountered flooding on a bridge and were swept up in the current.” (Houston Chronicle/Lindsay Ellis and Andrew Kragie. “Authorities look into reports that 6 family members drowned in Houston flooding. 8-28-2017, 4:37 PM.)

[26] Fox News. “Family of six counted among the dead as Harvey death toll rises to 14.” 8-29-2017.

[27] Houston Chronicle. “Additional victims of Hurricane Harvey identified. 9-8-2017. Writes “Joseph Dowell headed to work in a downpour on Aug. 27. The 48-year-old did not want to disappoint the people who helped him land a job in the city’s Public Works Department. On the way, he hit high water on Wayside Drive and called his supervisor…The Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences confirmed Thursday [Sep 7] that his body was found in a wooded area in the 3500 block of North Wayside Drive. His name had not been added, however, to the official count of storm-related fatalities.” Houston Chronicle of Sep 17 notes middle name as Dwayne.

[28] Austin American-Statesman, TX. “Death toll rises in wake of Harvey’s record-smashing 50-inch deluge.” 8-29-2017. Victim identified as Alexander Kwoksum Sung. College Avenue location from: Houston Chronicle. “Storm deaths: Death toll from Harvey exceeds 60.” 9-4-2017.

[29] Chron.com. “Harris County morgue pushed to limit…toll rises.” 9-1-2017. Victim identified as Manuel Acevedo.

[30] KHOU, Houston. “At least 22 killed in flooding…Harvey.” 8-30-2017. Victim identified as Travis Lynn Callihan.

[31] Houston Chronicle. “Storm deaths: Death toll…tops 50.” 9-1-2017. Victim identified as Wilma Ratcliff Harris. Later the Houston Chronicle has the victim’s name as Wilma Ratcliff Ellis. (Houston Chronicle. “Harvey’s human toll: Each victim’s tale carries its own tragic arc.” 9-16-2017.)

[32] Chron.com (Cindy George), Houston. “Harris County morgue pushed to limit as Harvey death toll rises.” 9-1-2017. Missing woman identified as Jill Renick. Houston Chronicle reported on Sep 7 that Jill Renick’s body was found inside the hotel off of South Post Oak, “in a ceiling area above the lower level of the hotel.” (Houston Chronicle/Margaret Kadifa. “Missing Omni spa manager’s body found at hotel after flood.” 9-7-2017.)

[33] Washington Post. “Two volunteer rescuers killed in Harvey floodwaters after bringing families to safety. 8-30-2017. Four volunteer rescuers and two newsmen in boat lose control of boat in strong current; drift into water with downed power lines throwing off sparks; jump into water; four electrocuted; swept away. Relative identified the retrieved dead as Yahir Vizueth, 25 and Jorge Peres, 31. Missing are Benjamin Vizueth, 31, and family friend Gustavo Rodriquez-Hernandez, 40, who owned and operated the boat. Subsequent Houston Chronicle report notes the bodies of the two missing men were found Aug 31. (“Storm deaths: Death toll from Harvey tops 50.” 9-1-2017.)

Later account names “Peres” victim as Jorge Raul Perez, 33. (Houston Chronicle. “Harvey’s human toll: Each victim’s tale carries its own tragic arc.” 9-16-2017.) A later Houston Chronicle has the boat owner/operator’s name as “Gustavo Hernandez Rodriquez”, aged 40. (Houston Chronicle. “Harvey’s human toll: Each victim’s tale carries its own tragic arc.” 9-16-2017. Also notes spelling of “Benjamin Vizueth” differently — as Benjamin Vizuet and has his age as 33. Similarly “Yahir Vizueth” is noted at “Yahir Rubio-Vizuet.”)

[34] Houston Chronicle. “Storm deaths: Death toll…tops 50.” 9-1-2017. Victim identified as Michael Tucker.

[35] KTRK, Houston. “Family warns about unseen dangers after son is electrocuted in flood waters.” 8-30-2017. Identifies victim as Andrew Pasek, 25, who had gone to his sister’s home to retrieve her cat which had left behind in the rush to evacuate. “Andrew stepped in the yard unaware that a landscape light electrified the water. He stumbled and grabbed the lamppost, using his last words to warn his friend to stay away…”

[36] Fox News. “Harvey’s death toll climbs in Texas; at least 23 killed.” 8-30-2017. Notes a third person from the craft was rescued from where he was clinging to a tree. Victims identified as Alonso Guillen, 31, from Lufkin, and Tomas Carreon Jr., 25. (Chron.com, Houston. “Harris County morgue pushed to limit as Harvey death toll rises.” 9-1-2017. Another source has “Tomas Carreon Jr.” name as “Tomas Carreon-Esquival.” (Chron.com/Cindy George, Houston. “Four deaths recorded Saturday attributed to Harvey.” 9-2-2017.)

[37] WNYT.com, Albany, NY. “Desperate search for Harvey missing, funerals begin for dead.” 9-1-2017. Victim identified as Benito Juarez Cavazos. Notes “His death was being listed by police as a drowning or accident.” Another source notes name of victim as Benito Cavazos Juarez and the location at East Freeway and Holland Ave. (Houston Chronicle. “Storm deaths: Death toll from Harvey exceeds 60.” 9-4-2017.)

[38] Houston Chronicle. “Storm deaths: Death toll…tops 50.” 9-1-2017. Named victim as Calvin Oran Montalbano.

[39] Austin American-Statesman. “How many people did Hurricane Harvey kill? Counting Isn’t easy.” 8-31-2017. Victim identified as Ronald Zaring. Another account notes that Mr. Zaring “died on a rescue bus on the way to a hospital from Friendswood Health Care Center in Friendswood, Texas.” (Houston Chronicle. “Hurricane Harvey: Those Who Died…Image 17 of 19,” 9-1-2017. Friendswood is within two counties — Harris and Galveston.) Hardy Toll Road identification is from: Houston Chronicle. “Storm deaths: Death toll from Harvey exceeds 60.” 9-4-2017. Another account has this death among Harris county Harvey deaths and notes additional detail that the Friendswood Health Care Center, from which he and others were evacuated had been flooded by water that “filled” the center. (Houston Chronicle. “Harvey’s human toll: Each victim’s tale carries its own tragic arc.” 9-16-2017.)

[40] San Antonio Express-News. “Harris County morgue pushed to limit …” 9-1-2017. Victim ID’d as Efrain Angel. Another source has victim’s name as Efrain Angel Naranjo. (Houston Chronicle. “Harvey’s human toll: Each victim’s tale carries its own tragic arc.” 9-16-2017.)

[41] KHOU, Houston. “At least 22 killed in flooding…Harvey.” 8-30-2017. Victim identified as Agnes Stanley.

[42] Chron.com. “Harris County morgue pushed to limit as Harvey death toll rises.” 9-1-2017. Victim identified as Samuel Lawrence Burns, Sr. (Chron.com. “Storm deaths: Death toll from Harvey exceeds 60.” 9-5-2017.

[43] San Antonio Express-News. “Harris County morgue pushed to limit as Harvey Death toll rises.” 9-1-2017. Victim identified as Keisha Monique Williams.

[44] ABC 13, Houston (Kevin Quinn). “Boy suffering asthma attack during flooding dies.” 9-2-2017. Victim identified as Noah Delgado. Also: NY Post. “Harvey death toll rises to 50 as residents begin long recovery.” 9-4-2017. Houston Chronicle lists the boy as one of the Harris County Hurricane Harvey fatalities. (Houston Chronicle. “Harvey’s human toll: Each victim’s tale carries its own tragic arc.” 9-16-2017.)

[45] Chron.com (George). “Harris County morgue pushed to limit as Harvey death toll rises.” 9-1-2017. Victim identified as Charles Ray James in: Chron.com. “Storm deaths: Death toll from Harvey exceeds 60.” 9-5-2017.

[46] San Antonio Express-News. “Harris County morgue pushed to limit…” 9-1-2017. ID’d as Colby Henry Osorno.

[47] Houston Chronicle. “Additional victims of Hurricane Harvey identified. 9-8-2017. Writes that the body was found in the Houston Ship Channel and identified the victim as Gary Wayne Sanchez. Notes that “He is not among the institute’s [Forensic] confirmed storm-related fatalities because his cause and manner of death are pending…”

[48] Houston Chronicle. “Authorities confirm a third west Houston drowning from Harvey.” 9-12-2017. Notes retired stockbroker, Robert Arthur Haines was found in his “flooded residence” on Langwood on Sep 8.

[49] Houston Chronicle. “Authorities confirm a third west Houston drowning from Harvey.” 9-12-2017. Victim identified as Cathy Harling Montgomery in a “residence with flood damage.”

[50] Chron.com (Cindy George and Todd Ackerman), Houston. “Kingwood woman confirmed as Harvey death from flesh-eating bacteria. Woman infected in flood-ravaged home.” 9-26-2017. Victim identified as Nancy Reed, who died of “‘flood-necrotizing fasciitis’ complicating blunt trauma of an upper extremity via an accident, according to the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences.

[51] KHOU. “At least 22 killed in flooding…” 8-30-2017. Victim identified as Ruben Jordan. Body recovery report from: Houston Chronicle. “Storm deaths: Death toll from Harvey tops 50.” 9-1-2017. KHOU report notes body was “Found floating in tree in flood waters.” (KHOU, Houston. “The victims of Hurricane Harvey.” 9-1-2017.) Another source seems to suggest the death was a fatal heart attack and emergency responders could not reach the victims home in time. (Houston Chronicle. “Storm deaths: Death toll from Harvey exceeds 75.” 9-12-2017.) Part of Friendswood is in Harris County and part in Galveston. The Houston Chronicle, in its Sep 16 story on Harvey deaths by county, has Jordan’s death in the Harris County section, noting his body was recovered “Aug. 29 along a waterlogged roadway about a mile and a half north of his Friendswood home.” (Houston Chronicle. “Harvey’s human toll: Each victim’s tale carries its own tragic arc.” 9-16-2017.) In that Harris County is the northern part of Friendswood and Galveston is southern, we follow the Houston Chronicle in including Jordan’s death in Harris Co.

[52] Chron.com. “Storm deaths: Death toll from Harvey exceeds 60.” 9-5-2017. Identifies victim as Casey Dailey and notes: “Dailey…was unable to access emergency care beyond her northeast Harris County home, which was surrounded by Harvey floodwaters. The mother of two was recovering from surgery and fell ill. She was rescued…transferred to an airboat and then a dump truck, but lost consciousness when the truck reached a road to load her into an ambulance. She was pronounced dead at a Humble, Texas hospital.” Name noted as Cassandra Dills-Dailey in: Houston Chronicle. “Harvey’s human toll: Each victim’s tale carries its own tragic arc.” 9-16-2017.

[53] Pasadena Citizen (a division of the Houston Chronicle). “Storm claims life of Pasadena city employee on his way home from work.” 9-1-2017. Victim identified as Martin Salazar. Houston Chronicle (“Storm deaths: Death toll from Harvey tops 50.” 9-1-2017) notes body was found on Preston Avenue in Pasadena in a ditch.

[54] We have highlighted in yellow to denote we do not include in our tally. Reports we have seen seem to include a Beaumont death in “Southeast Texas.” For example a KFDM article “Two killed after tree falls onto pickup truck in Jasper County,’ by Brandon Scott, notes two Jasper County deaths due to a tree fall on a truck then writes: “This marks the second and third weather related deaths KFDM/Fox 4 has confirmed in Southeast Texas since Hurricane Harvey made landfall on the Texas coastline Friday night….A woman’s body was found floating in Beaumont [Orange County] on Tuesday.”

[55] Beaumont Enterprise, TX (Morgan Gstalter). “4 local deaths linked to Harvey.” 8-30-2017.

[56] Beaumont Enterprise, TX (Morgan Gstalter). “4 local deaths linked to Harvey.” 8-30-2017. Victims identified as Russel and Ginger Barnes. Writes: “Two people were killed in Jasper County around 11:45 p.m. Tuesday night when a tree fell on their truck traveling down FM 777.” The Houston Chronicle, in a Sep 16 article on the Harvey fatalities, by county, includes these deaths in Harris County, but we follow the Beaumont Enterprise account.

[57] KABC, Los Angeles. “Texas mom dies in Harvey floods as her child clung to her body…” 9-29-2017. Victim identified as Colette Sulcer. (AP. “Shivering toddler found clinging to drowned mom in Texas.” 8-30-2017.)

[58] The notation is based on: Beaumont Enterprise, TX. “4 local deaths linked to Harvey.” 8-30-2017. The location was in Beaumont’s North End, what the Mayor had issued a voluntary evacuation order earlier in the week (30^th was a Wednesday). We highlight in yellow to denote we do not include in that (1) the Houston Chronicle of Sep 16 notes only three Jefferson County deaths, and (2) we have not been able to locate and verify a 4^th Harvey-related death.

[59] Beaumont Enterprise, TX (Gstalter). “Third body found in Beaumont flood waters.” 9-1-2017 update. Article notes “It appears to be a storm related accidental death.” Another source writes: “Roy Simmons [69] was found in floodwaters in Beaumont on Aug. 30 after apparently being swept away in the strong current when he tried to leave his vehicle.” (Houston Chronicle. “Harvey’s human toll: Each victim’s tale carries its own tragic arc.” 9-16-2017.)

[60] Chron.com, Houston. “Four deaths recorded Saturday attributed to Harvey.” 9-2-2017. Victim identified as Dorothy Helen Lacobie by Port Arthur Justice of the Peace. Houston Chronicle (“Harvey’s human toll: Each victim’s tale carries…tragic arc.” 9-16-2017), writes according to deputies she probably drowned the day before.

[61] AP. “Harvey-related death toll climbs to 20…” Denver Post, 8-30-2017. Cites Montgomery Co. sheriff for identification of victim as Joshua Feuerstein, who apparently tried to backup after realizing water was too deep, but vehicle swept into deeper water before witnesses, who swam to the truck, could reach him before he drowned. Another account notes: “On Monday night, Joshua Aedan Feuerstein, 33, of The Woodlands was caught in rapid floodwater on Fish Creek Thoroughfare near the Woodforest subdivision, according to Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office.” (San Antonio Express-News. “Harris County morgue pushed to limit…toll rises.” 9-1-2017.)

[62] FM is short for Farm to Market Road.

[63] Houston Chronicle. “Harvey’s human toll: Each victim’s tale carries its own tragic arc.” 9-16-2017. Victim identified as Remington Esquivel. Later, the Chronicle writes: “Storm conditions are believed to have played a role in the crash.” (Houston Chronicle. “Storm deaths: Harvey claims…more than 75 in Texas.” 9-26-2017.)

[64] NBC 5 News Dallas-Fort Worth (Frank Heinz). “Sleeping Woman Killed When Massive Oak Tree Falls Onto Mobile Home.” 8-28-2017. Victim identified as Lisa Marie Jones. (American-Statesman, Austin (Hicks, Selby, Plohetski, Hall). “Houston-area swimmer presumed to be dead, raising death toll to 15, officials say.” 8-29-2017.)

[65] American-Statesman, Austin. “Houston-area swimmer presumed to be dead, raising death toll to 15…” 8-29-2017. “A man is presumed to be dead in the Houston area after he tried to swim through flood waters Monday [Aug 28], according to Precinct 3 of the Montgomery County constable’s office [Montgomery County border’s Harris County to the north; Houston is in Harris]. The man who is estimated to have been between 60-70 years old, was seen swimming near Spring Trails Ridge and Grand Parkway, constable’s officials said. He entered the water around 11:30 p.m. People saw the man in distress and attempted to help him to no avail, constable’s officials said. ‘Due to the exceptionally fast-moving flood waters, rescue crews were unable to deploy,’ the constable’s office said in a statement.” Identification as location near Spring Park Ridge and the Grand Parkway in Spring, from: Chron.com, Houston. “Harris County morgue pushed to limit as Harvey death toll rises.” 9-1-2017. Victim identified as James Gorman Sr. (Houston Chronicle. “Storm deaths: Harvey claims…more than 75 in Texas.” 9-26-2017.)

[66] Houston Chronicle. “Harvey’s human toll: Each victim’s tale carries its own tragic arc.” 9-16-2017.

[67] Chron.com (C. George), Houston. “Harris County morgue pushed to limit as Harvey death toll rises.” 9-1-2017.

[68] KJAX.com, Jasper, TC. “Body of Deweyville man found in high water.” 9-4-2017. Victim ID’d as Richard Sneed.

[69] Chron.com. “Storm deaths: Death toll…Harvey exceeds 60.” 9-5-2017. Victim identified as Clementine Thomas.

[70] Austin American-Statesman. “How many people did Hurricane Harvey kill? Counting isn’t easy.” 8-31-2017. Article cites the Nueces County Medical Examiner’s office, who indicted the death to be “water-related.” We have not been able to confirm via other reporting, and thus are skeptical.

[71] Houston Chronicle. “Storm deaths: Death toll from Harvey exceeds 75.” 9-12-2017. Victim identified as Ronald Darrell Head. Article cites Port Aransas Mayor statement of Sep 2.

[72] Highlighted in yellow to denote not used — overtaken by Sep 26 Houston Chronicle report.

[73] Though ten Orange Co. deaths noted top of article, within Orange Co. breakout are descriptions of eleven deaths.

[74] Writes “Four of the deaths were elderly people and possibly related to a power outage, according to officials.”

[75] Houston Chronicle. “Harvey’s human toll: Each victim’s tale carries its own tragic arc.” 9-16-2017. Identifies victim as Lee Roy McGraw and notes his body was recovered Sep 3.

[76] Houston Chronicle. “Harvey’s human toll: Each victim’s tale carries its own tragic arc.” 9-16-2017. Identifies victim as Michael “Mickey” Riley. Presumably drowning if death was “from the floodwaters.”

[77] Houston Chronicle. “Storm deaths: Harvey claims…more than 75 in Texas.” 9-26-2017.

[78] Houston Chronicle. “Storm deaths: Harvey claims…more than 75 in Texas.” 9-26-2017.

[79] AP. “The Latest: Harvey Death toll rises to 25.” Washington Post, 8-30-2017. Cites Orange County Judge.

[80] Houston Chronicle. “Storm deaths: Harvey…75 in Texas.” 9-26-2017. Victim ID’d as Una Celestine Ebanks.

[81] Houston Chronicle. “Storm deaths: Harvey claims…more than 75 in Texas.” 9-26-2017. Victim identified as Francis Gerity. “No details were released” by Orange City police.

[82] AP. “The Latest: Harvey Death toll rises to 25.” Washington Post, 8-30-2017. Cites Orange County Judge.

[83] Houston Chronicle. “Storm deaths: Harvey claims…more than 75 in Texas.” 9-26-2017. Victim identified as Sheila Jane Marburger.

[84] Houston Chronicle. “Storm deaths: Harvey claims…more than 75 in Texas.” 9-26-2017. Victims identified as Timothy Michael Lewis, Jr., age not noted and Jimail Caddy.

[85] Houston Chronicle. “Harvey’s human toll: Each victim’s tale carries its own tragic arc.” 9-16-2017. Provides no detail, thus we speculate this was one of elderly whose deaths were elsewhere noted as related to power outage. Identifies victim as Clifford Allan Brunett.

[86] Date reported missing.

[87] Beaumont Enterprise, TX. “Orange Co. opens temporary morgue for Harvey victims.” 9-6-2017; Houston Chronicle. “Harvey’s human toll: Each victim’s tale carries its own tragic arc.” 9-16-2017. Chronicle identified victim as Gene DeBlance, and quotes Vidor Police Chief to effect that he believed “DeBlance drove into high waters on Interstate 10, going east near Church Street. He escaped his vehicle but was swept away by strong currents.”

[88] Source: Chron.com. “Storm deaths: Death toll…Harvey exceeds 60.” 9-5-2017. Highlighted in yellow to denote not part of the tally.

[89] Chron.com (Keri Blakinger). “Body of baby ripped from father’s arms…” 9-5-2017. Victim identified as George Henry Leutert at: Houston Chronicle. “Harvey’s human toll: Each victim’s tale carries its…tragic arc.” 9-16-2017.

[90] Chron.com (Cindy George) Houston. “Four deaths recorded Saturday attributed to Harvey.” 9-2-2017. A later report, providing more detail notes: “The child’s parents, a Houston couple in their 20s, had fled their home due to flooding and were on their way to shelter at a friend’s house on Aug. 27 when rising waters forced them out of their pickup truck along Highway 150. They swam through 30- to 40-foot-deep water looking for safety, according to the sheriff’s office [San Jacinto County] – but lost their only child in the process. ‘The current was so fast, it ripped the baby out of their arms’ [firefighter]…The couple clung to tree branches for hours, waiting for help to come. Firefighters finally stumbled across the Houston parents while rescuing two men trapped in a pickup truck by the bulging waters of Winters Bayou.” (Chron.com (Keri Blakinger). “Body of baby ripped from father’s arms in flood found in muddy puddle 100 yards from parents’ truck.” 9-5-2017.) Victim identified as Ziya Jones by: Houston Chronicle. “Harvey’s human toll: Each victim’s tale carries its own tragic arc.” 9-16-2017.

[91] Houston Chronicle online (Jacob McAdams). “Hurricane Harvey claims life of SJC sheriff’s uncle.” 8-28-2017. Victim identified as Jimmy Capers. (Houston Chronicle. “Storm deaths: Death toll from Harvey exceeds 60.” 9-4-2017. Age of 69 from: Houston Chronicle. “Harvey’s human toll: Each victim’s tale carries…arc.” 9-16-2017.

[92] WKRN.com, Nashville. “Tennessee man dies while working in Texas for Harvey relief.” 9-5-2017. Victim identified as Lachlan [Morgan] Brain. Age of victim and specificity of electrocution from: Houston Chronicle. “Harvey’s human toll: Each victim’s tale carries its own tragic arc.” 9-16-2017.

[93] Victim identified as Ola Mae Crooks. (Houston Chronicle. “Storm deaths: Harvey claims…more than 75 in Texas.” 9-26-2017.)

[94] Victim died of “‘flood-necrotizing fasciitis’ complicating blunt trauma of an upper extremity via an accident…”

[95] Speculate this is included in reporting on storm-related deaths due to heavy rain and wind reduced visibility.

[96] Houston Chronicle. “Storm deaths: Harvey claims…more than 75 in Texas.” 9-26-2017.

[97] Houston Chronicle. “Storm deaths: Harvey claims…more than 75 in Texas.” 9-26-2017.

–10  Channel NewsAsia. “US warship collides with oil tanker near Singapore…” 8-21-2017.

–10  CNN/Lendon. “Navy wants answers after warship, merchant vessel collide.” 8-21-2017.

–10  USN. “US Navy identifies one dead, nine missing USS John S. McCain sailors.” 8-24-2017

 

Narrative Information

 

USN, Aug 21, 3:42 AM: “Changi Naval Base, Republic of Singapore (NNS)…. The guided-missile destroyer USS John S. McCain (DDG 56) has arrived at Changi Naval Base following a collision with the merchant vessel Alnic MC while underway east of the Straits of Malacca and Singapore on Aug. 21.

 

“The collision was reported at 6:24 a.m. Japan Standard Time. Significant damage to the hull resulted in flooding to nearby compartments, including crew berthing, machinery, and communications rooms. Damage control efforts by the crew halted further flooding.

 

“There are currently 10 Sailors missing and five injured. Four of the injured were medically evacuated by a Singapore Armed Forces helicopter to a hospital in Singapore for non-life threatening injuries. The fifth injured Sailor does not require further medical attention….” (U.S. Navy. “USS John S. McCain Collides with Merchant Ship.” News Release, U.S. 7^th Fleet Public Affairs, 8-20-2017, 7:38 AM.)

 

USN, Aug 24: “Changi Naval Base, Republic of Singapore (NNS) — After more than 80 hours of multinational search efforts, the U.S. Navy suspended search and rescue efforts for missing USS John S. McCain (DDG 56) Sailors in an approximately 2,100-square mile area east of the Straits of Malacca and Singapore.

 

“Ten Sailors went missing following a collision between the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer and the Liberian-flagged merchant vessel Alnic MC Aug. 21.

 

“U.S. Navy and Marine Corps divers will continue search and recovery efforts inside flooded compartments in the ship for the missing Sailors.

 

“The divers recovered the remains of one Sailor, confirmed as Electronics Technician 3rd Class Kenneth Aaron Smith, 22, from Cherry Hill, New Jersey.

 

“Still missing are:

 

Electronics Technician 1st Class Charles Nathan Findley, 31, from Kansas City, Missouri
Interior Communications Electrician 1st Class Abraham Lopez, 39, from Texas
Electronics Technician 2nd Class Kevin Sayer Bushell, 26, from Maryland
Electronics Technician 2nd Class Jacob Daniel Drake, 21, from Ohio
Information Systems Technician 2nd Class Timothy Thomas Eckels Jr., 23,…Maryland
Information Systems Technician 2nd Class Corey George Ingram, 28, from New York
Electronics Technician 3rd Class Dustin Louis Doyon, 26, from Connecticut
Electronics Technician 3rd Class John Henry Hoagland III, 20, from Texas
Interior Communications Electrician 3rd Class Logan Stephen Palmer, 23, from Illinois

 

“Multinational search efforts included ships and aircraft from the Republic of Singapore Navy, Singapore Air Force, Singapore Maritime Port Authority, Singapore Police Coast Guard, Royal Malaysian Navy, Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency, Indonesian Navy and Royal Australian Air Force.

 

“The incident is under investigation to determine the facts and circumstances of the collision. (U.S. Navy. “US Navy Identifies One Dead, Nine Missing USS John S. McCain Sailors.” News Release, U.S. 7^th Fleet Public Affairs, 8-24-2017, 9:11 AM.)

 

Newspapers

 

Aug 21, 8:25 AM: “Singapore: A  search and rescue operation is under way for 10 US sailors after a US warship and an oil tanker collided off the coast of Singapore on Monday morning (Aug 21).

 

“The guided-missile destroyer USS John S McCain collided with merchant vessel Alnic MC east of Singapore at around 5:30 am. The warship was heading to Singapore for a routine port call, the US Navy said in a statement.

 

“Five US sailors were injured in the collision – four were evacuated by helicopter to the Singapore General Hospital with non-life threatening injuries, while the fifth did not need further medical attention, the statement said.

 

“No crew members on the oil tanker were injured, according to the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA).” (Channel NewsAsia. “US warship collides with oil tanker near Singapore…” 8-21-2017.)

 

Aug 21, 12:22 PM: “(CNN) — As search teams look for 10 American sailors missing after a Navy warship collided with a commercial tanker Monday east of Singapore — the latest in a series of similar incidents in the Pacific — the US defense brass wants answers.

 

“Following the collision between the USS John S. McCain, a guided-missile destroyer, and the merchant vessel, Defense Secretary James Mattis said he supports the decision by Adm. John Richardson, chief of naval operations, to conduct a “comprehensive review” of recent US Navy collisions….

 

“The collision left major damage to the port side of the USS John S. McCain….

 

“The Navy’s 7th Fleet said the McCain collided with the merchant vessel Alnic MC while the destroyer was making its way to a port in Singapore. The collision was reported at 5:24 a.m. local time, east of the Malacca Strait, one of the world’s most congested shipping routes.

 

“The Navy reported significant hull damage to the McCain, saying there was flooding in berthing compartments as well as machinery and communication rooms….

 

“Sen. John McCain joined them and thanked the rescue crews for their service. The destroyer is named for the senator’s father and grandfather, both of whom were Navy admirals. The senator was a captain in the Navy.” (CNN (Brad Lendon). “Navy wants answers after warship, merchant vessel collide.” 8-21-2017.)

 

Aug 21, 12:30 PM ET: “….The ship had been heading to Singapore on a routine port visit after conducting a sensitive freedom-of-navigation operation near one of China’s man-made islands in the South China Sea, according to the Navy.

 

“Stealth Maritime Corporation said in a statement that its tanker vessel, the Alnic MC, collided with USS John S. McCain off the coast of Singapore around 5:20 a.m. local time.

 

“Reports of the damage from the two ships seem to indicate that they were crossing paths, or at least attempting to move in different directions, at the time of the collision.

 

“The McCain’s hull received significant damage as a result of the accident, according to the Navy. That damage can be seen in photos that show what looks like a wide cave along the side of the ship, where the collision took place….

 

“Following the collision, adjacent compartments on the McCain, including crew berths, machinery and communications rooms, flooded, according to the Navy, who added that a damage control response prevented the situation from becoming more serious….

 

“John Richardson, the Navy’s top admiral, is calling for an operational pause in the region and ‘a deeper look into how we train and certify forces operating in and around Japan.’ ‘We’ll examine the process in which we train and certify our forces that are deployed in Japan to make sure we’re doing all we can to make them ready for operations and war fighting,’ Richardson told reporters. ‘This will include, but not be limited to, looking at operational tempo, trends in personnel, material, maintenance and equipment. It will also include a review of how we train and certify our service warfare community, including tactical and navigational proficiency.’

 

“This particular collision is hardly an isolated incident for the Navy. It comes only two months after the USS Fitzgerald’s collision with a Philippine container ship in the middle of the night off the coast of Japan.[1] Seven U.S. sailors lost their lives in that collision, and last week the Navy relieved the USS Fitzgerald’s commanding officer, executive officer and senior enlisted sailor for mistakes that led to the crash.

 

“The USS Lake Champlain, a guided missile cruiser, collided with a fishing boat in the Sea of Japan in May. There were no injuries during that incident. The Navy ship tried to alert the fishing boat before the collision, but it was too late.

 

“The USS Antietam, also a guided-missile cruiser, ran aground off the coast of Japan in February, damaging its propellers and spilling oil into the water.

 

“The USS John S. McCain is currently berthed at Singapore’s eastern anchorage for inspections, according to Singapore’s Maritime and Port Authority.” ABC News (Michael Edison Hayden). “What we know about the latest US Navy collision near Singapore.” 8-21-2017.

 

Aug 21, Shawn VanDiver/USA Today: “Yesterday, the USS John S. McCain reported a collision with a tanker, the Alnic MC. This marks the second collision at sea in the U.S. Navy’s 7th fleet in two months. It marks the fourth major mishap at sea in 2017.

 

“The thing is, a collision at sea should never happen aboard a US Navy warship. We have processes in place to prevent them. In the Combat Information Center, there are no windows to look for nearby obstacles, but there are several sailors, both enlisted and commissioned officers, looking at RADAR screens and other military sensors. On the bridge of a destroyer, there are at least five watchstanders, including no fewer than two junior officers, all tasked with making sure the ship gets to where it needs to be and doesn’t hit anything. Finally, there are lookouts, one forward and one aft (the back end of the ship) sitting outside looking for other ships. Given all of that, we know that when a collision at sea occurs aboard a US Navy warship that several processes have failed.

 

“Generally, when a collision happens, the commanding officer is relieved, along with varying degrees of punishment for officers and senior enlisted members deemed responsible. But this, in my view, is a bigger issue. Both the USS Fitzgerald and the USS John S. McCain are under the command of Destroyer Squadron 15, based out of Yokosuka, Japan. After this incident, 25% of the total force of Destroyer Squadron 15 is now indefinitely out of commission; during a period of heightened tensions between North Korea and America and her allies. The senseless deaths of so many sailors, indefinite loss of two $2 billion national assets, and nearly a third of sea based ballistic missile defense in the region in a span of two months presents a significant blow to American military strength in the region.

 

“Firing the commanding officer of a single ship does not begin to correct the years of under-funding ship maintenance, inadequately prioritizing and funding effective shore based watchstander training across the entire Navy, and over promising capability to the higher echelons of command. These ships currently spend an average of 225 days underway a year. If a city had fire engines at fires 62% of the time, with so little time dedicated to maintenance, training, and upkeep, we’d have a lot more buildings burning down. Responsibility lies at the feet of the leaders and the leaders here are the Commander of Task Force 70 and Destroyer Squadron 15….

 

“…it is time for the Navy to begin a deep-dive investigation into these issues. Issues which are no secret to the admirals serving in forward deployed jobs. Destroyer Squadron 15, Task Force 70, and procedures for all Forward Deployed Naval Forces must be looked at and considered for immediate modification. There must be a better way and it speaks to the Chief of Naval Operations dedication to his team that he ordered a pause to all operations today.

 

“But the pause is not enough. Congress must also intervene and conduct a full investigation to ensure we are able to quickly and fully rebuild our naval forces in the Pacific region. Members of the House and Senate Armed Services Committees must join Congressman Ruben Gallego in calling for investigations into these mishaps and how we might modify our military procedures and protocols to prevent further senseless loss of life….” (VanDiver, Shawn (Opinion contributor). “USS McCain collision shouldn’t have happened. We must find out why it did.” USA Today, 8-21-2017, 3:39 p.m. ET.)

 

Aug 23: “Tokyo — The commander of the U.S. Navy’s 7th Fleet has been dismissed following the USS John S. McCain collision and other recent ship accidents, The Associated Press reported early Wednesday.[2] Rear Adm. Phil Sawyer will command the fleet, according to the AP. Previously, the AP reported, citing an unnamed official, that Vice Adm. Joseph Aucoin would be dismissed “due to the leadership’s loss of confidence in this ability to command.” Two officials spoke to the AP about the move….Aucoin had been commander of the 7^th Fleet since September 2015.” (Atlanta Journal-Constitution/Michelle Ewing. “USS John S. McCain collision: Commander of Navy’s 7^th Fleet dismissed.” 8-23-2017, 12:58 a.m.)

 

Aug 24: “After more than 80 hours of searching thousands of miles of open sea, the U.S. Navy now hopes only to recover the bodies lost from the USS John S. McCain after it collided with an oil tanker near Singapore.

 

“The collision Monday between the McCain — a 500-foot-long guided-missile destroyer — and the Liberian-flagged Alnic MC left five Navy sailors injured and 10 missing. The collision damaged the U.S. warship’s left side, near the stern, punching a hole that stretched above and below the waterline.

 

“Of the 10 missing, the Navy has found the remains of one sailor in the confines of the ship. The twisted steel of the flooded compartments has hindered additional search efforts as teams of divers try to gain access to parts of the ship that remain underwater. It was still unclear whether the missing bodies are confined to inaccessible parts of the ship or lost at sea….” (Washington Post. “These are the 10 sailors lost from the USS John S. McCain.” 8-24-2017.)

 

Sources

 

ABC News (Michael Edison Hayden). “What we know about the latest US Navy collision near Singapore.” 8-21-2017. Accessed 8-21-2017 at: http://abcnews.go.com/US/latest-us-navy-collision-singapore/story?id=49332605

 

Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Michelle Ewing). “USS John S. McCain collision: Commander of Navy’s 7^th Fleet dismissed.” 8-23-2017, 12:58 a.m. Accessed 8-24-2017 at: http://www.myajc.com/news/national/uss-john-mccain-collision-commander-navy-7th-fleet-dismissed/7125APpqRtuj7axDJHglXN/

 

CBS/Associated Press. “Navy sacks 7th Fleet commander after 2nd deadly collision.” 8-23-2017. Accessed 8-24-2017 at: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/uss-john-s-mccain-collision-us-navy-7th-fleet-commander-vice-admiral-joseph-aucoin/

 

Channel NewsAsia. “US warship collides with oil tanker near Singapore; 10 sailors missing.” 8-21-2017. Accessed 8-21-2017 at: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/us-warship-collides-with-oil-tanker-near-singapore-10-sailors-9141592?view=DEFAULT

 

CNN (Brad Lendon). “Navy wants answers after warship, merchant vessel collide.” 8-21-2017. Accessed 8-21-2017 at: http://www.cnn.com/2017/08/20/asia/us-navy-destroyer-collision-singapore/index.html

 

CNN/Ryan Browne. “USS Fitzgerald’s leadership removed from their duties over June collision.” 8-18-2017. Accessed 8-24-2017 at: http://www.cnn.com/2017/08/17/politics/uss-fitzgerald-leadership-removed/index.html

 

United States Navy. “US Navy Identifies One Dead, Nine Missing USS John S. McCain Sailors.” News Release, U.S. 7^th Fleet Public Affairs, 8-24-2017, 9:11 AM. Accessed 8-24-2017 at: http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=102094

 

United States Navy. “USS John S. McCain Collides with Merchant Ship.” News Release, U.S. 7^th Fleet Public Affairs, 8-20-2017, 7:38 AM. Accessed 8-24-2017 at: http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=102034

 

VanDiver, Shawn (Opinion contributor). “USS McCain collision shouldn’t have happened. We must find out why it did.” USA Today, 8-21-2017, 3:39 p.m. ET. Accessed 8-24-2017 at: https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2017/08/21/mccain-collision-should-never-have-happened-column/585771001/

 

Washington Post (Thomas Gibbons-Neff and Alex Horton). “These are the 10 sailors lost from the USS John S. McCain.” 8-24-2017. Accessed 8-24-2017 at: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/wp/2017/08/24/these-are-the-10-sailors-lost-from-the-uss-john-s-mccain/?utm_term=.7bb232af92be

 

 

 

 

[1] The Fitzgerald collided with the cargo ship MV ACX Crystal, on 6-17-2017, off the coast of Japan. (CNN/Ryan Browne. “USS Fitzgerald’s leadership removed from their duties over June collision.” 8-18-2017.)

[2] Another source notes he was relieved by U.S. Pacific Fleet commander Adm. Scott Swift. (CBS/AP. “Navy sacks 7^th Fleet commander after 2^nd deadly collision.” 8-23-2017.)