lornajarrettblanchard

— 10  Aircraft Crashes Record Office (Geneva, Switzerland). Virginia.

— 10  NTSB. Aircraft Accident Brief. Controlled Flight into Terrain Beech King… 3-16-2006.

— 10  NTSB. Press Release. “NTSB Determines that Failure to Execute Published…” 2-7-2006.

— 10  Planecrashinfo.com. “2004. Accident Details. Hendrick Motorsports, Martinsville, Oct 24”

 

Narrative Information

 

NTSB AAB: “On October 24, 2004, about 1235 eastern daylight time, a Beech King Air 200, N501RH, operated by Hendrick Motorsports, Inc., crashed into mountainous terrain in Stuart, Virginia, during a missed approach to Martinsville/Blue Ridge Airport (MTV), Martinsville, Virginia. The flight was transporting Hendrick Motorsports employees and others to an automobile race in Martinsville, Virginia. The two flight crewmembers and eight passengers were killed, and the airplane was destroyed by impact forces and postcrash fire.” (NTSB. Aircraft Accident Brief. Controlled Flight into Terrain Beech King… 3-16-2006, p.. 1.)

 

NTSB Press Release: “The National Transportation Safety Board determined today that the probable cause of the crash of a Beech King Air operated by Hendrick Motorsports in Stuart, Virginia was the flight crew’s failure to properly execute the published instrument approach procedure. Contributing to the cause of the accident was the crew’s failure to use all navigational aids to confirm and monitor the airplane’s position during the approach. On October 24, 2004, a Beech King Air aircraft transporting eight passengers, including Hendrick Motorsports employees, and two flight crewmembers collided with mountainous terrain during a missed approach to Martinsville/Blue Ridge Airport, Martinsville, Virginia. All 10 persons aboard the airplane died and the aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire.

 

“The flight departed Concord Regional Airport, Concord, North Carolina, operating on instrument flight rules. Radar data shows that, after the plane was cleared for landing for a localizer runway 30 approach at Martinsville Airport, the plane did not descend at the proper point. About seven miles beyond the airport, the airplane initiated a straight- ahead climb. The airplane’s radar target was lost.

 

“The missed approach should have occurred over the Martinsville Airport by executing a climbing right turn. The airplane was not equipped with a ground proximity warning system. “The approach and missed approach procedures provide for safe operation in instrument weather conditions,” said NTSB Acting Chairman Mark V. Rosenker. “It is imperative that pilots use all available navigational aids to ensure that the approach is properly flown.”” (NTSB. “NTSB Determines that Failure to Execute Published Instrument Approach Procedure Caused Hendrick Motorsport Plane Crash.” Washington, DC: NTSB Office of Public Affairs, 2-7-2006.)

 

Planecrashinfo.com: “The plane struck a steep incline in the Bull Mountain area seven miles from the Blue Ridge Regional Airport in heavy fog. Wreckage was confined to an area of approximately 200 ft. long. Killed in the crash were members of the Hendrick Motorsports racing team including the son, brother and two nieces of owner Rick Hendrick. Failure of the crew to properly execute the published instrument approach procedure. A contributing cause was the crew’s failure to use all navigational aids to confirm and monitor their position during the approach.” No survivors.  (Planecrashinfo.com.)

 

Sources

 

Aircraft Crashes Record Office (Geneva, Switzerland). Virginia. Accessed 3/12/2009 at:  http://www.baaa-acro.com/Pays/Etats-Unis/Virginie.htm

 

National Transportation Safety Board. Aircraft Accident Brief. Controlled Flight into Terrain Beech King Air 200, N501RH, Stuart, Virginia, October 24, 2005 (NTSB/AAB-06/01). Washington, DC: NTSB, 3-16-2006, 24 pages. Accessed 9-29-2015 at: http://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/AAB0601.pdf

 

National Transportation Safety Board. Press Release. “NTSB Determines that Failure to Execute Published Instrument Approach Procedure Caused Hendrick Motorsport Plane Crash.” Washington, DC: NTSB Office of Public Affairs, 2-7-2006. Accessed 9-29-2015 at: http://www.ntsb.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/NTSB_Determines_That_Failure_to_Execute_Published_Instrument_Approach_Procedure_Caused_Hendrick_Motorsport_Plane_Crash.aspx

 

Planecrashinfo.com. “2004. “Accident Details. Hendrick Motorsports, Martinsville, Oct 24, 2004.” Accessed at:  http://www.planecrashinfo.com/2004/2004-48.htm

 

 

 

— 13  Aircraft Crashes Record Office (Geneva, Switzerland). Missouri.

— 13  Baron, Robert. “Cockpit Discipline,” Aero Safety World, December 2007, p. 47.

— 13  NTSB. AAR. Collision with Trees and Crash Short of the Runway… 1-24-2006, p. viii.

— 13  Planecrashinfo.com. “2004. Accident Details. Corporate Air, near Kirksville MO, Oct 19”

 

Narrative Information

 

NTSB Executive Summary: “On October 19, 2004, about 1937 central daylight time, Corporate Airlines (doing business as American Connection) flight 5966, a BAE Systems BAE-J3201, N875JX, struck trees on final approach and crashed short of runway 36 at the Kirksville Regional Airport (IRK), Kirksville, Missouri. The flight was operating under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121 as a scheduled passenger flight from Lambert-St. Louis International Airport, in St. Louis, Missouri, to IRK. The captain, first officer, and 11 of the 13 passengers were fatally injured, and 2 passengers received serious injuries. The airplane was destroyed by impact and a postimpact fire. Night instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) prevailed at the time of the accident, and the flight operated on an instrument flight rules flight plan.

 

“The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of the accident was the pilots’ failure to follow established procedures and properly conduct a nonprecision instrument approach at night in IMC, including their descent below the minimum descent altitude (MDA) before required visual cues were available (which continued unmoderated until the airplane struck the trees) and their failure to adhere to the established division of duties between the flying and nonflying (monitoring) pilot.

 

“Contributing to the accident was the pilots’ failure to make standard callouts and the current Federal Aviation Regulations that allow pilots to descend below the MDA into a region in which safe obstacle clearance is not assured based upon seeing only the airport approach lights. The pilots’ unprofessional behavior during the flight and their fatigue likely contributed to their degraded performance….” (NTSB. AAR. Collision with Trees and Crash Short of the Runway… 1-24-2006, p. viii.)

 

Planecrashinfo.com: “The turboprop crashed 4 miles south of Kirksville while on approach to Kirksville Municipal Airport. The plane clipped tree tops before crashing on its belly into a wooded area. Data show the plane descending then climbing slightly in the last four seconds before impact. The plane lacked a modern terrain warning system which would have been required equipment the next year. The pilots’ failure to follow established procedures and properly conduct a nonprecision instrument approach at night in instrument meteorological conditions, including their descent below the minimum descent altitude before required visual cues were available (which continued unmoderated until the airplane struck the trees) and their failure to adhere to the established division of duties between the flying and nonflying pilots. Contributing to the accident were the pilots’ failure to make standard callouts and the current Federal Aviation Regulations that allow pilots to descend below the MDA into a region in which safe obstacle clearance is not assured based upon seeing the airport approach lights. The pilots’ failure to establish and maintain a professional demeanor during the flight and their fatigue likely contributed to their degraded performance.” Scheduled from St. Louis to Kirkville, MO.  Two passengers survived. (Planecrashinfo.com.)

 

Sources

 

Aircraft Crashes Record Office (Geneva, Switzerland). Missouri. Accessed 3-9-2009 at:  http://www.baaa-acro.com/Pays/Etats-Unis/Missouri.htm

 

Baron, Robert.  “Cockpit Discipline,” Aero Safety World, December 2007, pp. 47-48.  Accessed at: http://www.flightsafety.org/asw/dec07/asw_dec07_p47-48.pdf

 

National Transportation Safety Board. Aircraft Accident Report. Collision with Trees and Crash Short of the Runway, Corporate Airlines Flight 5966, BAE Systems BAE-J3201, N875JX, Kirksville, Missouri, October 19, 2004 ( NTSB/AAR-06/01). Washington, DC: NTSB, adopted 1-24-2006, 110 pages. Accessed 9-29-2015 at: http://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/AAR0601.pdf

 

Planecrashinfo.com. “2004. Accident Details. Corporate Air, near Kirksville MO, Oct 19, 2004.”  Accessed at:  http://www.planecrashinfo.com/2004/2004-47.htm

 

 

 

 

—  15  National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. FARS 1975-2010 Fatality Analysis.

—  15  NTSB. HAB. Motorcoach Run-Off-the-Road…Rollover…Near Turrell, AR, Oct 9, 2004.

 

NTSB: “Accident Description

 

“On October 9, 2004, about 5:02 a.m., a 1988 Motor Coach Industries, Inc. (MCI), 47‑passenger motorcoach was southbound on Interstate 55 (I-55) near Turrell, Arkansas, transporting 29 passengers to a casino in Tunica, Mississippi. Witnesses following the motorcoach prior to the accident estimated that it had been traveling about 70 mph. At the exit 23A interchange, the motorcoach veered to the right and entered the grassy area between the exit ramp and the entrance ramp. (See figure 1.) As it rotated in a clockwise direction, the motorcoach struck an exit sign, overturning onto its left side and sliding in a southwesterly direction. The left side of the vehicle struck the westernmost side of a 2-foot-deep earthen drainage ditch, and the motorcoach continued to roll over. As it rolled, the roof opened up, allowing passengers to be thrown from the open top. The motorcoach landed 65 feet from the drainage ditch and came to rest upside down. Its roof was laying on the ground (top side up), still hinged to the right side of the vehicle.

 

“At the time of the accident, it was dark and there was no highway safety lighting. The roadway was wet from a misting rain, but there was no standing water.

 

“Survival Aspects

 

“The rollover and partial detachment of the roof resulted in the ejection of all 30 occupants. The motorcoach driver was not wearing his lap belt; the passenger seats were not equipped with seat belts. In total, 14 passengers and the driver, who was partially trapped under the roof, were killed; 5 of the fatally injured passengers had been trapped under the roof. Thirteen passengers were seriously injured, one of whom had been trapped under the roof; and two passengers received minor injuries. One of the three passengers found under the motorcoach body survived…

 

“The Crittenden County Sheriff’s Department Communications Center served as the primary public safety communications center, with the West Memphis Fire Department providing support. Three police agencies, 3 local fire departments, and 18 ambulances (12 were used) responded to the accident. The Crittenden County Sheriff’s Department was notified of the accident at 5:04 a.m. and immediately dispatched two deputies, who arrived on scene at 5:12 a.m. with a Crittenden County Game and Fish Conservation officer. The first ambulance from the Crittenden County Ambulance Service was dispatched at 5:13 a.m. and arrived at 5:25 a.m. The West Memphis Fire Department was dispatched at 5:18 a.m. and arrived at 5:35 a.m.

 

“Three months after the accident, a Safety Board investigator met with staff from the Crittenden County Sheriff’s Department to review its role in the accident and to examine the related policies and operation of the communications center. On February 22, 2005, Safety Board investigators identified several deficiencies and organizational failures concerning the emergency response to the accident. On April 5, 2005, the Crittenden County sheriff outlined the progress that had been made in improving the emergency response system.

 

“Vehicle

 

“….During the investigation, it was discovered that—2 years prior to the accident—the motorcoach had sustained fire damage to its roof and interior as a result of a fire in a facility in which it was parked. Postcrash inspection revealed 14 additional panels of sheet metal attached on top of the original 14 panels on both sides of the roof along its curvature… The new roof panels were 35 by 60 inches. The panels were glued and riveted using Magna-Lock rivets on top of the original roof panels, which ran horizontally from window line to window line and measured 106.25 inches in length and 62 inches in width. Rivet holes drilled to attach the new roof panels were misaligned with the original rivet holes. The investigation also revealed corrosion of several roof vertical posts, roof rails, roof bows, and sash rails along both sides of the motorcoach. Stick welding (oxyacetylene) found in the right-rear upper structure of the roof was also indicative of previous repairs.

 

“Although the Inter-Industry Conference on Auto Collision Repair and the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence have uniform procedures for automobile and light truck roof repair, there are no set standards for buses. Likewise, bus manufacturers and bus repair facilities have no set standards or best practices for repairing motorcoaches. MCI said that this type of repair is not what it would have recommended, though it has no written repair procedures.

 

“There are no roof crush or rollover standards for motorcoaches; however, the Safety Board has recommended that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration develop performance standards for motorcoach roof strength (Safety Recommendation H-99-50) and then require newly manufactured motorcoaches to meet the standards (Safety Recommendation H-99-51). Both of these recommendations are classified “Open—Acceptable Response.”

 

“Accident Reconstruction

 

“The precrash lane position of the motorcoach was unknown because no pavement evidence was found on the main travel lanes of the interstate, and the passengers were asleep prior to the accident event. However, analysis of the vehicle’s approach based on the tire marks and furrow marks suggests that, prior to leaving the roadway, the motorcoach had been traveling in the left southbound lane. Possible interaction with the rumble strips was also considered when determining the precrash lane position. Evidence indicated that the motorcoach traveled in a curved path and, based on the degree of curvature, the vehicle would have just come into contact with the rumble strips and then started a directional change to the right. The motorcoach departed the road at an 11-degree angle. As the vehicle continued forward and over the right arrow sign, it began to roll longitudinally onto its left side. At final rest, the motorcoach had rotated about 540 degrees, or about one and one-half times over….

 

“Motor Carrier

 

Walters Bus Service, Inc. (Walters), was an interstate “for-hire” carrier of passengers. Walters operated one motorcoach and had one driver. Annual mileage reported for 2002 was 30,000 miles. The company operated passenger charter tours throughout the continental United States as well as shuttle service for events in the Chicago and Detroit areas. At the time of the accident, Walters had had no reported driver or vehicle inspections or reportable accidents in the 30 previous months for which data were available.

 

“Walters was rated “satisfactory” on October 15, 1987, following its only Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration compliance review in 19 years of operation. A postaccident compliance review resulted in an unsatisfactory rating. Walters was found to be noncompliant with requirements for drug/alcohol random testing, driver qualification files, driver logs, maintenance and inspection programs, and periodic inspection of commercial motor vehicles. Walters lost its only commercial vehicle in this accident and elected to cease operation by accepting the unsatisfactory safety rating.

 

“Driver Information

 

“….The driver had been awake for nearly 19 hours at the time of the accident. He had been on duty for 9 hours, of which the last 8 hours were spent driving. He had made two brief stops, the first one about 3 hours into the trip. The accident occurred on October 9 about 5:02 a.m., a time at which he usually was not driving but asleep—and a time of maximal sleepiness. Although the driver had obtained a full night’s sleep on October 7 and had taken a nap during the day, the scheduling of the trip deprived him of his customary nighttime sleep period. He normally went to bed between 10:00–10:30 p.m., but on October 8 he left Chicago at 9:00 p.m. for an estimated 10-hour trip.

 

“Research has revealed an association between time on task and increased risk of crash involvement.[1] A North Carolina study showed that drivers in sleep-related crashes had been driving for longer periods of time compared to those who were in nonsleep-related crashes. Driving between midnight and 6:00 a.m. and driving after being awake for more than 15 hours significantly increased a driver’s risk of being involved in a sleep-related motor vehicle accident.[2] The accident driver took two restroom breaks, but it is unlikely that they provided much benefit from fatigue. Research has shown that such breaks provide only a short-term benefit for drivers who are already tired.[3]

 

“The accident occurred about 5:02 a.m. Studies have shown that crashes caused by drivers falling asleep at the wheel are far more likely to occur at night. For example, an analysis of interstate truck crashes found that about twice as many occurred between midnight–8:00 a.m. as compared to other times, and about half of all single-vehicle crashes occurred in the early morning hours.[4] Research has shown that maximal sleepiness occurs between 3:00–5:00 a.m., with a lower peak in sleepiness between 3:00–5:00 p.m. Drivers working through the night are awake at a time when their body is programmed to sleep.[5]

 

“Based on reconstructed vehicle dynamics, the motorcoach made a directional change to the right, most likely after contacting the milled rumble strips adjacent to the left pavement edge lane. Rumble strips are designed to provide tactile or auditory alerts for the driver. In most situations, rumble strips are effective in reducing the number and severity of run-off-the-road accidents.[6] However, in this case, the vibration and noise made by the tires on the rumble strips may have startled the driver, causing him to steer abruptly and excessively (as evidenced by the vehicle’s path) and sending the motorcoach off the right side of the road, which likely initiated the rotation of the vehicle.

 

“Probable Cause

 

“The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of this accident was the motorcoach driver’s fatigued condition, which led him to drift from the left side of the roadway, contact rumble strips, oversteer to the right, and then move off the roadway. The detachment of the motorcoach roof was a contributing cause to the severity of injuries and the number of ejections.” (NTSB. HAB. Motorcoach Run-Off-the-Road…Rollover…Near Turrell, AR, Oct 9, 2004.)

 

Sources

 

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Partial Data Dump of Crashes Involving 10 or More Fatalities, by Year, Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 1975-2009 Final and 2010 ARF. Washington, DC: NHTSA, pdf file provided to Wayne Blanchard, 1-26-2012.

 

National Transportation Safety Board. Highway Accident Brief. Motorcoach Run-Off-the-Road and Rollover Interstate 55 Near Turrell, Arkansas, October 9, 2004 (NTSB/HAB-08.04).  Wash., DC: NTSB, August 22, 2008. At:  http://www.ntsb.gov/publictn/2008/HAB0804.htm

 

 

 

 

[1] Cites:  W. Harris, R. Mackie, and others, A Study of Relationships Among Fatigue, Hours of Service, and Safety Operations of Truck and Bus Drivers, Report No. BMCS-RD-71-2 (Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Transportation, 1972). (b) I. S. Jones and H. S. Stein, Effect of Driver Hours of Service on Tractor-Trailer Crash Involvement (Washington, DC: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, 1987).

[2] Cites:  J. C. Stutts, J. W. Wilkins, J. S. Osberg, and B. V. Vaughn, “Driver Risk Factors for Sleep-Related Crashes,” Accident Analysis and Prevention Vol. 35 (2003): 321–331.

[3] Cites: N. Haworth, “The Role of Fatigue in Setting Driving Hour Regulations,” Fatigue and Driving: Driver Impairment, Driver Fatigue, and Driving Simulation, ed., L. Hartley (Bristol, PA: Taylor & Francis, 1995).

[4] Cites:  W. Harris, “Fatigue, Circadian Rhythm, and Traffic Accidents,” Vigilance Theory, Operational Performance, and Physiological Correlates, ed., R. R. Mackie (New York: Plenum, 1977) 133–146.

[5] Cites:  T. Roth, T. A. Roehrs, M. A. Carskadon, and W. C. Dement, “Daytime Sleepiness and Alertness,”  Principles and Practice of Sleep Medicine, eds., M. H. Kryger, T. Roth, and W. C. Dement (Philadelphia, PA: Sanders, 1994).

[6] Cites: Research Record, 1573 (Washington, DC: National Research Council/Transportation Research Board, 1997). (b) D. A. Morena, “Rumbling Towards Safety,” Public Roads Vol. 67, No. 2 (2003). (c) R. R. Marvin and D. J. Clark, An Evaluation of Shoulder Rumble Strips in Montana, FHWA/MT-03-008/8157 (Washington, DC: Federal Highway Administration, 2003).

International

— >3,000  Haiti. Lawrence and Cobb. Tropical Cyclone Report…Jeanne, 13-28 September 2004.

—          1  Puerto Rico (direct). Lawrence/Cobb. Tropical Cyclone Rpt…Jeanne, 13-28 Sep 2004.

 

United States:            (22)

— 22  Blanchard tally of State and County breakouts below.[1]

 

Florida:                      (20)

—   20  Blanchard tally based on county breakouts below.

—   17  FL. NWS. Hurricane Jeanne Storm Related Deaths in September 2004. 10-14-2004.

— >16  Tuckwood, Jan, (editor). Mean Season: Florida’s Hurricanes of 2004., 2004, p. 99.[2]

—   16  Wright, Lynne E. Disasters and Heroic Rescues of Florida. Chapter 22, p. 195.

—     3  FL (direct).  Lawrence/Cobb. Tropical Cyclone Report…Jeanne, 13-28 September 2004.

 

By Florida Counties:

— 1  Brevard, Micco, Sep 25-26. Apparent drowning; man, 60, found dead in water in house.[3]

— 1  Brevard, Palm Bay,[4] Sep 26. Drowning (direct[5]); drove truck onto flooded road, into ditch, man, 66.[6]

— 1  Clay, Sep 22. High wind and tree-limb fall (direct);[7] traumatic head injuries, male, 15.[8]

— 1  Hardee Co., Sep 25. Heart Attack; placing cement blocks on home roof, storm prep., man 48.[9]

— 1  Indian River, Oct 1 (Sep 25 injury). Trauma (direct[10]); door blown open, woman, 83, hit.[11]

— 1  Lake County, Sep 28. Fire/smoke inhalation; from candles, power out, female, 92.[12]

— 1  Miami-Dade County, Sep 26. Electrocution; stepped on downed power line, man, 64.[13]

— 1  Orange Co., Sep 29. Limb fall onto man on ladder cutting limbs; trauma/blood loss, 43.[14]

— 1  Orange County, Oct 4 (from Sep 24 head injury). Fell from ladder, home prep., man, 76.[15]

— 1  Orange Co., Oct 5 (from Sep 27 head injury). Fell from roof, inspecting damage, man 88.[16]

— 1  Palm Beach Co., Sep 27. Fall from ladder; repairing damage to home, head inj., man 56.[17]

— 1  Palm Beach Co., Sep 28. Burns/inhalation; candle falls igniting cans of gasoline, man 25.[18]

— 2  Palm Beach Co., Sawgrass Expy., so. of Boca Raton, Sep 25. SUV goes into lake, couple.[19]

— 1  Pasco County, Sep 28. Fall from roof of  business; repairing damage, man, 22.[20]

— 1  Pinellas County, Sep 27. Fall from roof of home; cleaning off debris, man, 79.[21]

— 1  Polk Co., Sep 28 (from Sep 26 injury). Fell in darkened home, breaking hip, woman, 84.[22]

— 1  Polk County, Sep 29. Heart and pulmonary disease exacerbated by stress, man, 72.[23]

— 1  Polk Co., Sep 30. Electrocution; short in storm-damaged electrical equipment, man, 57.[24]

— 1  St. Lucie County, Sep 28. Electrocution; truck hits low hanging power line, man, 35.[25]

 

South Carolina:         (  1)

— 1  SC, Fairfield, Sep 27. Tornado (direct); male, 57.[26]  Lawrence/Cobb. Tropical Cyclone Rpt.

 

Virginia:                     (  1)

— 1  Patrick Co., Dry Pond, near Stuart, Sep 28. Drowning, flash flood; woman, 51. NCDC.[27]

 

Cause of Death (22)

Direct:                                    (  8)

–1? FL, Brevard, Micco, Sep 25-26. Apparent drowning; man, 60, found dead in water in house.[28]

–1  FL, Brevard, Palm Bay, Sep 26. Drowning (direct[29]); drove truck onto flooded road, into ditch, man, 66.

–1  FL, Clay, Sep 22. High wind and tree-limb fall (direct[30]); traumatic head injuries, male, 15.

–1  FL, Indian River, Oct 1 (Sep 25 injury). Trauma (direct[31]); door blown open, woman, 83, hit.

–2  FL, Palm Beach Co., Sawgrass Expy., ~Boca Raton, Sep 25. High wind/rain; SUV goes into lake, couple.

–1  SC, Fairfield, Sep 27. Tornado (direct); male, 57.

–1  VA, Patrick Co., Dry Pond, near Stuart, Sep 28. Drowning, flash flood; woman, 51.[32]

 

Indirect:                     (14)

 

Electrocution:              (3)

— 1  Miami-Dade County, Sep 26. Electrocution; stepped on downed power line, man, 64.

— 1  Polk Co., Sep 30. Electrocution; short in storm-damaged electrical equipment, man, 57.

— 1  St. Lucie County, Sep 28. Electrocution; truck hits low hanging power line, man, 35.

 

Falls:                            (6)

— 1  Orange County, Oct 4 (from Sep 24 head injury). Fell from ladder, home prep., man, 76.

— 1  Orange Co., Oct 5 (from Sep 27 head injury). Fell from roof, inspecting damage, man 88.

— 1  Palm Beach Co., Sep 27. Fall from ladder; repairing damage to home, head inj., man 56.

— 1  Pasco County, Sep 28. Fall from roof of  business; repairing damage, man, 22.

— 1  Pinellas County, Sep 27. Fall from roof of home; cleaning off debris, man, 79.

— 1  Polk Co., Sep 28 (from Sep 26 injury). Fell in darkened home, breaking hip, woman, 84.

 

Fire/inhalation:            (2)

— 1  Lake County, Sep 28. Fire/smoke inhalation; from candles, power out, female, 92.

— 1  Palm Beach Co., Sep 28. Burns/inhalation; candle falls igniting cans of gasoline, man 25.

 

Health-related:                        (2)

— 1  Hardee Co., Sep 25. Heart Attack; placing cement blocks on home roof, storm prep., man 48.

— 1  Polk County, Sep 29. Heart and pulmonary disease exacerbated by stress, man, 72.

 

Tree/limb fall:             (1)

— 1  Orange Co., Sep 29. Limb fall onto man on ladder cutting limbs; trauma/blood loss, 43.

 

Gender — Male (17)   Female ( 5)

 

Age: 10-19 (1), 20s (2), 30s (1), 40s (2), 50s (4), 60s (3), 70s (3), 80s (3), 90s (1), Unstated (2)

 

Narrative Information

 

“After completing…[a] loop late Thursday [Sep 23], Jeanne developed a steady westward motion toward the Florida peninsula. This motion continued on Friday and into Saturday, September 25, 2004. Jeanne intensified into a category 3 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 115 MPH at 1100 AM Saturday. The hurricane moved onshore around midnight Sunday, September 26, 2004 near Stuart Florida.

“Jeanne turned northwest and moved across the central Florida peninsula on Sunday. The hurricane weakened to a tropical storm at 200 PM, Sunday, September 26, 2004 near Brooksville Florida. The tropical storm turned northward and moved into Georgia early Monday morning. At 200 PM, Monday, September 27, 2004, Jeanne weakened to a tropical depression. The remnants of Jeanne turned northeastward, reaching northern Georgia late on Monday.

“A southeasterly flow ahead of Jeanne transported warm and moist air into the Coastal Plain of the Carolinas. Meanwhile, cooler and more stable air was located across interior portions of the Carolinas. The interaction of the boundary between these two distinct air masses along with the moisture and circulation associated with Jeanne resulted in the development of severe thunderstorms and tornadoes across the southeast on Monday and Monday night.

“The remnants of Jeanne then moved northeast across upstate South Carolina late Monday night producing heavy rain, flooding, and several tornadoes. The system continued to accelerate northeast across North Carolina Monday night and Tuesday morning, September 28, 2004 producing additional heavy rain, flooding, and tornadoes. The remnants of Jeanne moved into Virginia by Tuesday afternoon.” (National Weather Service Forecast Office, Raleigh, NC. Event Summary. Hurricane Jeanne, September 2004. updated 7-26-2007.)

 

Sources:

 

CNN.com. “Relief pours in as Jeanne moves north. Millions of Florida customers have no power.” 9-27-2004. Accessed 3-17-2014 at: http://www.cnn.com/2004/WEATHER/09/27/hurricane.jeanne/index.html

 

Lawrence, Miles B. and Hugh D. Cobb. Tropical Cyclone Report, Hurricane Jeanne, 13-28 September 2004. Miami, FL: National Hurricane Center, National Weather Service, NOAA, 11-22-2004, revised 1-7-2005. Accessed 3-13-2014 at: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/2004jeanne.shtml

 

National Climatic Data Center, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Event Details…Flash Flood… Virginia…Patrick…Stuart…09/28/2004 07:50:00…08:00 EST. Accessed 3-17-2014 at: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=5422341

 

National Weather Service. “Hurricane Jeanne Storm Related Deaths in September 2004” (Spreadsheet). 10-14-2004. Emailed from Edward Rappaport, Deputy Director, National Hurricane Center, NWS, NOAA, to Wayne Blanchard, 3-7-2014.

 

National Weather Service Forecast Office, Raleigh, NC. Event Summary. Hurricane Jeanne, September 2004. updated 7-26-2007. At: http://www4.ncsu.edu/~nwsfo/storage/cases/20040927/

 

News Herald, Panama City, FL. “Jeanne (continued from page A1),” 9-27-2004, 9A. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=182267431&sterm

 

South Carolina State Climatology Office. Significant Tornadoes in South Carolina 2004 (website). Accessed at: https://www.dnr.sc.gov/climate/sco/ClimateData/2004_tornado_stats.php

 

Sun-Sentinel.com, Fort Lauderdale, FL. “2004 – Hurricane Jeanne. The last storm of the season.” No date. At: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-2004-jeanne,0,6204432,full.story

 

Tuckwood, Jan (Palm Beach Post, Editor). Mean Season: Florida’s Hurricanes of 2004. Longstreet Press, 2004.

 

Wright, Lynne E. Disasters and Heroic Rescues of Florida. Guilford, CT: Insiders’ Guide, an imprint of the Globe Pequot Press, 2006.

 

Additional Reading:

 

National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office, Melbourne, FL. Hurricane Jeanne, September 25-26, 2004. Accessed 3-17-2014 at: http://www.srh.noaa.gov/mlb/?n=jeanne

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[1] The range has to do with inclusion, or not, of (1) the two reported vehicular deaths on the Sawgrass Expressway, and (2) the apparent drowning of a man in Micco, Brevard County.

[2] Shows 1 death each in Brevard, Clay, Hardee, Indian River, Lake, Miami-Dade, Pasco, Pinellas and St. Lucie counties, 3 in Orange, and 2 each in Palm Beach and Polk counties. Cites FL Division of Emergency Management.

[3] “In…Micco, a 60-year-old man was found dead after a hurricane party at a home. He was found lying in water after the house had flooded; police said the death may be alcohol-related or the man may have drowned.” (News Herald, Panama City, FL. “Jeanne (continued from page A1),” 9-27-2004, 9A.) A later report gives the victims name as Howard Pearce, notes he had decided to “ride out the storm” in an old stone house on Honeysuckle Drive, that “the power went out and rain poured into he house through leaky windows. Then the septic tank backed up, dumping filthy water throughout the home…in the darkness, he fell face first in the ankle-deep water, hitting his head on the terrazzo floor…” (Mussenden and Sellers. “Family of Hurricane Victim Sought.” Orlando Sentinel, 10-4-2004.) As to question as to hurricane-related death or not, regardless of drinking, question is without the storm would the victim have been alive or not the next day. It appears to us that he would have.

[4] News Herald, Panama City, FL. “Jeanne (continued from page A1),” 9-27-2004, 9A.

[5] Lawrence and Cobb. Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Jeanne, 13-28 September 2004.

[6] NWS. Hurricane Jeanne Storm Related Deaths in September 2004 (Spreadsheet). 10-14-2004. NWS Spreadsheet notes vehicle went into drainage canal. News Herald article writes the man’s body was found in a ditch.

[7] Lawrence and Cobb. Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Jeanne, 13-28 September 2004.

[8] NWS. Hurricane Jeanne Storm Related Deaths in September 2004 (Spreadsheet). 10-14-2004.

[9] NWS. Hurricane Jeanne Storm Related Deaths…September 2004 (Spreadsheet). 10-14-2004. Notes that man had pre-existing heart disease, that attack was “exacerbated by stress from storm,” and “in part due to stress and heat.”

[10] Lawrence and Cobb. Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Jeanne, 13-28 September 2004.

[11] NWS. Hurricane Jeanne Storm Related Deaths in September 2004 (Spreadsheet). 10-14-2004. “Elderly woman was leaving her home to go to a shelter on 9/25 when a door was blown open by wind throwing her to the ground causing fractures. She was hospitalized for her injuries but died on 10/01.”

[12] NWS. Hurricane Jeanne Storm Related Deaths in September 2004 (Spreadsheet). 10-14-2004.

[13] NWS. Hurricane Jeanne Storm Related Deaths in September 2004 (Spreadsheet). 10-14-2004.

[14] NWS. Hurricane Jeanne Storm Related Deaths…September 2004 (Spreadsheet). 10-14-2004. “Man was standing on a ladder cutting limbs from storm damage with a chain saw. A limb fell on him knocking him off the ladder and into the bed of a truck. Chain saw caused…laceration of…artery in…arm…died from blunt trauma…loss of blood.”

[15] NWS. Hurricane Jeanne Storm Related Deaths in September 2004 (Spreadsheet). 10-14-2004.

[16] NWS. Hurricane Jeanne Storm Related Deaths in September 2004 (Spreadsheet). 10-14-2004.

[17] NWS. Hurricane Jeanne Storm Related Deaths in September 2004 (Spreadsheet). 10-14-2004.

[18] NWS. Hurricane Jeanne Storm Related Deaths…(Spreadsheet). 10-14-2004. “Mad had stored cans of gasoline in his living room with no power due to storm. A candle which had apparently been on the floor fell over igniting gas.”

[19] News Herald, Panama City, FL. “Jeanne (continued from page A1),” 9-27-2004, 9A. A Sun Sentinel article (“2004 – Hurricane Jeanne”) includes these deaths in their report of at least six deaths from the storm and notes the couple was from Boynton Beach and “died when their Nissan Pathfinder plunged into 40 feet of water beside the Sawgrass Expressway in Coconut Creek.” CNN report, which included these two deaths as among at least six storm-related fatalities, cites FL Highway Patrol spokesperson to effect that “the accident occurred Saturday night as the area was buffeted by high winds and driving rain.” (CNN.com. “Relief pours in as Jeanne moves north.” 9-27-2004.)

[20] NWS. Hurricane Jeanne Storm Related Deaths in September 2004 (Spreadsheet). 10-14-2004.

[21] NWS. Hurricane Jeanne Storm Related Deaths in September 2004 (Spreadsheet). 10-14-2004.

[22] NWS. Hurricane Jeanne Storm Related Deaths in September 2004 (Spreadsheet). 10-14-2004.

[23] NWS. Hurricane Jeanne Storm Related Deaths in September 2004 (Spreadsheet). 10-14-2004. “Man was staying in a Special Needs Shelter because of extensive medical history of heart and pulmonary disease. He died while at the facility probably due to stress of the events of the storm.”

[24] NWS. Hurricane Jeanne Storm Related Deaths in September 2004 (Spreadsheet). 10-14-2004.

[25] NWS. Hurricane Jeanne Storm Related Deaths in September 2004 (Spreadsheet). 10-14-2004. “A garbage truck ran into a low hanging power line during storm cleanup. One of the occupants was electrocuted when he went back to the truck and grabbed a handrail.”

[26] Age from South Carolina State Climatology Office. Significant Tornadoes in South Carolina 2004 (website).

[27] NCDC report notes that her mobile home was washed off its foundation. See, also: Lawrence and Cobb (NWS).

[28] “In…Micco, a 60-year-old man was found dead after a hurricane party at a home. He was found lying in water after the house had flooded; police said the death may be alcohol-related or the man may have drowned.” (News Herald, Panama City, FL. “Jeanne (continued from page A1),” 9-27-2004, 9A.) A later report gives the victims name as Howard Pearce, notes he had decided to “ride out the storm” in an old stone house on Honeysuckle Drive, that “the power went out and rain poured into he house through leaky windows. Then the septic tank backed up, dumping filthy water throughout the home…in the darkness, he fell face first in the ankle-deep water, hitting his head on the terrazzo floor…” (Mussenden and Sellers. “Family of Hurricane Victim Sought.” Orlando Sentinel, 10-4-2004.) As to question as to hurricane-related death or not, regardless of drinking, question is without the storm would the victim have been alive or not the next day. It appears to us that he would have.

[29] Lawrence and Cobb. Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Jeanne, 13-28 September 2004.

[30] Lawrence and Cobb. Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Jeanne, 13-28 September 2004.

[31] Lawrence and Cobb. Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Jeanne, 13-28 September 2004.

[32] NCDC report notes that her mobile home was washed off its foundation. See, also: Lawrence and Cobb (NWS).

Total, International & US  (121-142) (Blanchard tally)

 

International  (Direct)           (    70)

— 70  Caribbean. Messina (AP). “Several killed by Ivan’s remnants.” 9-19-2004, 2A.

— 67  (Direct) Stewart. Tropical Cyclone Report, Hurricane Ivan, 2-24 Sep 2004. 5-27-2005.

—   1  Barbados.  Stewart. Tropical Cyclone Report, Hurricane Ivan, 2-24 Sep 2004. 5-27-2005.

—   2  Cayman Islands.  Stewart. Tropical Cyclone Report, Hurricane Ivan…2004. 5-27-2005.

—   4  Dominican Republic.  Stewart. Tropical Cyclone Report, Hurricane Ivan… 5-27-2005.

— 39  Grenada.  Stewart. Tropical Cyclone Report, Hurricane Ivan, 2-24 Sep 2004. 5-27-2005.

— 17  Jamaica.  Stewart. Tropical Cyclone Report, Hurricane Ivan, 2-24 Sep 2004. 5-27-2005.

—   1  Tobago.  Stewart. Tropical Cyclone Report, Hurricane Ivan, 2-24 Sep 2004. 5-27-2005.

—   3  Venezuela.  Stewart. Tropical Cyclone Report, Hurricane Ivan, 2-24 Sep 2004. 5-27-2005.

 

United States                          (51-72)

—     72  Blanchard tally from State and locality breakouts below (though some are aggregated).

—     68  McKinney. “Direct…indirect mortality in Florida…2004…season.” 2011, 535.[1]

—     57  Stewart. Tropical Cyclone Report, Hurricane Ivan, 2-24 Sep 2004. NHC. 5-27-2005.

— 25 Direct Fatalities;   — 32 Indirect Fatalities

—   >56  Orlando Sentinel, FL. “Ivan Death Toll Rises by 2.” 9-22-2004.

–51-52  Blanchard tally of identified fatalities from State and local breakouts below.

 

Alabama                                 (    3-5)

—  5  State. News Herald, Panama City, FL. “Now what?” 9-19-2004, p. 1.

—  3  Blanchard tally of locality breakouts below.

—  1  Andalusia, Sep 17. Fire from candle in home without electrical power; woman, 75.[2]

—  1  Guntersville vicinity, Sep 16. Automobile accident, policewoman Hammond.[3]

—  1  Lauderdale County. Vehicular; volunteer male firefighter vehicle hits downed tree.[4]

 

Connecticut                            (       1)

— 1  Long Island Sound near Niantic Bay, Sep 18. Drowning, boater, whose trimaran capsizes.[5]

 

Florida                                    (23-39)

–23-39  We have identified 23-28 deaths (the bottom range). Ragan, et al. figure is high range.

—     39  Ragan. “Mortality Surveillance: 2004 to 2005 Florida Hurricane-Related Deaths.” 2008, 150.[6]

—     29  Wright, Lynne E. Disasters and Heroic Rescues of Florida. Chapter 22, p. 193.

–23-28  State. Blanchard tally of locality breakouts below (the range involves one suicide).

—     19  State. Orlando Sentinel. “Ivan’s Death Toll Rises to 19,” 9-23-2004.

—     18  State. AP News. “Florida death toll from Ivan climbs to 18.” 9-21-2004.[7]

—     16  State. News Herald, Panama City, FL. “Now what?” 9-19-2004, p. 1.

—     14  (Direct) Stewart. Tropical Cyclone Report, Hurricane Ivan, 2-24 Sep 2004. 5-27-2005.

County Breakouts:

–2-6  Bay County.

–6  Drye. “Hurricane Ivan…Gulf Coast.” National Geographic News, 9-16-2004.[8]

–2  AP News. “Florida death toll from Ivan climbs to 18.” 9-21-2004.

–1  Allanton, Panama City vicinity, Sep 15. Tornado, female (Nancy King),[9] 77.[10]

–1  Panama City, Sep 15, Tornado, man (John Martin),[11] 84.[12]

—  4  Calhoun County, Blountstown, Sep 15. Tornado. NCDC. Storm Events Database.[13]

— Male (M. Terry), 55; female (“Donna”), 35; male (Marshall), 41; female (Marshall), 37.[14]

–11-12  Escambia County.

–11-12  Blanchard tally based on locality breakouts below (range issue is counting the suicide).

—     10  AP News. “Florida death toll from Ivan climbs to 18.” 9-21-2004.[15]

—       4  Escambia County. Natural causes but related to the hurricane.[16]

–1  Escambia Bay, I-10 bridge failure, Sep 16. Tractor-trailer falls, (Roberto Alvarado), 46.[17]

–1  Century, Escambia Co., Sep 21. CO poisoning, portable generator; (Helen Mitchell), 58.[18]

–1  Pensacola, Sep 19. Boy (Payton Larrimore), 7, “…hit by a limb during storm cleanup.”[19]

–1  Big Lagoon vic. near Pensacola NAS, Sep 16. Drowning; man (Joseph Greenblatt), 53.[20]

–1  Grand Lagoon Dr., Big Lagoon vic. ~Pensacola NAS, Sep 16. Drowning; (Arvie Jernigan), 82.[21]

–1  Gulf Beach Hwy/Shorewood Dr/Big Lagoon vic. ~Pensacola NAS, Sep 16. Drowning, female, Lois Goode.[22]

–1  Old River Road, Sun and Sand condos, Escambia Co., Sep 16. Drowning; (Fran Bowles).[23]

–1  Pensacola, Escambia Co., Sep 20. Heart attack while clearing debris, (Trevor LeCroy), 70.[24]

–1  Escambia Co., Sep 15. Heart attack while seeking shelter; (Mary Kochanowicz), 78.[25]

–1  Escambia Co., Sep 18. Apparent heart attack while clearing debris, Kathleen Baril, 66.[26]

–1  Greve Rd./Baublits Dr. vic., Navy Pt., Sep 16. Tree fall, man, Robert Krause, 78.[27]

–1?  Pensacola vic., Sep 19. Suicide, gunshot to the head, depression; Paul Vierthaler, 55.[28]

—  1  Manatee County.  AP News. “Florida death toll from Ivan climbs to 18.” 9-21-2004.

–1  Longboat Key, Manatee Co. Male, Joe Milke, 43, broken neck riding boogie board.[29]

—  5  Santa Rosa County.

—  1  AP News. “Florida death toll from Ivan climbs to 18.” 9-21-2004.

–1  Milton, Santa Rosa Co., Sep 16. Tree fall onto house; girl (Roxane DeLoach),[30] 8.[31]

–4  Milton, Santa Rosa Co., Sep 23. Plane Crash; church damage assessment team.[32]

 

Georgia                                  (  4)

— 4  News Herald, Panama City, FL. “Ivan” (continued from 1A). 9-18-2004, 7A.

— 2  (Direct) Stewart. Tropical Cyclone Report, Hurricane Ivan, 2-24 Sep 2004. 5-27-2005.

— 4  Blanchard tally from locality breakouts below.

— 1  White County, Sep 16. Drowning; girl, six swept away by floodwaters into storm drain.[33]

— 1  Apparent drowning; child, 4, swept away by floodwaters.[34]

— 1  Electrocution; utility worker. CNN. “U.S. death toll at least 24 in Ivan’s wake,” 9-18-2004.[35]

— 1  Frankly Springs vicinity, Franklin Co., Sep 16. Tornado; vehicle hit by tree, woman 38.[36]

— 1? Tree fall. CNN. “U.S. death toll at least 24 in Ivan’s wake,” 9-18-2004.[37]

 

Louisiana                               (2-4)

—  4  Evacuees. News Herald, Panama City, FL. “Damage” (from 1A), 9-17-2004, p. 2A.[38]

—  4  Frail or ailing evacuees “as they were being taken from their storm-threatened homes…”[39]

—  2  Blanchard tally of identified fatalities from locality breakout below.

—  2  Evacuation from New Orleans; cancer patient and 80-year-old nursing home resident.[40]

 

Maryland                               (  2)

–2  Cecil Co., Sep 18. Wind/tornado uproots tree onto home, Grace Jackson, 87, Betty Kline, 62.[41]

 

Mississippi                              (2-3)

–3  News Herald, Panama City, FL. “Ivan” (continued from 1A). 9-18-2004, 7A.[42]

–2  News Herald, Panama City, FL. “Damage” (from 1A), 9-17-2004, p. 2A.

–2  Blanchard tally from breakouts below.

–1  Brooksville, Winston Co., Sep 16. High wind; tree falls onto man, 54 “outside/open areas.”[43]

–1  Tree fall onto automobile, killing man.[44]

 

North Carolina                      (   11)

–11  Blanchard ally from county and locality breakouts below.

–11  AP. “Florida Panhandle man identified as latest N.C. victim of Ivan,” 10-6-2004.

–10  AP. “Ivan now recognized as deadliest storm in western N.C. in 27 years.” 9-22-2004, 3A.

—  8  (Direct) Stewart. Tropical Cyclone Report, Hurricane Ivan, 2-24 Sep 2004. 5-27-2005.

—  2  Buncombe Co., ~Leicester. Drownings; truck driven into flooded area swept away, two males.[45]

—  1  Haywood Co., Harmon Den vic., Pigeon Riv., Sep 24. Drowning; woman (Forrester), 27.[46]

—  1  Haywood Co., Harmon Den vic., Pigeon Riv., Sep 24. Drowning; boy (J. Forrester), 4.[47]

—  1  Henderson Co., Hendersonville vic., Sep 16/17. High wind; tree fall on home, man, 55.[48]

—  5  Macon County, Fishhawk Mountain, Peeks Creek Debris/mud slide, Sep 16.[49]

— Sharon McCollum, 54, of Franklin.[50]

— Colton McCollum, 3, of Franklin (grandson of Sharon McCollum).[51]

— Katie Ruth Watts, 49, of Laurel Hill, FL.[52]

— James Watts of Laurel Hill, FL.[53]

— Seven-month-old fetus of injured survivor.[54]

—  1  Yancey Co.. South Toe, Heart attack: woman (Shuford), 73, during evacuation.[55]

 

Ohio  (  1)  Auto accident “blamed on heavy rain and flooding.”[56]

 

Pennsylvania                          (  1)

— 1  Carnegie, ~Pittsburgh. Drowning; man fell into floodwaters while waiting to be rescued.[57]

 

Tennessee (  1)  Auto accident; “police officer…crashed on a rain-slickened road.”[58]

 

Cause of Death Summary (where noted)

 

Accidents, Clean-Up                           (1)

Bridge Failure                                     (1)

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning              (1)

Drowning, Fresh Water                      (5)

Drowning, Salt Water                      (4-5)

Electrocution                                       (1)

Fire                                                      (1)

Landslide/Debris Flow/Mud Slide     (5)

Natural Causes, Pre-Impact                (5)

Natural Causes, Post-Impact              (3)

Plane Crash (damage assessment)      (4)

Recreational                                        (2)

Suicide                                                            (1)

Tornadoes                                           (7)

Tree Falls                                            (7)

Vehicular Accidents                           (4)

Vehicular, Driving into Water            (2)

Other, Surf[59]                                       (?)

Total                                        55

 

 

Cause of Death Breakouts (where noted)

 

Accidents, Clean-Up                         (1)

— 1  FL, Pensacola, Sep 19. Boy (Payton Larrimore), 7, “…hit by a limb during storm cleanup.”

 

Bridge Failure                                   (1)

— 1  FL, Escambia Bay, I-10 bridge failure, Sep 16. Tractor-trailer falls, (Roberto Alvarado), 46.

 

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning           (1)

— 1  FL, Century, Escambia Co., Sep 21. CO poisoning, portable generator; (Helen Mitchell), 58.

 

Drowning, Fresh Water                   (5)

–1  GA, White County, Sep 16. Drowning; girl, six swept away by floodwaters into storm drain.

–1  GA, Apparent drowning; child, 4, swept away by floodwaters.

–1  NC, Haywood Co., Harmon Den vic., Pigeon Riv., Sep 24. Drowning; woman (Forrester), 27.

–1  NC, Haywood Co., Harmon Den vic., Pigeon Riv., Sep 24. Drowning; boy (J. Forrester), 4.

–1  PA, Carnegie, ~Pittsburgh. Drowning; man fell into floodwaters while waiting to be rescued.

 

Drowning, Salt Water                       (4-5)

–5  Storm Surge. Stewart. Tropical Cyclone Rpt., Hurricane Ivan, 2-24 Sep 2004. 5-27-2005.[60]

–1  FL, Big Lagoon vic. near Pensacola NAS, Sep 16. Drowning; man (Joseph Greenblatt), 53.

–1  FL, Grand Lagoon Dr., Big Lagoon vic. ~Pensacola NAS, Sep 16. Drowning; (Arvie Jernigan), 82.

–1  FL, Gulf Beach Hwy/Shorewood Dr/Big Lagoon vic. ~Pensacola NAS, Sep 16. Drowning, female, Lois Goode.

–1  FL, Old River Rd., Sun and Sand condos, Escambia Co., Sep 16. Drowning; (Fran Bowles).

 

Electrocution                                     (1)

–1  GA, Electrocution; utility worker. CNN. “US death toll at least 24 in Ivan’s…” 9-18-2004.

 

Fire                                                     (1)

—  1  AL, Andalusia, Sep 17. Fire from candle in home without electrical power; woman, 75.

 

Landslide/Debris Flow/Mud Slide   (5)

—  5  Macon County, Fishhawk Mountain, Peeks Creek Debris/mud slide, Sep 16.

— Sharon McCollum, 54, of Franklin.

— Colton McCollum, 3, of Franklin (grandson of Sharon McCollum).

— Katie Ruth Watts, 49, of Laurel Hill, FL.

— James Watts of Laurel Hill, FL.[61]

— Seven-month-old fetus of injured survivor.

 

Natural Causes, Pre-Impact             (5)

–1  FL, Escambia Co., Sep 15. Heart attack while seeking shelter; (Mary Kochanowicz), 78.

–4  LA. Frail/ailing evacuees “as they were being taken from their storm-threatened homes…”

 

Natural Causes, Post-Impact           (3)

–1  FL, Pensacola, Escambia Co., Sep 20. Heart attack while clearing debris, (Trevor LeCroy), 70.

–1  FL, Escambia Co., Sep 18. Apparent heart attack while clearing debris, Kathleen Baril, 66.

–1  NC, Yancey Co.. South Toe. Heart attack: woman (Shuford), 73, during evacuation.

 

Plane Crash                                       (4)

— 4  FL, Milton, Santa Rosa Co., Sep 23. Plane Crash; church damage assessment team.

 

Recreational                                       (2)

— 1  CT, Long Island Sound ~Niantic Bay, Sep 18. Drowning, boater, whose trimaran capsizes.

— 1  FL, Longboat Key, Manatee County. Male, Joe Milke, 43, broken neck riding boogie board.

 

Suicide                                                (1)

— 1?  Pensacola vic., Sep 19. Suicide, gunshot to the head, depression; Paul Vierthaler, 55.[62]

 

Tornadoes                                          (7)

— 1  FL, Bay Co., Allanton, Panama City vicinity, Sep 15. Tornado, female (Nancy King), 77.

— 1  FL, Bay County, Panama City, Sep 15, Tornado, man (John Martin), 84.

— 4  FL, Calhoun County, Blountstown, Sep 15. Tornado. NCDC. Storm Events Database.

— Male (M. Terry), 55; female (“Donna”), 35; male (Marshall), 41; female (Marshall), 37.

— 1  GA, Frankly Springs vicinity, Franklin Co., Sep 16. Tornado; vehicle hit by tree, woman 38.

 

Tree Falls                                           (7)

–1  FL, Greve Rd./Baublits Dr. vic., Navy Point, Sep 16. Tree fall, man, Robert Krause, 78.

–1  FL, Milton, Santa Rosa Co., Sep 16. Tree fall onto house; girl (Roxane DeLoach), 8.

–?  GA. Tree fall. CNN. “U.S. death toll at least 24 in Ivan’s wake,” 9-18-2004.[63]

–2  MD, Cecil Co., Sep 18. Wind/tornado uproots tree onto home, Grace Jackson, 87, Betty Kline, 62.

–1  MS, Brooksville, Winston Co., Sep 16. High wind; tree falls onto man, 54, “outside/open areas.”

–1  MS. Tree fall onto automobile, killing man.[64]

–1  NC, Henderson Co., Hendersonville vic., Sep 16/17. High wind; tree fall on home, man, 55.

 

Vehicular Accidents                          (4)

—  1  AL, Guntersville vicinity, Sep 16. Automobile accident, policewoman Hammond.

—  1  AL, Lauderdale County. Vehicular; volunteer male firefighter vehicle hits downed tree.

—  1  OH. Auto accident “blamed on heavy rain and flooding.”

—  1  TN. Auto accident; “police officer…crashed on a rain-slickened road.”

 

Vehicular, Driving into Water         (2)

–2  NC, Buncombe Co., ~Leicester. Drownings; truck driven into flooded area swept away, males.

 

Other, Surf                                        (?)

—  2  Surf. Stewart. Tropical Cyclone Report, Hurricane Ivan, 2-24 Sep 2004. 5-27-2005.[65]

 

Narrative Information

 

Stewart:  “Ivan was a classical, long-lived Cape Verde hurricane that reached Category 5 strength three times on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale (SSHS). It was also the strongest hurricane on record that far south east of the Lesser Antilles. Ivan caused considerable damage and loss of life as it passed through the Caribbean Sea….

 

“Ivan developed from a large tropical wave that moved off the west coast of Africa on 31 August…. Ivan…made landfall as a…category 3…at approximately 0650 UTC 16 September, just west of Gulf Shores, Alabama. By this time, the eye diameter had increased to 40-50 n mi…  which resulted in some of the strongest winds occurring over a narrow area near the southern Alabama-western Florida panhandle border.

 

“After Ivan moved across the barrier islands of Alabama, the hurricane turned north-northeastward across eastern Mobile Bay and weakened into a tropical storm 12 h later over central Alabama. A gradual turn to the northeast occurred shortly thereafter and Ivan became a tropical depression by 0000 UTC 17 September over northeast Alabama. A northeastward motion at 10-14 kt continued for the next 36 h before Ivan merged with a frontal system and became an extratropical low over the DelMarVa peninsula around 1800 UTC 18 September. However, even as a weak tropical depression, Ivan was a prodigious rain and tornado producer causing flash floods and tornado damage across much of the southeastern United States….

 

“Concerning the deaths in the United States, 14 occurred in Florida, 8 in North Carolina, 2 in Georgia, and 1 in Mississippi. The breakdown of U.S. deaths by cause is as follows: tornado (7), storm surge (5), fresh water floods (4), mud slides (4), wind (3), and surf (2). Ivan was also indirectly responsible for 32 deaths in the United States.

 

“Ivan caused extensive damage to coastal and inland areas of the United States. Portions of the Interstate 10 bridge system across Pensacola Bay, Florida were severely damaged in several locations as a result of severe wave action on top of the 10-15 ft storm surge. As much as a quarter-mile of the bridge collapsed into the bay. The U.S Highway 90 Causeway across the northern part of the bay was also heavily damaged. To the south of Pensacola, Florida, Perdido Key bore the brunt of Ivan’s fury and was essentially leveled. Along the Alabama coast, high surf and wind caused extensive damage to Innerarity Point and Orange Beach. In the Alabama and Florida panhandle areas, widespread over wash occurred along much of the coastal highway system. In addition, extensive beach erosion caused severe damage to or the destruction of numerous beachfront homes, as well as apartment and condominium buildings. Some buildings collapsed due to scouring of the sand from underneath the foundations caused by the inundating wave action. Thousands of homes the three-county coastal area of Baldwin, Escambia, and Santa Rosa were damaged or destroyed. Cleanup efforts alone in Escambia County resulted in debris piles that were more than three-quarters of a mile long and 70 feet high. In all, Ivan was the most destructive hurricane to affect this area in more than 100 years. Strong winds also spread well inland damaging homes, and downing tress and power lines. At one point, more than 1.8 million people were without power in nine states….

 

“An outbreak of 117 tornadoes — with the bulk of the tornadoes on 17 September — developed over a 3 day period in the United States, including 37 in Virginia, 25 in Georgia, 18 in Florida, 9 in Pennsylvania, 8 in Alabama, 7 in South Carolina, 6 in Maryland, 4 in North Carolina, and 3 in West Virginia. There were 26 tornadoes reported on 15 September, 32 tornadoes on 16 September, 57 tornadoes on 17 September, and 2 tornadoes (in Maryland) on 18 September. At least 8 people were killed and 17 injured by the tornadoes. On 15 September, some of the more significant tornado events occurred — an F2 tornado occurred near Panama City Beach (Bay Co.), FL resulting in 1 death and 7 injuries; a second F2 tornado occurred near Blountstown (Calhoun Co.), FL resulting in 4 deaths and 1 injury; a third tornado (intensity undetermined) killed 2 people in Panama City, FL a little more than 1 h after the F2 tornado had struck the area.

 

“Storm surge of 10-15 ft occurred along the coasts from Destin in the Florida panhandle westward to Mobile Bay/Baldwin County, Alabama. Storm surge values of 6-9 ft were observed from Destin eastward to St. Marks in the Florida Big Bend region. Lesser values of storm surge continued east and southward along the Florida west coast with 3.5 ft reported in Hillsborough Bay/Tampa Bay. There was also a possible record observed wave height of 52.5 ft reported by the NOAA Buoy 42040 located in the north central Gulf of Mexico south of Alabama. In addition, severe storm surge flooding of 8-10 ft with 20-30 ft waves caused more than 5-8 ft of water to cover Grand Cayman Island at times. This resulted in the airport and numerous homes being completely inundated by sea water.

 

“A total of 686,700 claims were filed and the American Insurance Services Group estimates (14 December 2004 re-survey) that insured losses in the United States from Hurricane Ivan totaled $7.11 billion, of which more than $4 billion occurred in Florida alone. Using a two-to-one ratio of insured damages yields an estimated U.S. loss of approximately $14.2 billion. In addition to the insured losses that occurred, the U.S. Naval Air Station at Pensacola, Florida sustained damage losses of $800-$900 million.”  (NHC, Hurricane Ivan, 2-24 Sep 2004)

 

Sources

 

Ancientfaces.com. “Paul G Vierthaler (1949 -2004).” Accessed 2-27-2014 at: http://www.ancientfaces.com/person/paul-g-vierthaler/54989544

 

Associated Press News. “Florida death toll from Ivan climbs to 18.” 9-21-2004. Accessed at: http://jacksonville.com/apnews/stories/092104/D858EKQ80.shtml

 

Associated Press. “Florida Panhandle man identified as latest N.C. victim of Ivan,” 10-6-2004. Accessed 2-28-2014 at: http://jacksonville.com/apnews/stories/100604/D85IBCIO1.shtml

 

Associated Press. “Ivan now recognized as deadliest storm in western N.C. in 27 years.” The Dispatch, Lexington, NC, 9-22-2004, 3A. Accessed 2-28-2014 at: http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1734&dat=20040922&id=t-4bAAAAIBAJ&sjid=HlMEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4351,1732331

 

Associated Press. “State-by-state developments with Hurricane Ivan as of Saturday.” 9-18-2004. Accessed at: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1219788/posts?page=126 > Also at: http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-99127695.html  (subscription).

 

Associated Press. “Two more flood victims found in N.C.” 9-22-2004. Accessed 3-1-2014 at: http://old.chronicle.augusta.com/stories/2004/09/22/hur_429194.shtml

 

Barnes. Jay. Florida’s Hurricane History (Second Edition). Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2007. Google digital preview at: http://books.google.com/books?id=dMx5bkZKxioC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

 

Beshears, Erica (AP). “Six Dead in the N.C. mountains.” Charlotte Observer. Posted 9-17-2004 at: http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/social/current/78414/1/Six-dead-in-the-N-C-mountains-Ivan-remnants-still-deadly#.UxDoC84nbOs

 

CNN. “U.S. death toll at least 24 in Ivan’s wake,” 9-18-2004. Accessed 2-27-2014 at: http://www.cnn.com/2004/WEATHER/09/17/hurricane.ivan/

 

Cunningham, Candice. “Storm claims at least four lives. The Franklin Press, Franklin, NC. 9-21-2004. Accessed at: http://thefranklinpress.com/articles/2004/09/21/news/01ivan.txt

 

Drye, Willie. “Hurricane Ivan Slams U.S. Gulf Coast.” National Geographic News, 9-16-2004. Accessed 8-7-2017 at: http://canetalk.com/2012/09/1347743549_1347739277.shtml

 

Findagrave.com. “Lois Zaragoza Goode. Hurricane Ivan Fatality, Due to Drowning.” 8-3-2011. Accessed 2-27-2014 at: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=74351795

 

Kestin, Sally, Megan O’Matz and John Maines (South Florida Sun Sentinel). “FEMA’s Funeral Tab Draws Criticism,” Orlando Sentinel, 4-10-2005. Accessed at: http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2005-04-10/news/0504100247_1_fema-medical-examiner-funeral

 

McKinney, Nathan, Chris Houser, Klaus Meyer-Arendt. “Direct and indirect mortality in Florida during the 2004 hurricane season.” International Journal of Biometeorology, Vol. 55, 2011, pp. 533-546. Accessed 2-23-2014 at: http://www.academia.edu/421697/Direct_and_Indirect_Mortality_In_Florida_During_the_2004_Hurricane_Season

 

Messina, Lawrence (Associated Press). “Several killed by Ivan’s remnants.”  News Herald, Panama City, FL. 9-19-2004, 2A. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=182086137&sterm

 

National Climatic Data Center, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Event Details. Flash Flood… Georgia…White [County]…09/16/2004 18:42 to 09/17/2004 04:15. Accessed 2-27-2014 at: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=5424883

 

National Climatic Data Center. Storm Events Database. Event Details. High Wind… North Carolina…Henderson [County]…09/16/2004 17:00 to 09/17/2004 03:00. Accessed 2-27-2014 at: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=5423511

 

National Climatic Data Center, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Event Details. Hurricane, Florida, Bay [County/Area] 09/15/2004 00:00 to 09/16/2004 21:00 EST. Accessed at: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=5423055

 

National Climatic Data Center, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Event Details. Hurricane (Typhoon)… Mississippi…Winston [County]…09/16/2004 CST. Accessed 2-27-2014 at: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=5420753

 

National Climatic Data Center, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Event Details. Tornado… F1… Florida… 09/15/2004 15:40:00 EST. Accessed at: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=5423514

 

National Climatic Data Center, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Event Details. Tornado… F1… Florida… Begin Date 09/15/2004 15:43:00 EST. End Date 09/15/2004 15:52:00 EST. Accessed at: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=5423449

 

National Climatic Data Center, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Event Details. Tornado… F2… Florida… 09/15/2004. At: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=5423515

 

National Climatic Data Center, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Event Details. Tornado… F2… Georgia…Franklin [County]…09/16/2004 16:45 to 16:53 EST. Accessed 2-27-2014 at: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=5422944

 

News Herald, Panama City, FL. “Damage” (from 1A), 9-17-2004, p. 2A. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=182086077&sterm

 

News Herald, Panama City, FL. “Deaths & Funerals,” 9-21-2004, p. 2B. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=182086209&sterm

 

News Herald, Panama City, FL. “Ivan” (Associated Press). 9-17-2004, 2B. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=182086083&sterm

 

News Herald, Panama City, FL. “Ivan” (continued from 1A). 9-18-2004, 7A. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=182266893&sterm

 

News Herald, Panama City, FL. “Ivan.” 9-19-2004, 2A, col. 1. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=182086137&sterm

 

News Herald, Panama City, FL. “Now what?” 9-19-2004, p. 1. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=182086136&sterm

 

North Carolina Geological Survey. “Geologic hazards in North Carolina – Landslides.” No date.  http://www.geology.enr.state.nc.us/Landslide%20web%20version/Geologic_hazards_landslide_show/Landslides_Peeks_Creek_Debris_Flow_2004.htm

 

Orlando Sentinel, FL. “Ivan Death Toll Rises by 2.” 9-22-2004. Accessed at: http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2004-09-22/news/0409220293_1_mcnesby-escambia-county-sheriff-pensacola

 

Orlando Sentinel. “Ivan’s Death Toll Rises to 19,” 9-23-2004. Accessed 2-27-2014 at: http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/keyword/escambia-county-sheriff/featured/2

 

Pensapedia. “Hurricane Ivan.” 12-12-2012 modification. Accessed at: http://www.pensapedia.com/wiki/Hurricane_Ivan

 

Post-Standard, Syracuse, NY. “Ivan begins its assault on coast.” 9-16-2004, pp. 1, 10. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/us/new-york/syracuse/syracuse-post-standard/2004/09-16/

 

Ragan, Patricia, Joann Schulte, Stephen J. Nelson, and Ken T. Jones. “Mortality Surveillance: 2004 to 2005 Florida Hurricane-Related Deaths.” American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology, Vol. 29, No. 2, June 2008, pp. 148-153.

 

Spanish Cove Update, Lillian, AL. “It’s Still Hurricane Season.” Vol. 20, Sep 2012. Accessed at: http://www.spanishcove.org/docs/newsletter/archives/2012/09.pdf

 

Stewart, Stacy R. Tropical Cyclone Report, Hurricane Ivan, 2-24 September 2004.  Miami, FL: National Hurricane Center, National Weather Service, NOAA, 12-16-2004, updated 5-27-2005. Accessed at:  http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/2004ivan.shtml

 

Washington Times. “Maryland women die in Ivan’s wake.” 9-19-2004. Accessed 2-27-2004 at: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2004/sep/19/20040919-011210-8032r/

 

WJHG, News Channel 7, Panama City Beach, FL. “Plane Crashes Northeast of Pensacola in the Florida Panhandle,” 9-24-2004. At: http://www.wjhg.com/news/headlines/1045276.html

 

WKYK 940AM, Burnsville, NC. “Flood Fatality in Yancey,” 9-20-2004. Accessed 3-1-2014 at: http://00607ac.netsolhost.com/wkyk/news_archives/2004/2004-09_wkyk.shtml

 

Wright, Lynne E. Disasters and Heroic Rescues of Florida. Guilford, CT: Insiders’ Guide, an imprint of the Globe Pequot Press, 2006.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[1] Cites Ragan.

[2] Associated Press. “State-by-state developments with Hurricane Ivan as of Saturday.” 9-18-2004.

[3] We assume Guntersville vicinity. Article notes Ms. Joei Samantha Wilks Hammond of Arab, Ala, was with the Guntersville Police Dept. and died in the line of duty. (News Herald, Panama City, FL. “Deaths…” 9-21-2004, 2B.)

[4] CNN. “U.S. death toll at least 24 in Ivan’s wake,” 9-18-2004. Cites Lauderdale County EMA/911 Director.

[5] Associated Press. “State-by-state developments with Hurricane Ivan as of Saturday.” 9-18-2004.

[6] Writes: “The Department of Health and Florida medical examiners monitor hurricane mortality surveillance. This study analyzed hurricane-related deaths reported by the Florida Medical Examiners Commission for 2004 to 2005 ….The purpose of this study is to (1) describe the number of deaths attributable to hurricanes; (2) accurately describe the distribution, demographic characteristics, phase of occurrence, and etiology of the deaths; and (3) identify strategies to reduce or prevent future morbidity and mortality because of hurricanes…. The framework used for hurricane-related deaths classification in this study was that developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for assessing disaster attributed mortality, including that attributed to hurricanes and earthquakes. Deaths are characterized by hurricane phase: pre-impact–those occurring before landfall, impact–those occurring during landfall, or postimpact—those resulting after landfall. They can be further classified as direct or indirect. Direct deaths are due to the physical forces of the storm, whereas indirect deaths are caused by unsafe or unhealthy conditions associated with the preparation for or occurrence of the hurricane. Direct deaths include those caused by the actual hurricane cyclone, storm surge, rainfall-related floods or rapidly moving surface water, tornadoes, wind effects, temperature changes, and lightning. Indirect deaths include those due to loss or disruption of usual services such as electrical, transportation, medical, and mental healthcare; or personal loss or lifestyle disruption that includes evacuation, temporary sheltering, loss of safe housing and essential provisions, psychosocial stress, and clean-up after the disaster….When medical examiners receive death reports of public health importance, specifically those related to hurricanes, reports are made to the Florida Medical Examiners Commission (MEC)….Medical examiners investigating…deaths make a determination of the manner of death, based on the circumstances and physical findings. Deaths are classified as accidental–unintentional injury, natural–acerbation of a preexisting medical condition by storm stress, suicide—self-inflicted fatal injury, homicide—fatal injury inflicted by another person, or undetermined—death due to uncertain circumstances….For 2004, hurricane-related deaths include those initially reported by the MEC, as well as 17 deaths reported by…(FEMA) that the MEC subsequently reviewed and also determined to be due to the direct or indirect effects of the hurricanes. (pp. 148-150.)

[7] Also: Orlando Sentinel, FL. “Ivan Death Toll Rises by 2.” 9-22-2004.

[8] “Six people were killed in Bay County, Florida, and officials know that more people have died.” This was an early report which we have not been able to verify.

[9] News Herald, Panama City, FL. “Damage” (from 1A), 9-17-2004, p. 2A.

[10] “A wood-frame house was lifted 60 feet off its foundation and thrown into a field. Of the seven family members inside, one was killed and another injured. Several other homes were damaged…” (NCDC. Storm Events Database.)

[11] Of Marti Martin Realty. (News Herald, Panama City, FL. “Damage” (from 1A), 9-17-2004, p. 2A.)

[12] “A strong F1 tornado touched down near the St Andrews recreation area. It damaged dozens of restaurants, stores and shops as it moved north along Thomas Drive. Seven persons were injured at a seafood restaurant near Grand Lagoon. An elderly man was killed when the tornado destroyed a real estate office. The tornado moved across St Andrews Bay near the Hathaway Bridge and then 100 yards south of the WJHG-TV station before dissipating. Reported by the Bay County EMA and WJHG-TV meteorologist.” (NCDC. Storm Events Database.)

[13] “The supercell thunderstorm which spawned tornadoes in Franklin and Liberty counties, produced a strong F2 tornado, which touched down just southeast of Van Lierop Road, a few miles east of Highway 69. It crossed Highway 69 near the Stafford Creek Bridge, and peeled roofs from dozens of homes, uprooted trees, and scattered debris. The tornado then struck the Macedonia Community at Highway 69-A and Parrish Lake Road. It demolished three trailers and damaged 30 homes. The tornado picked up two neighboring mobile homes. One was thrown across a road and killed its two occupants. Another was slammed into a neighbor’s house, which killed its two occupants and injured five others. Reported by the Calhoun County EMA.” See, also: Stewart. …Ivan… 5-27-2005.

[14] “James Marshall, 41, and wife, Mary Marshall, 37, were killed when a tornado ripped through their home in Blountstown….Melvin Terry…early 50s, also died in the Blountstown tornado when five members of his extended family took shelter in a mobile home and it was destroyed…A woman in her mid-30s only identified as Donna also was killed in the mobile home where Terry was killed.” (News Herald, Panama City, FL. “Ivan.” 9-17-2004, 2B.)

[15] Also: Orlando Sentinel, FL. “Ivan Death Toll Rises by 2.” 9-22-2004.

[16] News Herald, Panama City, FL. “Ivan.” 9-17-2004, 2B. We have, however, only been able to identify three.

[17] APNews. “Florida death toll from Ivan climbs to 18.” 9-21-2004. From Donna, Texas. Body recovered by divers from Escambia Bay. Date of death from: Pensapedia. “Hurricane Ivan.” 12-12-2012 modification; Spanish Cove Update, Lillian, AL. “It’s Still Hurricane Season.” Vol. 20, Sep 2012.

[18] APNews. “Florida death toll from Ivan…” 9-21-2004; Orlando Sentinel. “Ivan Death Toll Rises by 2.” 9-22-2004; Pensapedia. “Hurricane Ivan.” 12-12-2012.

[19] Orlando Sentinel. “Ivan’s Death Toll Rises to 19,” 9-23-2004, citing Escambia County authorities who reported that the boy was helping to clear debris around his Pensacola home.” Also: Pensapedia. “Hurricane Ivan.” 12-12-2012 modification, which notes the address as 100 block of Green Hills Drive.

[20] Associated Press News. “Florida death toll from Ivan climbs to 18.” 9-21-2004. The date and location of 11800 block of Chanticleer Drive are in: Pensapedia. “Hurricane Ivan.” 12-12-2012 modification.

[21] AP News. “Florida death toll from Ivan climbs to 18.” 9-21-2004; Spanish Cove Update, Lillian, AL. “It’s Still Hurricane Season.” Vol. 20, Sep 2012; Pensapedia. “Hurricane Ivan.” 12-12-2012 modification.

[22] AP News. “Florida death toll from Ivan climbs to 18.” 9-21-2004. Named as Dr. Lois Zaragoza-Goode, wife of Horace D. Goode. (Findagrave.com. “Lois Zaragoza Goode. Hurricane Ivan Fatality, Due to Drowning.” 8-3-2011.)

[23] AP News. “Florida death toll from Ivan climbs to 18.” 9-21-2004; Spanish Cove Update, Lillian, AL. “It’s Still Hurricane Season.” Vol. 20, Sep 2012; Pensapedia. “Hurricane Ivan.” 12-12-2012 modification.

[24] APNews. “Florida death toll from Ivan…” 9-21-2004; Orlando Sentinel. “Ivan Death Toll Rises by 2.” 9-22-2004; Pensapedia. “Hurricane Ivan.” 12-12-2012 modification.

[25] AP News. “Florida death toll from Ivan climbs to 18.” 9-21-2004; Pensapedia. “Hurricane Ivan.” 12-12-2012.

[26] AP News. “Florida death toll from Ivan climbs to 18.” 9-21-2004; Pensapedia. “Hurricane Ivan.” 12-12-2012 modification (noting that the location was 3000 block of Marcus Point Boulevard).

[27] Barnes 2007, 332; APNews. “Florida death toll… 9-21-2004; Pensapedia. “Hurricane Ivan.” 12-12-2012 modification; Spanish Cove Update, Lillian, AL. “It’s Still Hurricane Season.” Vol. 20, Sep 2012.

[28] Kestin, O’Matz and Maines. “FEMA’s Funeral Tab Draws Criticism,” Orlando Sentinel, 4-10-2005. From article: “Michael Vierthaler of Madison, Wis., was devastated but not surprised when his brother, Paul, of Innerarity Point, near Pensacola, shot himself in the head Sept. 19, three days after Hurricane Ivan struck. “He was struggling with mental problems…He was bipolar. And we had done some interventions with his drinking and stuff. I knew eventually this would probably happen.” According to Michael Vierthaler, a portion of a note his brother, 55, left his children, states: “It’s not Hurricane Ivan. Those are really good cleansing things. I’m just not happy anymore and am pretty much isolated from the world.” But Buddy NeSmith, an investigator with the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, thought the death could be storm-related, referencing another part of the note. “Basically he said that he’d been having problems and that with the damage from the storm he felt like the little people were not, the government wasn’t going to help the little people, and it was no use going on,” NeSmith told the Sun-Sentinel. The Medical Examiner’s Office in Pensacola, with input from the Sheriff’s Office, initially ruled the death as hurricane-related but then reversed that opinion Oct. 6. In early January, Michael Vierthaler said, he received about $2,300 from FEMA.”

See, also: Ancientfaces.com. “Paul G Vierthaler (1949 -2004).” Accessed 2-27-2014.

[29] Cited as attributing death to “waves created by Hurricane Ivan” was Sarasota County Medical Examiner’s office. (Associated Press News. “Florida death toll from Ivan climbs to 18.” 9-21-2004.)

[30] Jay Barnes. Florida’s Hurricane History (Second Edition). Chapel Hill: University of NC Press, 2007, p. 332.

[31] News Herald, Panama City, FL. “Ivan.” 9-17-2004, 2B. Age is noted as 7 in: Pensapedia. “Hurricane Ivan.” 12-12-2012 modification.

[32] “Four people were killed when a small plane crashed into a residential area shortly after takeoff…It happened in Milton, Florida, which is east of Pensacola in Santa Rosa County. The single-engine Cessna took off from Peter Prince Airport, then appeared to lose power. The plane went down into a neighborhood just off the runway. No one on the ground was hurt…The four killed in the crash were members of The Pace Assembly of God church. Pastor Glyn Lowery says they were involved in relief efforts in the wake of Hurricane Ivan.” (WJHG, News Channel 7, Panama City Beach, FL. “Plane Crashes Northeast of Pensacola in the Florida Panhandle,” 9-24-2004.) Also: Jay Barnes. Florida’s Hurricane History (Second Edition). Chapel Hill: University of NC Press, 2007, p. 332.

[33] CNN. “U.S. death toll at least 24 in Ivan’s wake,” 9-18-2004.; Barnes 2007, p. 332. According to the National Climatic Data Center, the girl “was swept away in flood waters, while outside in the front yard of her mobile home. The mobile home park was flooded by the waters from a nearby small stream…” Also: Associated Press. “State-by-state developments with Hurricane Ivan as of Saturday.” 9-18-2004.

[34] CNN. “U.S. death toll at least 24 in Ivan’s wake,” 9-18-2004. Cites Georgia Emergency Management Agency.

[35] Cites Georgia Emergency Management Agency.

[36] “This tornado touched down west of Franklin Springs, then moved north-northwest, damaging several homes, businesses, and vehicles as it tracked toward Carnesville. Numerous trees and power lines were also blown down. A 38-year-old woman was killed when the vehicle she was driving was hit by a falling tree.” (NCDC. Storm Events.)

[37] Cites GA Emer. Mgmt. Agency. Could be reference to Sep 16 death of Franklin Springs area woman who, according to the National Climatic Data Ctr., “was killed when the vehicle she was driving was hit by a falling tree.”

[38] “In Louisiana, four evacuees died after being take from their storm-threatened homes to safer parts of the state.”

[39] Associated Press. “State-by-state developments with Hurricane Ivan as of Saturday.” 9-18-2004.

[40] Post-Standard, Syracuse, NY. “Ivan begins its assault on coast.” 9-16-2004, pp. 1 & 10.

[41] Washington Times. “Maryland women die in Ivan’s wake.” 9-19-2004. Cited as source are State Police. It is noted that Betty A. Kline was the daughter of Grace M. Jackson.

[42] Also: CNN. “U.S. death toll at least 24 in Ivan’s wake,” 9-18-2004, citing Mississippi Emergency Management.

[43] National Climatic Data Center. Storm Events Database. Event Details. Hurricane. Miss. Winston. 9-16-2004.

[44] News Herald, Panama City, FL. “Ivan….Mississippi.” 9-19-2004, 2A, col. 1. This is probably the fatality that Stewart refers to as the one direct death in MS in his Tropical Cyclone Report on Hurricane Ivan.

[45] Article notes this was near Asheville and that there was one survivor. (Erica Beshears (AP). “Six Dead in the N.C. mountains.” Charlotte Observer (posted 9-17-2004)); AP. “Ivan now recognized as deadliest storm in western N.C. in 27 years.” Dispatch, Lexington, 9-22-2004, 3A.

[46] “Harmon Den…a…woman…died when raging flood waters apparently pushed her and her 4-year-old son off a low bridge over the Pigeon River…Danielle Forrester, 27…called [boyfriend in Charlotte]…Saturday [Sep 24]… She told him that Interstate 40 had been closed because of mudslides and he advised her to go home. She said she would look for an alternate route. The one she found was a bumpy, graveled forest service road in the Harmon Den area that crossed the Pigeon River. Searchers found her body and that of her son, Julian, on its banks Tuesday about a half-mile from a bridge where law enforcement officials and family members said they believe Forrester left the car when the engine stalled.” (AP. “Ivan now recognized as deadliest storm in western N.C. in 27 years.” The Dispatch, Lexington, NC, 9-22-2004, 3A.); AP. “Two more flood victims found in N.C.” 9-22-2004.

[47] AP. “Ivan now recognized as deadliest storm in western N.C. in 27 years.” Dispatch, Lexington, 9-22-2004, 3A.

[48] National Climatic Data Center. Storm Events Database. Event Details. High Wind…NC…Henderson [County].

[49] N.C. Geological Survey. “Geologic hazards in North Carolina – Landslides.” No date. Some reports have Peeks Creek slide at four deaths (Cunningham, Candice. “Storm claims at least four lives. The Franklin Press, Franklin, NC. 9-21-2004.) One of the survivors (who was injured and had a leg amputated) lost her 7-month-old fetus.

[50] AP. “Ivan now recognized as deadliest storm in western N.C. in 27 years.” Dispatch, Lexington, 9-22-2004, 3A.

[51] AP. “Ivan now recognized as deadliest storm in western N.C. in 27 years.” Dispatch, Lexington, 9-22-2004, 3A.

[52] “The couple came to stay with family in Macon County to avoid Ivan’s direct hit on the Florida Panhandle.” AP. “Ivan now recognized as deadliest storm in western N.C. in 27 years.” Dispatch, Lexington, 9-22-2004, 3A; Associated Press. “Florida Panhandle man identified as latest N.C. victim of Ivan,” 10-6-2004.

[53] Body was found Oct 2 by kayakers in the Cullasaja River and was identified by the state Medical Examiner’s Office. (Associated Press. “Florida Panhandle man identified as latest N.C. victim of Ivan,” 10-6-2004); AP. “Ivan now recognized as deadliest storm in western N.C. in 27 years.” Dispatch, Lexington, 9-22-2004, 3A.

[54] AP. “Ivan now recognized as deadliest storm in western N.C. in 27 years.” Dispatch, Lexington, 9-22-2004, 3A.

[55] “A Yancey County woman died of a heart attack Friday in a storm related death. According to Yancey County Emergency Management Director Junior McIntyre, Savannah Geouge Shuford, age 73, and her husband Ed, were leaving their house on Upper Browns Creek because of rising waters when volunteers from South Toe Fire Dept came by and told them they could come to Fire Station. When the Shuford’s arrived at the station they decided to remain their in truck—it was there where Mrs. Shuford went into full arrest.” (WKYK 940AM, Burnsville, NC. “Flood Fatality in Yancey,” 9-20-2004.) AP. “Ivan…deadliest storm…years.” Dispatch, Lexington, 9-22-2004, 3A.

[56] News Herald, Panama City, FL. “Ivan….Ohio.” 9-19-2004, 2A, col. 1.

[57] AP. State-by-state developments with Hurricane Ivan as of Saturday.” 9-18-2004.

[58] News Herald, Panama City, FL. “Ivan…Tennessee.” 9-19-2004, 2A, col. 1.

[59] From NHC report; does not explain; we guess that one might have been the “boogie board” surfing death of Joe Milke at Longboat Key, Manatee County, Florida. Do not know what the other “Surf” death might reference.

[60] Have not been able to identify the fifth fatality. Perhaps it is a reference to truck driver who died when a section of the I-10 bridge over Escambia Bay failed and his rig fell into the Bay?

[61] Body was found Oct 2 by kayakers in the Cullasaja River.

[62] The Medical Examiner’s Office in Pensacola, with input from the Sheriff’s Office, initially ruled the death as hurricane-related but then reversed that opinion Oct. 6.

[63] Cites GA Emer. Mgmt. Agency. This could be reference to Sep 16 death of Franklin Springs area woman who, according to National Climatic Data Center, “was killed when the vehicle she was driving was hit by a falling tree.”

[64] This could be fatality Stewart refers to as the direct death in MS in his Tropical Cyclone Report on Ivan.

[65] Since the report does not explain, we are left to guess that one of these two might have been the “boogie board” surfing death of Joe Milke at Longboat Key, Manatee County, Florida. Do not know what the other “Surf” death might be in reference.

–10  AP. “Ten Dead in Suspected Arson at Apartment near Columbus.” Jeffersonian, 9-12-2004.

–10  Columbus Dispatch. “Apartment fire that killed 10 still unsolved 10 years later.” 9-12-2014

–10  NFPA. The U.S. Fire Problem. Home Fires with Ten or More Fatalities (1980-2007). 2008.

–10  PR Newswire. “Columbus, Ohio Apartment Fire Ruled Arson.” 9-30-2004.

 

Narrative Information

 

Sep 12, AP: “Columbus (AP) A survivor of a suspected arson fire that killed 10 people reached for the ladder in a desperate attempt to reach relatives trapped on the third floor. But Antonio Noriega said firefighters pulled him away as flames raced through the structure where his brother and his family had settled after leaving Mexico to earn a better living. My family, they’re sleeping and the fire is coming fast, said Noriega, who had jumped out the window of his first-floor apartment. I cant help my brothers. Ismael Noriega, 36, his wife, Lidia Mejia, 22, and their three young sons died in the fire, according to Antonio Noriega, Ismaels brother. Mejias two brothers, her nephew and two family friends also died in the fire, Noriega said.

 

“The victims lived in the same apartment on the third floor, which was destroyed in the quickly moving fire, said Prairie Township Fire Chief Steve Feustel. The fire broke out about 2:30 a.m. at the 24-unit Lincoln Park West Apartments in suburban Columbus. The flames left a wooden skeleton exposed above melted siding and at least 53 people homeless. Two people, including a woman who jumped from a window, were treated and released from Mount Carmel West hospital, a nursing supervisor said….

 

“Feustel said it was suspicious that the fire burned so fiercely in a stairway, which in modern buildings are designed not to burn. The flames there blocked people from escaping. He said it appeared the first victims found had been trying to escape the flames. Feustel said the fire started either in the basement or the first floor, but the cause was not known. There were no suspects and no known witnesses. The fire came about six weeks after three fires were set in the same building in an empty apartment and hallway, Feustel said….” (AP. “Ten Dead in Suspected Arson at Apartment near Columbus.” Daily & Sunday Jeffersonian, Cambridge, OH, 9-12-2004.)

 

Sep 30, PR Newswire: “On September 12, 2004, 10  individuals were tragically killed in a fire that was ruled as arson at the  Lincoln Park West Apartment Complex. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Ohio  State Fire Marshal and the Franklin County Sheriff’s Department responded to  the scene and are actively investigating this incident. Columbus Crime Stoppers announced that it is offering up to $7,000 reward  to anyone who can provide information that leads to an arrest and indictment  of the person(s) responsible for this crime.  ATF, the Ohio State Fire Marshal and the Franklin County Sheriff’s  Department are committed to investigating this crime and bringing to justice the person(s) responsible for this crime….Source: Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives.” (PR Newswire. “Columbus, Ohio Apartment Fire Ruled Arson.” 9-30-2004.)

 

Sources

 

Associated Press. “Ten Dead in Suspected Arson at Apartment near Columbus.” Daily & Sunday Jeffersonian, Cambridge, OH, 9-12-2004. Accessed 9-29-2015 at: http://daily-jeff.com/local%20news/2004/09/13/ten-dead-in-suspected-arson-at-apartment-near-columbus

 

Columbus Dispatch (Encarnacion Pyle). “Apartment fire that killed 10 still unsolved 10 years later.” 9-12-2014. Accessed 9-29-2015: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2014/09/12/sad-anniversary.html

 

National Fire Protection Association. The U.S. Fire Problem. “Home Fires with Ten or More Fatalities (1980-2007).” Quincy, MA:  NFPA, April 2008 update. Accessed at:  http://www.nfpa.org:80/itemDetail.asp?categoryID=953&itemID=30981&URL=Research%20&%20Reports/Fire%20statistics/The%20U.S.%20fire%20problem

 

PR Newswire. “Columbus, Ohio Apartment Fire Ruled Arson.” 9-30-2004. Accessed 9-29-2015: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/columbus-ohio-apartment-fire-ruled-arson-74010442.html

 

 

 

International             (      2)

—  1  Bahamas. (Direct).   Beven. Tropical Cyclone Report…Frances, 25 August – 8 Sep 2004.

—  1  Bahamas. (Indirect). Beven. Tropical Cyclone Report…Frances, 25 August – 8 Sep 2004.

 

United States              (    63) 

— 63  Blanchard tally of aggregated State and local breakouts below.

— 49  Banks, et al. “An Assessment of the…Barriers to Effective Disaster Response.” 4-30-2007.

— 49  Longshore. Encyclopedia of Hurricanes, Typhoons, and Cyclones (New Ed.). 2008, 198.

— 48  NCDC. Billion-Dollar Weather/Climate Disasters, 1980-2013. NOAA, NCDC.

— 47  Beven, John L. II. Tropical Cyclone Report. Hurricane Frances, 25 August – 8 Sep 2004.

— 47  McKinney, et al. “Direct and indirect mortality in Florida during the 2004…” 2011, 536.[1]

—   7  Direct. Franklin, et al. “Atlantic Hurricane Season of 2004,” MWR,  March 2006, p1002.[2]

 

Alabama                     (     1)

–1  Tuskegee, Sep 5. Traffic accident; family evacuating from Titusville, FL; boy (Dorang), 12.[3]

 

Florida                        (   47)

—  47  State. Blanchard tally based on county and locality breakouts below.[4]

—  45  NWS. “Hurricane Frances…Related Deaths in Sept. 2004” (Spreadsheet). 10-13-2004.

—  43  Blanchard tally of Bevin’s 37 and coroner’s 6 from review of FEMA funeral payouts.

—  38  Sturrock. ESF-8 Public Health Preparedness and Response in Florida (Dissertation). 2010, 198.

—  37  State. Beven. Tropical Cyclone Report. Hurricane Frances, 25 Aug – 8 Sep 2004.

—  32  State, indirect. Beven. Tropical Cyclone Report. Hurricane Frances, 25 Aug – 8 Sep 2004.

—>23  State. News Herald, Panama City, FL. “Hurricane developments,” 9-11-2004, 8A.

—    5  State, direct. Beven. Tropical Cyclone Report. Hurricane Frances, 25 Aug – 8 Sep 2004.

—    6  State. Natural causes identified by coroner examination of FEMA funeral payouts.[5]

Florida County Breakouts:

—  1  Alachua Co, Gainesville, Sep 6. Suffocation; smoke/fire, burning candles, woman (McGriff), 86.[6]

 

—  1  Alachua Co. Gainesville vic., Sep 5. Tree fall, mobile home; woman (Rose Marie Hall), 61.[7]

—  1  Alachua County, I-17, Gainesville vicinity, Sep 5. Car hits tree; (James Schwartz, 28[8]).[9]

—  1  Bibb Co., Sep 7. Vehicle; public works employee truck rear-ended by SUV, man, 20s.[10]

—  1  Brevard, Oct 12 (earlier inj.). Electrocution; man, 46, connecting RV generator to home.[11]

—  1  Broward County. Renal failure after missing dialysis treatments; hurricane-related.[12]

—  1  Broward County. Vehicle-related. NWS WFO Miami-South Florida. Hurricane Frances.[13]

—  1  Broward Co., Sep 5. Vehicle collision at intersection with traffic lights out, woman, 33.[14]

—  1  Charlton County, Sep 7. Heart attack; man, 58, living in RV park, during the storm.[15]

—  1  Collier County, Sep 12 (earlier injuries). Fall from tree; clearing debris, man, 77.[16]

—  1  Flagler County, Sep 5. Drowning; refused police order to evacuate, boat sinks, man, 81.[17]

—  2  Gadsden Co., Sep 5. Vehicular; wet highway; John Madden and boy, Bowden Madden.[18]

—  1  Highlands County, Sep 6. Fall from roof; man, 80, cleaning storm debris from his roof.[19]

—  1  Hillsborough County, Tampa, Sep 5. Vehicular, one-car crash during rain, man, 19.[20]

—  1  Hillsborough County, Sep 9. Tree branch fall; hits utility repair man, 53, on the ground.[21]

—  1  Indian River, Sep 8. Carbon monoxide poisoning; generator in home garage, man, 30.[22]

—  1  Lake County, Sep 23 (Sep 5 injury). Wind gust, woman, 78, falls, severe leg injury.[23]

—  1  Lee Co., Fort Myers vic., Sep 5. Fall, blunt-force trauma, man, 81, walking dog, high wind.[24]

—  1  Marion County, Sep 6. Fall from ladder checking roof damage at school, man, 47.[25]

 

—  1  Marion County, Sep 7. Electrocution; female, 48, when lightning hits line tied to tree.[26]

—  1  Martin County, Sep 8. Drowning; workman, 43 repairing structure near pool.[27]

–?7? Miami-Dade County. FEMA funeral expenses for Frances related deaths.[28]

—  1  Orange Co., Sep 24 (Sep 3 injury). Man, 70, scalded by radiator water while evacuating.[29]

—  1  Osceola Co., Sep 12. Man, 19, repairing roof damage falls through sky light opening.[30]

—  1  Osceola Co., Sep 13. Man, 40, repairing roof damage falls through sky light opening.[31]

—  6  Palm Beach Co. Vehicle-related accidents and drownings. NWS WFO, Miami-So FL.[32]

–1  Palm Beach County, Sep 4. Heart attack; man, 46, while assisting neighbors shutter.[33]

–1  Palm Beach County, Sep 5. Drowning; securing boats at marina boat ramp, man, 55.[34]

–1  Palm Beach Co., Sep 7/8. Drowning; man, 22, attempts swim across marina channel.[35]

–1  Palm Beach Co., Sep 22. Electrocution; man, 52, trimming downed tree, hit power line.[36]

–1  Palm Beach Co., Sep 22 (from earlier injury). Fall in darkened home, man, 81.[37]

–1  Palm Beach Co., Sep 8. Vehicle accident, intersection where traffic lights out, man, 67.[38]

—  1  Polk County, Sep 10. Fall from roof while cleaning storm debris; man, 57.[39]

—  1  Polk Co., Sep 10. Fall from roof while cleaning storm debris; man, 58 (separate event).[40]

—  1  Polk County, Sep 11. Aircraft accident; spraying mosquitoes, wing hits tower, man, 61.[41]

—  1  Polk County, Sep 11. Aircraft accident; spraying mosquitoes, wing hits tower, man, 55.[42]

—  1  Putnam County, Sep 8. Tree limb fall onto man, 44, cleaning-up downed tree limbs.[43]

—  1  Seminole Co., Sanford. Vehicle; traffic light out at intersection due to storm, man, 44.[44]

—  1  St. Lucie Co., Sep 8. Suicide; gunshot wound, man, 63 “was distraught over…storm.”[45]

—  1  Sumter County, Sep 7. CO poisoning from generator in mobile home; man, 41.[46]

—  1  Taliaferro County, I-20, Sep 7. Vehicle hydroplanes off road and strikes tree; man, 22.[47]

—  1  Taliaferro Co., I-20, Sep 7. Vehicle hydroplanes off road and strikes tree; woman, 20.[48]

—  4  Volusia County, Deland, Sep 8. Two motorcycles skid into downed tree in dark.[49]

–1  Ryan Cayford, 21, of Debary.

–1  Andrea Wagner, 21, of Deltona.

–1  Matthew Teston, 21, of Orange City.

–1  Rebecca Smith, 20, of Deland.

—  1  Warren Co., I-20, Sep 6. Car hydroplanes into oncoming car (no injuries); woman, 20.[50]

—  1  Warren County, I-20, Sep 6. Car hydroplanes into oncoming car (no injuries); male, 24.[51]

 

Georgia                      (    8)

— 8  (Indirect). Beven. Tropical Cyclone Report. Hurricane Frances, 25 August – 8 Sep 2004.

— 1  Butts County, Jackson Lake, Sep 7. Drowning; blown off boat by high wind, man, 22.[52]

— 5  Vehicular. AP. “14 deaths blames on Hurricane Frances.” USA Today, 9-7-2004.[53]

–3  One accident. AP. “14 deaths blames on Hurricane Frances.” USA Today, 9-7-2004.

–1  Sep 6. Vehicular; car hydroplanes and overturns during the storm, female, 18.[54]

–1  Ashburn, Sep 7. Head-on collision; Brant Moskowicz, 40.[55]

 

North Carolina          (  ~3)

— ~3  National Weather Ser., Raleigh, NC. Hurricane Frances, September 2004. 10-18-2004.[56]

 

Ohio                            (     2)

— 1  (Indirect). Beven. Tropical Cyclone Report. Hurricane Frances, 25 August – 8 Sep 2004.

— 1  (Direct).  Beven. Tropical Cyclone Report. Hurricane Frances, 25 August – 8 Sep 2004.

— 1  Cambridge, Guernsey Co., Apparent heart attack; man, 65, helping pump basement water.[57]

— 1  Tuscarawas County. Drowning; girl, 9, swept off footbridge by rain-swollen stream.[58]

 

South Carolina          (     3)

—>1  National Snow & Ice Data Center, NASA. AMSR-E Images of Hurricane Frances.[59]

—  1  Aiken Co., I-20, Aiken vic. Traffic accident; woman (Robin J. Williams), 50.[60]

—  1  Fairfield County. Tornado destroys mobile home, middle-aged man injured, later dies.[61]

—  1  Greenville County, Greenville, Sep 7. Electrocution; utility worker, Glenn Wyatt, 33.[62]

 

Cause of Death Breakouts

 

Direct                          (  8):

 

Drowning:                              (  3)

–1  FL, Flagler County, Sep 5. Drowning; refused police order to evacuate, boat sinks, man, 81.

–1  GA, Butts County, Jackson Lake, Sep 7. Drowning; blown off boat by high wind, man, 22.[63]

–1  OH, Tuscarawas County. Drowning; girl, 9, swept off footbridge by rain-swollen stream.

 

Electrocution:                        (  1)

–1  FL, Marion County, Sep 7. Electrocution; female, 48, when lightning hits line tied to tree.[64]

 

Fall; outside:                          (  2)

–1  FL, Lake County, Sep 23 (Sep 5 injury). Wind gust, woman, 78, falls, severe leg injury.

–1  FL, Lee Co., Ft. Myers vic., Sep 5. Fall; blunt-force trauma, man, 81, walking dog, high wind.

 

Tornado:                                (  1)

–1  SC, Fairfield County. Tornado destroys mobile home, middle-aged man injured, later dies.

 

Tree fall during hurricane:  (  1)

–1  FL, Alachua County, Sep 5. Tree fall onto mobile home; woman (Rose Marie Hall), 61.

 

Indirect                       (56): 

 

Accidents                                            (  3)

–1  FL, Orange Co., Sep 24 (Sep 3 injury). Man, 70, scalded by radiator water while evacuating.

–1  FL, Osceola County, Sep 12. Man, 19, repairing roof damage falls through sky light opening.

–1  FL, Osceola County, Sep 13. Man, 40, repairing roof damage falls through sky light opening.

 

Airplane crash:                                 (  2)

–1  FL, Polk County, Sep 11. Aircraft accident; spraying mosquitoes, wing hits tower, man, 61.

–1  FL, Polk County, Sep 11. Aircraft accident; spraying mosquitoes, wing hits tower, man, 55.

 

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning:          (  2)

–1  FL, Indian River Co., Sep 8. Carbon mono. poisoning; generator in home garage, man, 30.

–1  FL, Sumter County, Sep 7. CO poisoning from generator in mobile home; man, 41.

 

Drowning accident:                           (  3)

–1  FL, Martin County, Sep 8. Drowning; workman, 43 repairing structure near pool.

–1  FL, Palm Beach County, Sep 5. Drowning; securing boats at marina boat ramp, man, 55.[65]

–1  FL, Palm Beach Co., Sep 7/8. Drowning; man, 22, attempts swim across marina channel.[66]

 

Electrocution:                                    (  3)

–1  FL, Brevard, Oct 12 (earlier inj.). Electrocution; man, 46, connecting RV generator to home.

–1  SC, Palm Beach Co., Sep 22. Electrocution; man, 52, trimming downed tree, hit power line.

–1  SC, Greenville County, Greenville, Sep 7. Electrocution; utility worker, Glenn Wyatt, 33.

 

Falls, inside:                                       (  1)

–1  FL, Palm Beach Co., Sep 22 (from earlier injury). Fall in darkened home, man, 81.

 

Fall; outside during cleanup:           (  5)

–1  FL, Collier County, Sep 12 (earlier injuries). Fall from tree; clearing debris, man, 77.

–1  FL, Highlands County, Sep 6. Fall from roof; man, 80, cleaning storm debris from his roof.

–1  FL, Marion County, Sep 6. Fall from ladder checking roof damage at school, man, 47.

–1  FL, Polk County, Sep 10. Fall from roof while cleaning storm debris; man, 57.

–1  FL, Polk Co., Sep 10. Fall from roof while cleaning storm debris; man, 58 (separate event).

 

Fire/Smoke Inhalation/Suffocation: ( 1)

–1  FL, Alachua Co, Sep 6. Suffocation; smoke/fire, burning candles, woman (McGriff), 86.

 

Health-Related:                                 (  4)

–1  FL, Broward County. Renal failure after missing dialysis treatments; hurricane-related.

–1  FL, Charlton County, Sep 7. Heart attack; man, 58, living in RV park, during the storm.

–1  FL, Palm Beach County, Sep 4. Heart attack; man, 46, while assisting neighbors shutter.

–1  OH, Cambridge, Guernsey Co., Apparent heart attack; man, 65, helping pump-out basement.

 

Suicide:                                               (  1)

–1  FL, St. Lucie County, Sep 8. Suicide; gunshot, man, 63 “was distraught over…storm.”

 

Tree fall during cleanup:                 (  2)

–1  FL, Hillsborough County, Sep 9. Tree branch fall; hits utility repair man, 53, on the ground.

–1  FL, Putnam County, Sep 8. Tree limb fall onto man, 44, cleaning-up downed tree limbs.

 

Vehicular:                                          (23)

–1  FL, Alachua County, I-17, Gainsville vicinity, Sep 5. Car hits tree; (James Schwartz, 28).

–1  FL, Bibb Co., Sep 7. Vehicle; public works employee truck rear-ended by SUV, man, 20s.

–1  FL, Broward County. Vehicular. NWS WFO Miami-South Florida. Hurricane Frances.

–1  FL, Broward Co., Sep 5. Vehicle collision at intersection with traffic lights out, woman, 33.

–2  FL, Gadsden Co., Sep 5. Vehicular; wet highway; John Madden and boy, Bowden Madden.

–1  FL, Hillsborough County, Tampa, Sep 5. Vehicular, one-car crash during rain, man, 19.

–1  FL, Palm Beach Co., Sep 8. Vehicle accident, intersection where traffic lights out, man, 67.

–1  FL, Seminole Co., Sanford. Vehicle; traffic light out at intersection due to storm, man, 44.

–1  FL, Taliaferro County, I-20, Sep 7. Vehicle hydroplanes off road, strikes tree; man, 22.

–1  FL, Taliaferro County, I-20, Sep 7. Vehicle hydroplanes off road, strikes tree; woman, 20.

–4  FL, Volusia County, Deland, Sep 8. Two motorcycles skid into downed tree in dark.

–1  Ryan Cayford, 21, of Debary.

–1  Andrea Wagner, 21, of Deltona.

–1  Matthew Teston, 21, of Orange City.

–1  Rebecca Smith, 20, of Deland.

–1  FL, Warren Co., I-20, Sep 6. Car hydroplanes into oncoming car (no injuries); woman, 20.

–1  FL, Warren County, I-20, Sep 6. Car hydroplanes into oncoming car (no injuries); male, 24.

–5  GA, Vehicular. Assoc. Pr. “14 deaths blames on Hurricane Frances.” USA Today, 9-7-2004.

–3  One accident. AP. “14 deaths blames on Hurricane Frances.” USA Today, 9-7-2004.

–1  Sep 6. Vehicular; car hydroplanes and overturns during the storm, female, 18.[67]

–1  Ashburn, Sep 7. Head-on collision; Brant Moskowicz, 40.[68]

–1  SC, Traffic accident. CNN. “Florida cleans up as Frances moves north,” 9-7-2004.

 

Unidentified:                                      (  5)

— 2  GA (indirect). Beven. Tropical Cyclone Report…Frances, 25 Aug – 8 Sep 2004.[69]

–~3  NC. National Weather Ser., Raleigh, NC. Hurricane Frances, Sept. 2004. 10-18-2004.[70]

 

Narrative Information

 

South Florida Sun-Sentinel: “Fort Lauderdale, Fla. — The federal government used hurricane aid money to pay funeral expenses for at least 203 Floridians whose deaths were not caused by last year’s storms, the state’s coroners said. The deaths include a Palm Beach Gardens millionaire recovering from heart surgery who died two days before Hurricane Frances, a Miami baby not born when the storm arrived, and a Port Charlotte man who died of cirrhosis and heart failure five months after Hurricane Charley. In two other cases, coroners could find no record of the people dying.

 

“The Federal Emergency Management Agency approved 319 hurricane funeral claims in Florida for $1.3 million. But most of those people died from natural ailments, suicides or accidents unrelated to the storms, the coroners concluded.

 

“Florida’s Medical Examiners Commission will discuss the findings at a meeting today in Key Biscayne. The commission began a review of the deaths after the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported in April that FEMA funeral claims were nearly three times as high as the official hurricane death toll. Statewide, the number of deaths FEMA counted as hurricane-related but that coroners did not blame on the storms is at least 203. That number could increase because coroners have not completed a review of 33 deaths that resulted in FEMA payouts, most of them in the Panhandle, and medical examiners did not rule on 10 other people who died outside Florida. The death review is the first official look at where the funeral money went.

 

“Charged with compiling the official list of hurricane deaths, the coroners examined the FEMA cases to see whether they missed any fatalities. The review identified six deaths not previously attributed to the storms, including one man in Broward who died of renal failure after missing dialysis treatments because of Hurricane Frances.

 

“Ten people were not in Florida at the time of their deaths, including Brant Moskowicz, 40, of Boca Raton. He died in a head-on collision Sept. 7 in Ashburn, Ga.”  (South Florida Sun-Sentinel. “Deaths claimed as storm-related found not to be.” 8-11-2005.)

 

Sources

 

Associated Press. “13 Florida deaths blames on Hurricane Frances.” St. Augustine.com, 9-8-2004. Accessed at: http://staugustine.com/stories/090804/sta_2565602.shtml

 

Associated Press. “14 deaths blames on Hurricane Frances.” USA Today, 9-7-2004. Accessed at:

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/weather/hurricane/2004-09-07-frances_x.htm

 

Associated Press. “Hurricane Frances floods streets, knocks out power as it crosses Florida.” USA Today, 9-6-2004. Accessed at: http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/weather/hurricane/2004-09-05-frances-landfall_x.htm

 

Banks, Laura L., Michael E. Richards, Mark B. Shah (Center for Disaster Medicine, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque). “An Assessment of the Personal and Emotional Barriers to Effective Disaster Response on the Part of Healthcare Professionals. 4-30-2007. Boulder, CO. Natural Hazards Center, University of Colorado at Boulder, Quick Response Report No. 188, December 2006. At: http://www.colorado.edu/hazards/research/qr/qr188/qr188.pdf

 

Beven, John L. II. Tropical Cyclone Report. Hurricane Frances, 25 August – 8 September 2004. National Hurricane Center, National Weather Service, NOAA. 12-17-2004. Accessed at: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/2004frances.shtml

 

Brewer, Michael. Email from Chief Michael Brewer, Director, Butts County Emergency Management Agency, 12-16-2004 to Kenneth Davis, Georgia Emergency Management Agency. Forwarded to Max Mayfield, National Hurricane Center. Forwarded by John L. Bevin, Tropical Prediction Center, National Hurricane Center, 3-7-2014 to Edward N. Rappaport, Deputy Director, National Hurricane Center, and then by Dr. Rappaport to Wayne Blanchard, 3-7-2014.

 

CNN. “Florida cleans up as Frances moves north,” 9-7-2004. Accessed 3-3-2014 at: http://www.cnn.com/2004/WEATHER/09/07/hurricane.frances/

 

Collins, Jeffrey (Associated Press). “Rain and wind but not much damage,” Aiken Standard, SC, 9-9-2004, 6A. At: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=103883399&sterm

 

Franklin, James L., R. J. Pasch, L. A. Avila, J. L. Beven II, M. B. Lawrence, S. R. Stewart, E. S. Blake. “Annual Summary. Atlantic Hurricane Season of 2004,” Monthly Weather Review, Vol. 134, March 2006, pp. 981-1025. At: http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/hurdat/mwr_pdf/2004.pdf

 

Kestin, Sally, Megan O’Matz and Jon Burstein. “FEMA paid for at least 203 funerals not related to 2004 hurricanes.” Sun-Sentinel, FL, 8-10-2005. Accessed 3-9-2014 at: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-fema10aug10,0,1862957.story

 

Longshore, David.  Encyclopedia of Hurricanes, Typhoons, and Cyclones (New Edition). New York, NY:  Facts on File, 2008. 468 pages. Google preview accessible at: http://books.google.com/books?id=8kXwskQHBLoC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

 

Los Angeles Times, CA. “Remnants of hurricane still strong enough to stir up trouble.” The Gazette, Colorado Springs, CO, 9-8-2004, p. A10. Accessed 3-9-2014 at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=189014166&sterm

 

McKinney, Nathan, Chris Houser, Klaus Meyer-Arendt. “Direct and indirect mortality in Florida during the 2004 hurricane season.” International Journal of Biometeorology, Vol. 55, 2011, pp. 533-546. Accessed 2-23-2014 at: http://www.academia.edu/421697/Direct_and_Indirect_Mortality_In_Florida_During_the_2004_Hurricane_Season

 

National Climatic Data Center. Billion-Dollar Weather/Climate Disasters, 1980-2013. NOAA, NCDC. Accessed at: https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/billions/events

 

National Snow & Ice Data Center, NASA. AMSR-E Images of Hurricane Frances. (Web). Accessed 3-3-2014 at: http://nsidc.org/data/amsre/image_gallery/frances.html

 

National Weather Service. “Hurricane Frances Storm Related Deaths in September 2004” (Spreadsheet). As of 1500, 10-13-2004. John L. Bevin (NOAA) email attachment to Edward N. Rappaport, National Hurricane Center, and forwarded to Wayne Blanchard, 3-7-2014.

 

National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office, Miami-South Florida. Hurricane Frances (website). 4-8-2010 modification. Accessed at: http://www.srh.noaa.gov/mfl/?n=frances

 

National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office, Raleigh, NC. Hurricane Frances, September 2004. 10-18-2004 update. Accessed at: http://www4.ncsu.edu/~nwsfo/storage/cases/20040908/

 

News Herald, Panama City, FL. “Hurricane developments,” 9-11-2004, 8A. Accessed 3-9-2014 at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=182085937&sterm

 

Palm Beach Post, FL. Mean Season: Florida’s Hurricanes of 2004. Roanoke, VA, R. R. Donnelley and Longstreet Press, 2004. Google preview accessed at:

http://books.google.com/books?id=QBj7tWkUmwMC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

 

Pharos-Tribune, Logansport, IN. “Frances (continued from page A1),” 9-7-2004. A2. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=109357850&sterm

 

Pickering, Bob (Flagler County, Georgia, Emergency Management). Email dated 11-12-2004, subject “RE: Storm Fatality,” to Al Sandrick, NOAA. Forwarded 3-7-2014 by Edward Rappaport, Deputy Director, National Hurricane Center, to Wayne Blanchard.

 

South Florida Sun-Sentinel. “Deaths claimed as storm-related found not to be.” Baltimore Sun, 8-11-2005. At: http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2005-08-11/news/0508110244_1_hurricane-frances-fema-coroners

 

Sturrock, Kenneth. ESF-8 Public Health Preparedness and Response in Florida (Dissertation). University of Florida Graduate School, 2010. Accessed 3-9-2014 at: http://ufdcimages.uflib.ufl.edu/UF/E0/04/16/57/00001/sturrock_k.pdf

 

Winchester Star, VA. “Francis (continued from A1),” 9-7-2004. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=217040658&sterm

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[1] Table 1. “Dates, damage estimates and official death counts for hurricanes to make landfall in the State of Florida during the 2004 hurricane season.” No source citation. We have to assume “official death counts” are for U.S. A look at the other death counts in the Table makes clear that the reference could not be to Florida alone.

[2] “Francis is directly responsible for eight deaths: five in [FL]…one each in [GA], [OH], and…Bahamas. Of the US deaths, three are attributed to wind, one to storm surge, one to freshwater floods, one to a tornado…one…lightning.”

[3] 10-21-2014 email from boy’s father, Kyle P. Dorang, to Public Affairs at National Weather Service, NOAA, noting that his son, Tyler Braden Dorang, was killed in a traffic accident while evacuating from Frances and asking if his death could be recognized in the NWS database. Email forwarded to Blanchard by Edward Rappaport, Deputy Director, National Hurricane Center, 10-22-2014.

[4] Does not include the death near Tuskegee, AL of 12-year-old Tyler Braden Dorang, evacuating from FL.

[5] This includes, however, the Broward County renal failure death noted below.

[6] NWS. “Hurricane Frances Storm Related Deaths in September 2004” (Spreadsheet). As of 1500, 10-13-2004. “Officials believe the death of Jacqueline McGriff, 87, was caused by smoke inhalation when burning candles set a mattress on fire. The candles were lit because the power was out. Her body was found Monday [Sep 6].” Associated Press. “13 Florida deaths blames on Hurricane Frances.” St. Augustine.com, 9-8-2004; also, Winchester Star, VA. “Francis (continued from A1),” 9-7-2004.

[7] AP. “13 Florida deaths blames on Hurricane Frances.” St. Augustine.com, 9-8-2004; Winchester Star, VA. “Francis (continued from A1),” 9-7-2004. Aged 60 according to: NWS. “Hurricane Frances Storm Related Deaths in September 2004” (Spreadsheet). As of 1500, 10-13-2004.

[8] Associated Press. “13 Florida deaths blames on Hurricane Frances.” St. Augustine.com, 9-8-2004.

[9] AP. “13 Florida deaths blames on Hurricane Frances.” St. Augustine.com, 9-8-2004. NWS account (“Hurricane Frances Storm Related Deaths in September 2004” (Spreadsheet). As of 1500, 10-13-2004,) writes of this indirect fatality: “Victim was traveling on I-75 at a high rate of speed when he hit standing water in the right lane. He lost control and impacted into a tree.”

[10] NWS. “Hurricane Frances Storm Related Deaths in September 2004” (Spreadsheet). As of 1500, 10-13-2004.

[11] NWS. “Hurricane Frances Storm Related Deaths in September 2004” (Spreadsheet). As of 1500, 10-13-2004.

[12] South Florida Sun-Sentinel. “Deaths claimed as storm-related found not to be.” 8-11-2005.

[13] Reported two vehicle-related fatalities, but we have more detail from another NWS source, thus list it separately.

[14] NWS. “Hurricane Frances Storm Related Deaths in September 2004” (Spreadsheet). As of 1500, 10-13-2004

[15] NWS. “Hurricane Frances Storm Related Deaths in September 2004” (Spreadsheet). As of 1500, 10-13-2004.

[16] NWS. “Hurricane Frances Storm Related Deaths in September 2004” (Spreadsheet). As of 1500, 10-13-2004.

[17] NWS. “Hurricane Frances Storm Related Deaths in September 2004” (Spreadsheet). As of 1500, 10-13-2004. An email string sent to Wayne Blanchard on 3-7-2014 by Edward Rappaport, Deputy Director, National Hurricane Center (Pickering to Sandrik, 11-12-2004), notes that this man lived on a sailboat on Silver Lake off the Intra Coastal Waterway and that he drowned on Sep 5 after “a heavy squall bringing white out conditions came through.” Notes the boat capsized and the body was found several days later (probably Sep 7).

[18] Associated Press. “14 deaths blames on Hurricane Frances.” USA Today, 9-7-2004.

[19] NWS. “Hurricane Frances Storm Related Deaths in September 2004” (Spreadsheet). As of 1500, 10-13-2004.

[20] Associated Press. “13 Florida deaths blames on Hurricane Frances.” St. Augustine.com, 9-8-2004; NWS. “Hurricane Frances Storm Related Deaths in September 2004” (Spreadsheet). As of 1500, 10-13-2004.

[21] NWS. “Hurricane Frances Storm Related Deaths in September 2004” (Spreadsheet). As of 1500, 10-13-2004.

[22] NWS. “Hurricane Frances Storm Related Deaths in September 2004” (Spreadsheet). As of 1500, 10-13-2004.

[23] NWS. “Hurricane Frances Storm Related Deaths in September 2004” (Spreadsheet). As of 1500, 10-13-2004.

[24] NWS. “Hurricane Frances Storm Related Deaths in September 2004” (Spreadsheet). As of 1500, 10-13-2004. An AP story writes he died of abdominal trauma when he was hit by debris. (AP. “13 [FL] deaths blamed… Frances.” St. Augustine.com, 9-8-2004.) The NCDC writes: “an elderly man was blown over by a wind gust while walking his dog 10 feet outside of his home. He hit his head on the sidewalk and died from blunt force trauma.”

[25] Associated Press. “13 Florida deaths blames on Hurricane Frances.” St. Augustine.com, 9-8-2004.

[26] This is listed as a direct death. The spreadsheet “Description of Incident” notes: “Removing towels from clothesline that was tied to a pine tree which was struck by lightning.” NWS. “Hurricane Frances Storm Related Deaths in September 2004” (Spreadsheet). As of 1500, 10-13-2004.

[27] NWS. “Hurricane Frances Storm Related Deaths in September 2004” (Spreadsheet). As of 1500, 10-13-2004. “was found…in the pool probably as a result of being injured during work and falling in pool.”

[28] “In Miami-Dade County, FEMA paid seven Hurricane Frances funeral claims, but the Labor Day weekend storm was not to blame for any of the deaths, said Medical Examiner Bruce Hyma. T toddler drowned in a swimming pool before Frances hit, and the others died of natural causes, Hyma concluded. Tremayne Ward Jr. was still in his mother’s womb when the storm brushed by Miami. The 21-day-old infant died Oct. 13 of an infection, ‘clearly not storm-related,’ Hyma said. Truck driver Jerry Watkins, 60 of Webster Fla., had a history of heart disease. While in South Florida making a delivery, he suffered a heart attack, collapsed and died Oct. 14, weeks after Hurricanes Francis and Jeanne. ‘No hurricane was evident,’ Broward Medical Examiner Joshua Perper concluded. Watkins’ widow, Joan, told the Sun-Sentinel that a week before he died, her husband’s truck hit a tree downed by one of the storms and the impact affected a stent in his heart. FEMA awarded her almost $6,000 after a doctor linked his heart attack to the accident. FEMA funeral assistance also covered six suicides, including that of Delbert M. Copeland, 42, of Lady Lake in central Florida. He died Sept. 7 in the Withlacoochee State Forest after shooting himself in the head. ‘Distraught over business indebtedness,’ coroner records say….Officials found no death certificates for two people FEMA identified as having died in Florida, including Airaden R. White in Broward County. Unless FEMA misspelled the names or the people died in another state, Florida should have a death certificate on file, coroners said….In response to concerns by…[a] Senate committee, FEMA on Friday announced several changes to its disaster assistance program, including how it awards funeral money. Applicants must now prove they are legally ‘next of kin’ to the deceased. They also must provide signed documentation from a coroner or doctor attributing the death to the disaster, a death certificate and evidence that “funeral expenses have not been met by other resources.” Under federal guidelines, FEMA is only supposed to pay funeral expenses for deaths “that are a direct result of a disaster.” After last year’s hurricanes, FEMA officials said they relied on coroners, news stories, family doctors, police and paramedics in deciding whether to pay a funeral claim. Agency officials told the Gainesville coroner that anyone who died in a FEMA-provided trailer, regardless of the cause, could receive funeral benefits. “FEMA is counting `storm-related’ any person who dies while receiving services such as housing from FEMA,” Larry Bedore, the coroner’s director of operations, wrote in a June 14 e-mail to the Medical Examiners Commission….Sheldon Solodar, 75, of Palm Beach Gardens, underwent heart surgery in July. He died Sept. 2 at St. Mary’s Medical Center in West Palm Beach, two days before Hurricane Frances hit. His death certificate lists the manner of death as natural due to heart problems and an infection. His widow, Jacqui Solodar, said she thinks the hospital was short-staffed while preparing for Frances. “My husband had an episode and there was no one there to take care of him,” she said. The hospital disagrees, saying it was “more than adequately staffed,” said spokeswoman Patti Patrick. Two weeks after her husband’s burial, Jacqui Solodar said she reported the death to FEMA. A caseworker visited her home, she said, and within days she received $7,500, the maximum funeral payout. Sheldon Solodar, who had run a paperboard company, left an estate worth $2 million, court records show….Bell, the Palm Beach County coroner, said FEMA should rely on medical examiners in approving funeral payments after hurricanes. “We’re clearly the most objective,” he said. “To make decisions based just on what the family says, or what the treating physician says or what FEMA wants to do, is less than optimal.”” (Sally Kestin, Megan O’Matz,  Jon Burstein. “FEMA paid for at least 203 funerals not related to 2004 hurricanes.” Sun-Sentinel, FL, 8-10-2005.)

[29] “Man was evacuating from Hurricane Frances on 9/3 on the Florida Turnpike. He stopped to check his radiator which sent scalding water to his face and chest. He was hospitalized until his death on 9/24.” NWS. “Hurricane Frances Storm Related Deaths in September 2004” (Spreadsheet). As of 1500, 10-13-2004.

[30] NWS. “Hurricane Frances Storm Related Deaths in September 2004” (Spreadsheet). As of 1500, 10-13-2004.

[31] Specifically noted that this is a separate incident from that of the day before. NWS. “Hurricane Frances Storm Related Deaths in September 2004” (Spreadsheet). As of 1500, 10-13-2004.

[32] Nat. Weather Ser. Weather Forecast Office, Miami-South Florida. Hurricane Frances (website). 4-8-2010 mod.

[33] He and neighbors were putting up hurricane shutters when he collapsed and died. Citing Medical Examiner, note reads: “Heart disease exacerbated by stress from storm preparation.” NWS. “Hurricane Frances Storm Related Deaths in September 2004” (Spreadsheet). As of 1500, 10-13-2004

[34] Sturrock. ESF-8 Public Health Preparedness and Response in Florida (Dissertation). 2010, 199. Disappeared from the ramp and later found in the Intracoastal Waterway.” NWS. “Hurricane Frances Storm Related Deaths in September 2004” (Spreadsheet). As of 1500, 10-13-2004.

[35] “Man was last seen by his family on 7 Sept when he told them that he was going to swim across a Marina channel to an evacuated area where his home was. His body was found the next day in the Marina waters.” NWS. “Hurricane Frances Storm Related Deaths in September 2004” (Spreadsheet). As of 1500, 10-13-2004.

[36] “The tree had fallen on a high power line..” NWS. “Hurricane Frances…Deaths…” (Spreadsheet). 10-13-2004.

[37] “Elderly man was looking for a flashlight during power outage…fell and sustained head injuries, but was not discovered for several days…was hospitalized but died…on 9/22 from his head injuries.” NWS. “Hurricane Frances Storm Related Deaths in September 2004” (Spreadsheet). As of 1500, 10-13-2004

[38] NWS. “Hurricane Frances Storm Related Deaths in September 2004” (Spreadsheet). As of 1500, 10-13-2004

[39] NWS. “Hurricane Frances Storm Related Deaths in September 2004” (Spreadsheet). As of 1500, 10-13-2004.

[40] NWS. “Hurricane Frances Storm Related Deaths in September 2004” (Spreadsheet). As of 1500, 10-13-2004.

[41] NWS. “Hurricane Frances Storm Related Deaths in September 2004” (Spreadsheet). As of 1500, 10-13-2004: “…contract employee of FEMA spraying for mosquitoes due to excessive standing water from Frances. Aircraft wing clipped a tower and crashed.”

[42] NWS. “Hurricane Frances Storm Related Deaths in September 2004” (Spreadsheet). As of 1500, 10-13-2004.

[43] NWS. “Hurricane Frances Storm Related Deaths in September 2004” (Spreadsheet). As of 1500, 10-13-2004.

[44] NWS. “Hurricane Frances Storm Related Deaths in September 2004” (Spreadsheet). As of 1500, 10-13-2004; Associated Press. “13 Florida deaths blames on Hurricane Frances.” St. Augustine.com, 9-8-2004.

[45] NWS. “Hurricane Frances Storm Related Deaths in September 2004” (Spreadsheet). As of 1500, 10-13-2004.

[46] NWS. “Hurricane Frances Storm Related Deaths in September 2004” (Spreadsheet). As of 1500, 10-13-2004.

[47] NWS. “Hurricane Frances Storm Related Deaths in September 2004” (Spreadsheet). As of 1500, 10-13-2004.

[48] Passenger in aforementioned vehicle. NWS. “Hurricane Frances Storm…Deaths” (Spreadsheet). 10-13-2004.

[49] Associated Press. “13 Florida deaths blames on Hurricane Frances.” St. Augustine.com, 9-8-2004. Curfew in effect because power was out.

[50] NWS. “Hurricane Frances Storm Related Deaths in September 2004” (Spreadsheet). As of 1500, 10-13-2004.

[51] Passenger in aforementioned car. NWS. “Hurricane Frances Storm…Deaths” (Spreadsheet). 10-13-2004.

[52] Email from Chief Michael Brewer, Director, Butts County Emergency Management Agency, 12-16-2004 to Kenneth Davis, Georgia Emergency Management Agency. Forwarded to Max Mayfield, National Hurricane Center. Forwarded by John L. Bevin, Tropical Prediction Center, National Hurricane Center, 3-7-2014 to Edward N. Rappaport, Deputy Director, National Hurricane Center, and then by Dr. Rappaport to Wayne Blanchard, 3-7-2014.

[53] A LA Times report cites the Georgia Emergency Management Agency as source for five traffic accident fatalities. (Los Angeles Times, CA. “Remnants of hurricane still strong enough to stir up trouble.” The Gazette, Colorado Springs, CO, 9-8-2004, p. A10.)

[54] Pharos-Tribune, Logansport, IN. “Frances (continued from page A1,” 9-7-2004. A2.

[55] South Florida Sun-Sentinel. “Deaths claimed as storm-related found not to be.” 8-11-2005.

[56] Our number based on: “Several fatalities in North Carolina were directly related to the storm.”

[57] NWS. “Hurricane Frances Storm Related Deaths in September 2004” (Spreadsheet). As of 1500, 10-13-2004.

[58] NWS. “Hurricane Frances Storm Related Deaths in September 2004” (Spreadsheet). As of 1500, 10-13-2004.

[59] “The storm and its remnants were blamed for at least 19 deaths in Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina.”

[60] Lost control of her sports utility vehicle according to Coroner Parks Evans; of Martinez GA. Noted as one of two “storm-related deaths” in SC. Jeffrey Collins (Associated Press). “Rain and wind but not much damage,” Aiken Standard, SC, 9-9-2004, 6A. Also: CNN. “Florida cleans up as Frances moves north,” 9-7-2004.

[61] NWS. “Hurricane Frances Storm Related Deaths in September 2004” (Spreadsheet). As of 1500, 10-13-2004.

[62] Jeffrey Collins (Associated Press). “Rain and wind but not much damage,” Aiken Standard, SC, 9-9-2004, 6A.

[63] Email from Chief Michael Brewer, Director, Butts County Emergency Management Agency, 12-16-2004 to Kenneth Davis, Georgia Emergency Management Agency. Forwarded to Max Mayfield, National Hurricane Center. Forwarded by John L. Bevin, Tropical Prediction Center, National Hurricane Center, 3-7-2014 to Edward N. Rappaport, Deputy Director, National Hurricane Center, and then by Dr. Rappaport to Wayne Blanchard, 3-7-2014.

[64] NWS Hurricane Francis spreadsheet lists this as an indirect death.

[65] NWS Hurricane Francis spreadsheet lists this as an indirect death.

[66] NWS Hurricane Francis spreadsheet lists this as an indirect death.

[67] Pharos-Tribune, Logansport, IN. “Frances (continued from page A1,” 9-7-2004. A2.

[68] South Florida Sun-Sentinel. “Deaths claimed as storm-related found not to be.” 8-11-2005.

[69] Report actually notes 8 indirect deaths, but we have accounted separately for five vehicular-related deaths and one drowning after high wind knocked a boater into Jackson Lake in Butts County.

[70] Our number based on: “Several fatalities in North Carolina were directly related to the storm.”

–10  Blanchard tally of State and local breakouts below.

 

North Carolina          (1)

— 1  Aug 30. “One traffic death was blamed on Gaston in North Carolina.”[1]

 

Virginia                      (9)

—  9  Franklin, Brown, McAdie. Tropical Cyclone Report. Hurricane Gaston… 2-16-2005 rev.

–8 (direct — flash floods)       –1 (indirect)

—  9  VA DEM. Virginia Hurricane History (website). “Hurricane Gaston, August 30, 2004.

 

County and Independent City Breakouts:

–1  Chesterfield, Aug 30. Drowning, vehicle, flooded road; female, 29.[2] NCDC Storm Events.

–1  Dinwiddie, Aug 30. Drowning, flash flood; male 24.[3]  NCDC Storm Events Database.

–1  Hanover, Aug 30. Drowning, vehicle, flooded road; female, 25.[4] NCDC Storm Events.

–1  Hanover, Aug 30. Drowning, flash flood; male 19.[5] NCDC Storm Events Database.

–1  Henrico, Aug 30. Drowning, vehicle, flooded road; female, 59.[6] NCDC Storm Events Data.

–1  Richmond City, Aug 30. Drowning, flash flood; male 54.[7] NCDC Storm Events Database.

–1  Richmond City, Aug 30. Drowning, vehicle, flooded road; male, 60. NCDC Storm Events.

–1  Richmond City, Aug 30. Drowning, flash flood; male, 57. NCDC Storm Events Database.

 

Narrative Information

 

“Flash floods in the Richmond area directly resulted in 8 fatalities. Five of these were from motorists attempting to drive through flooded roadways, including one who drove around a barricade to do so. Three individuals were killed during rescue attempts. One indirect death was also reported.” (Franklin, et al. Tropical Cyclone Report. Hurricane Gaston… 2-16-2005 rev.)

 

Sources

 

Franklin, James L., Daniel P. Brown and Colin McAdie. Tropical Cyclone Report. Hurricane Gaston, 27 August – 1 September 2004. Miami: National Hurricane Center, National Weather Service, NOAA, 11-19-2004, revised 2-16-2005. Accessed 3-17-2014 at: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/2004gaston.shtml

 

National Climatic Data Center, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Event Details. Flash Flood… Virginia…Chesterfield…08/30/2004. Accessed 3-18-2014 at: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=5421490

 

National Climatic Data Center, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Event Details. Flash Flood… Virginia…Dinwiddie…08/30/2004. Accessed 3-18-2014 at: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=5421547

 

National Climatic Data Center, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Event Details. Flash Flood… Virginia…Hanover…08/30/2004. Accessed 3-18-2014 at: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=5421491

 

National Climatic Data Center, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Event Details. Flash Flood… Virginia…Henrico…08/30/2004. Accessed 3-18-2014 at: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=5421492

 

National Climatic Data Center, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Event Details. Flash Flood… Virginia…Richmond (c)…08/30/2004. Accessed 3-18-2014 at: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=5421493

 

O’Dell, Larry (AP). “Flooding,” p. A7, continued from A1 “Building Checks Delay Richmond Cleanup.” Winchester Star, VA, 9-2-2004. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=217040526&sterm

 

Virginia Department of Emergency Management. Virginia Hurricane History (website) “Hurricane Gaston, August 30, 2004,” noting data is up to April 2005. Richmond: VA DEM, 2012. http://www.vaemergency.gov/readyvirginia/stay-informed/hurricanes/hurricane-history

 

Winchester Star, VA. “Storm Brings Rain to North Carolina; Another Predicted.” 8-31-2004, p. A5. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=217035568&ster

 

 

 

 

 

[1] Winchester Star, VA. “Storm Brings Rain to North Carolina; Another Predicted.” 8-31-2004, p. A5.

[2] Ngoc Thuy Hyunh. (O’Dell, Larry (AP). “Flooding,” p. A7, Winchester Star, VA, 9-2-2004.)

[3] “In Dinwiddie County south of Richmond, authorities confirmed the death of a person who was carried away in rushing water during an attempted rescue.” (O’Dell, Larry (AP). “Flooding,” A7, Winchester Star, VA, 9-2-2004.)

[4] Kalene P. Duncan. (O’Dell, Larry (AP). “Flooding,” p. A7, Winchester Star, VA, 9-2-2004.)

[5] James A. Reavis. (O’Dell, Larry (AP). “Flooding,” p. A7, Winchester Star, VA, 9-2-2004.)

[6] “In suburban Henrico County police found the body of a woman who was apparently swept away by floodwaters after abandoning her car…” (O’Dell, Larry (AP). “Flooding,” p. A7, Winchester Star, VA, 9-2-2004.)

[7] While the ages do not match, this may be a reference to Linwood Johnson from the following account: “Two men in the city [Richmond] were identified on Wednesday [Sep 1] as Roger M. Wright, 66, and Linwood Hargrove Johnson, 55, both of Richmond. Police said the men may have been part of a human chain of six to eight people who tried to rescue others trapped on a van. The chain broke, and ‘the current swept them away,’ Police Chief Andre Parker said.” (O’Dell, Larry (AP). “Flooding,” p. A7, Winchester Star, VA, 9-2-2004.)

—  10  Kerrville Daily Times, TX. “Fiery crash of SUV vs. 18-wheeler kills 10.” 9-22-2004, 5.

—  10  Law Reporter.  “Automobile Accidents. Tractor-trailer crosses median…”

—  10  Mexia Daily News, TX.  “Fiery crash kills 10 in Sherman.” 9-21-2004, p. 6.

—  10  National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.  FARS 1975-2010 Fatality Analysis.

—  10  NTSB. Highway Accident Report. Median Crossover, Collision, and Fire… 4-8-2010.

—  10  Seguin Gazette Enterprize, TX.  “Accident kills 10 people.” 9-23-2004, p. 2.

 

Narrative Information

 

Sep 21, AP: “Sherman, Texas (AP) — Five members of a North Texas family and five people traveling in a pickup truck were killed when their vehicles were struck by a tractor trailer rig that had veered across a median into oncoming traffic, authorities said.

 

“The victims of the Monday afternoon crash included three McKinney children, ages 8, 3 and six weeks, Sherman Fire Capt. Doug Blackburn said.  They were riding with their mother and grandmother in a sport utility vehicle that burned beyond recognition after being hit by the tractor-trailer rig.

 

“The tractor-trailer’s driver and two adults in the pickup were hurt, authorities said….

 

“Authorities did not immediately know what company owned the tractor-trailer rig or what caused the driver to cross the median.  Blackburn said the trailer appeared to be empty. There were no signs on the side of the trailer.

 

“Seven people were in the pickup truck, including some who were riding in its bed, Blackburn said.  Some of the occupants, including the driver, appeared to be Mexican Nationals.

 

“The SUV was crushed and its license plate and vehicle identification number were destroyed in the fire.  Authorities were unable to identify its occupants until a McKinney man came to the scene saying his family hadn’t returned home that evening, the Sherman-Denison Herald Democrat reported in its Tuesday editions.  “The tractor-trailer rig and the SUV caught fire.  It’s really hard to tell one from the other,” Sherman Police Capt. Otis Henry said….

 

“Well into Monday evening, emergency officials continued to search for remains after setting up lights to illuminate the wreckage, which was strewn across both of the southbound lanes.  While the tractor-trailer rig and remnants of the SUV rested on the grassy shoulder of the roadway, the pickup truck with its cab crushed and partially draped with tarps rested askew a short distance away….

 

“Two of the injured were taken to Parkland Hospital in Dallas and one to a hospital in Sherman.

 

“The wreck occurred on the southern edge of Sherman, which is about 60 miles north of Dallas.”  (Mexia Daily News, TX.  “Fiery crash kills 10 in Sherman.” 9-21-2004, p. 6.)

 

Sep 22, AP: “Sherman, Texas (AP)….The tractor-trailer’s driver, Miroslav Janusz Jozwiak, 45, and two adults in the pickup were hurt, authorities said.  Jozwiak, a Polish national, suffered broken teeth and bruises and was taken to the Grayson County Jail after being released from the hospital.  Middents [Justice of the Peace (Greg)] said Jozwiak was being held Tuesday on 10 counts of criminally negligent homicide, but that no formal charges had been filed because authorities were waiting on a Polish interpreter….Jozwiak worked for KV Express of Willow Springs, Ind….

 

“The five killed in the pickup truck were identified as Manuel Esparza, 39; J. Marcos Esparza, 41; Hector Zapata, 33; Joel Mendoza Ruiz, 36 and German Esparza Velazquez, 19.  Their hometowns were not immediately available….” (Kerrville Daily Times, TX. “Fiery crash of SUV vs. 18-wheeler kills 10.” 9-22-2004, 5.)

 

Sep 23: “Dallas — The Texas Department of Transportation is re-evaluating its policy for placing highway median barriers after a tractor-trailer crossed into oncoming traffic and killed 10 people.  “TxDOT is about safety; we don’t take it lightly,” Kevin Harris, the Sherman-area engineer for the Texas Department of Transportation, told The Dallas Morning News in Wednesday’s editions.  “We will definitely use this experience to re-evaluate what we can or can’t do.”

 

“Five members of a McKinney family in a sport utility vehicle and five other people in a pickup were killed Monday when a truck crossed a grassy median on U.S. 75 and smashed into the vehicles.

 

“The wreck occurred near Sherman, about 60 miles north of Dallas.

 

“The driver of the rig, Miroslav Janusz Jozwiak, 45, was charged with 10 counts of criminally negligent homicide and is in the Grayson County Jail on $200,000 bond on each count.  Jozwiak, a Polish national from Daytona Beach, Fla., was briefly hospitalized with broken teeth and bruises….

 

“The victims in the SUV included three McKinney children, identified as Chance Martin, 4; Brock Martin, 2; and Reid Martin, 6 weeks.  Their mother, Lisa Wood Martin, 32, and grandmother, Betsy Wood, 72, also died….”  (Seguin Gazette Enterprize, TX.  “Accident kills 10 people.” 9-23-2004, p. 2.)

 

Law Reporter: “Esparza, 39, was traveling in a pickup truck with six relatives and coworkers on a highway.  A tractor-trailer driving in the opposite direction crossed the median and collided with the pickup, killing Esparza and four other occupants and injuring the remaining two.  The truck then proceeded to collide with an SUV, killing the family of five in it.  Esparza had been a roofer earning about $28,000 annually, and his estate claimed about $503,600 in future lost earnings.  He is survived by his wife and six minor children.  The truck driver ultimately pleaded guilty to 10 counts of vehicular manslaughter and is serving a 10-year prison sentence.

 

“Esparza’s wife, individually and on behalf of their children and his estate, sued the truck driver, the driver’s employer, and the owner of the trailer.  Plaintiffs alleged the employer and the trailer owner, because the driver was its statutory employee, were vicariously liable for the driver’s negligence.  Specifically, plaintiffs alleged that defendants were negligent for the driver’s failure to remain awake after working too many hours.  They also alleged gross negligence.

 

“The driver and his employer contended that the accident was an act of God, a new and independent cause, and a sudden emergency.  The trailer owner asserted that it was not liable for the driver’s conduct because it was acting in the role of a transportation broker; not a motor carrier, and that the driver was not its employee.

 

“The parties reached a confidential settlement prior to trial….” (Law Reporter. “Automobile Accidents. Tractor-trailer crosses median, strikes pickup, SUV: Failure to remain awake: Vicarious liability: Wrongful death: Settlement.  Contreras v. KV Trucking, Inc., U.S. Dist. Ct., E.D. Tex., No. 4:04-cv-00398, Oct. 15, 2007. Vol. 51, May 2008, pp. 105-106.”)

 

NTSB HAR: “Accident Description.

 

“On September 20, 2004, about 4:29 p.m. central daylight time, a 1999 Freightliner truck tractor, in combination with a 1997 Trailmobile dry van semitrailer, traveling northbound on U.S. Highway 75 (US 75), in the city of Sherman, Grayson County, Texas, crossed the median and collided with a 2000 Ford Expedition sport utility vehicle (SUV) and a 1990 Ford F150 pickup truck traveling southbound on the same road.  A postaccident fire ensued.  The Freightliner was driven by a 45-year-old man en route from Dallas, Texas, to Kansas City, Missouri.  The weather was cloudy, and the roadway was dry.

 

“Tire marks from the accident scene, consistent with scuff marks, indicate that as the Freightliner tractor-semitrailer approached the Farm-to-Market 1417 overpass bridge at a speed of 65–70 mph, it veered leftward from the right lane, crossed the left lane, and entered the earthen median at an angle of approximately 20°.  The tractor-semitrailer continued across the median and entered the southbound lanes, where it collided with the SUV and the pickup truck.  The Freightliner and the SUV came to rest partially in the grass, just west of the southbound travel lanes; the ensuing fire engulfed both vehicles.  The pickup truck came to rest in the southbound travel lanes.

 

“The driver and all four passengers in the SUV and the driver and four passengers in the pickup truck were killed. Two passengers in the pickup truck sustained serious injuries. The Freightliner driver received minor injuries.

 

“Roadway.

 

“At the accident scene, US 75 is a controlled-access divided road running north–south. The depressed earthen median that separates the two northbound and two southbound travel lanes varies in width from 34–43 feet.  The posted speed limit is 70 mph.  In the immediate vicinity of the accident, the northbound lanes included an entrance ramp from a frontage road running parallel to the highway… the tire marks produced by the Freightliner began approximately 159 feet prior to the entrance ramp….

 

“The Sherman Police Department interviewed 14 eyewitnesses, most of whom stated that the Freightliner was traveling 65–70 mph, and that the driver appeared to be changing from the right lane to the left lane before swerving leftward into the median. None of the witnesses recalled a vehicle suddenly entering the Freightliner’s lane of travel, though one witness stated that a vehicle in front of the Freightliner changed from the right lane to the left lane. Another witness stated that he was on the frontage road, preparing to enter the roadway, when the accident occurred. None of the witnesses reported seeing the semitrailer’s brake lights illuminate during the accident sequence.

 

“Accident Trip.

 

“KV Express, Inc., dispatched the Freightliner driver from Chicago, Illinois, on September 17, 2004, about 10:30 p.m., to transport a cargo of mail to Dallas, Texas. Because of the distance from Chicago to Dallas and the required rest time, the trip would be expected to take approximately 25 hours. When dispatched, the driver had more than sufficient time to safely drive to Dallas and comply with all driving time and rest requirements. For unknown reasons, the driver chose to remain in the Chicago area until the afternoon of September 19. The cargo was delivered in Dallas on September 20, about 63 hours after being dispatched. The driver departed the Dallas area about 2:40 p.m. on September 20 to deliver an empty trailer to Kansas City, Missouri.

 

“Records obtained from the Freightliner driver’s cellular telephone provider produced additional information about his activities in the days preceding the accident.  On September 19, the driver began making and receiving calls about 6:00 a.m. He made his last call of the day using a cellular tower in Lenexa, Kansas, about 9:00 p.m. The driver made or received a total of 35 calls on September 19; the timing, duration, and location of these calls suggest that he would have had only 2 hours to rest, sometime between 6:00 and 10:00 a.m. The driver’s first call on September 20 was made about 4:03 a.m., using a cellular tower in Dallas, Texas. Further examination of his cell phone records revealed that he made or received 97 calls between 4:03 a.m. and 4:24 p.m. on September 20 (about 5 minutes before the accident). The only break of any significant length in the driver’s cell phone use on that day was from 6:05–9:05 a.m., suggesting that—at best—he may have been able to take a nap or otherwise rest for about 3 hours. Taken as a whole, the driver’s cell phone records suggest that he would have been awake for most of the 34.5 hours prior to the accident. Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations 395.3 states that the driver of a property-carrying motor vehicle shall not drive more than 11 cumulative hours following 10 consecutive hours off duty or for any period after the end of the 14th hour after coming on duty (following 10 consecutive hours off duty).

 

“It is well established that sleep loss results in deficits in a number of driving-related performance measures, including reaction time, vigilance, sustained attention, and lane tracking ability.

 

“Specific to this accident, research has shown that a driver can have an oversteer reaction following a startle response from an episode of inattention or incipient sleep.  A 20° angle of departure relative to the roadway suggests a large, abrupt steering input in response to an imminent or just-recognized hazard.  As stated above, none of the witnesses saw a hazard enter the Freightliner’s path prior to the driver’s abrupt steering input; in fact, the only potential hazard was a vehicle in front of the tractor-semitrailer, suggesting that the driver noticed or became aware of the vehicle only just prior to initiating his steering maneuver.

 

“Immediately before the accident, the Freightliner driver was traveling in the right lane. The tire marks created as the tractor-semitrailer abruptly moved to the left were consistent with those caused by an evasive steering maneuver. The accident scene diagram (see figure) shows that the tire marks began about 159 feet prior to where an entrance ramp joined the main northbound travel lanes of US 75. Based on the Freightliner’s overall length of approximately 50 feet, the front of the tractor would have been only 109 feet from the ramp at the inception of the tire marks. Witnesses reported the Freightliner to be traveling 65–70 mph, which would have placed it less than 1.15 seconds from the ramp. At least two witness statements place other vehicles in the vicinity of the entrance ramp. One vehicle was changing from the right lane to the left lane in front of the tractor-semitrailer, and the other vehicle was preparing to enter the highway at the entrance ramp. Although none of the statements suggested that these vehicles were a hazard, the Freightliner’s tire marks show that the driver made an evasive steering maneuver in response to possibly perceiving the vehicles as being hazardous.

 

“Freightliner Driver.

 

“The accident investigation revealed the Freightliner driver to be a Polish citizen in the United States legally as a resident alien. Although the driver’s primary language was Polish, he was conversant in English and made several comments to English-speaking witnesses postaccident. At the time of the crash, the driver held a valid Florida class “A” commercial driver’s license (CDL) with no restrictions and a hazmat endorsement. The CDL was issued in April 1998 and expired in April 2005.

 

“Less than 5 weeks prior to the accident, the Freightliner driver was issued a medical certificate following an examination. At that time, the driver did not indicate any medical conditions or the use of any medications.  Two antipsychotic medications (described in the following section)—neither available in the United States—were found in the driver’s possession at the time of the accident, and he indicated to medical personnel after the accident that he had been diagnosed with and given medication for depression while visiting Poland in January 2004.  Treated depression is not specifically disqualifying for commercial drivers, but it would have been nearly impossible for a U.S. examiner to adequately evaluate the effects of the two drugs that had apparently been prescribed for the driver.

 

“Medications.

 

“At the time of the accident, the Freightliner driver was found to have perazine, sulpiride, and dipyrone in his possession. Because the driver declined to grant an interview to NTSB investigators, no specific information on his use of these prescription drugs could be obtained. NTSB staff visited 13 pharmacies in the vicinity of the driver’s home. No record of prescriptions was found during this search.

 

“The driver was arrested following the crash and was taken to the Grayson County jail, where medical personnel examined him. According to records from the jail, the driver stated that—during a visit to Poland—he had been prescribed medication for depression in January 2004 but had stopped taking it in May 2004 because it made him sleepy. The driver could not name the medication, but he stated that it was in his briefcase. The driver declined through counsel to be interviewed; no specific information was obtained on over-the-counter drugs that the driver may have been taking. The driver did indicate to staff at the jail that he was taking Tylenol (acetaminophen) and glucosamine.

 

“At the request of the Sherman police, staff at the Wilson N. Jones Medical Center took blood and urine samples from the driver to test for drugs and alcohol. The blood sample was collected at 5:34 p.m., and the urine sample was collected at 6:40 p.m.—both within 2.5 hours of the accident. Laboratory tests on the driver’s urine were negative for phencyclidine, benzodiazepines, cocaine, tetrahydrocannabinol, opiates, barbiturates, and amphetamines. A test of the driver’s blood was negative for alcohol….

 

“Motor Carrier.

 

“….Two days following the accident, on September 22, 2004, the FMCSA initiated a compliance review of KV Express. The compliance review revealed discrepancies in the driver, operational, and vehicle areas; and the carrier was issued a “conditional” safety rating. The FMCSA also initiated an enforcement action against KV Express for using a driver before receiving preemployment drug test results, using a driver not medically reexamined for 24 months, and failing to properly enter duty status during meal stops. The enforcement action resulted in a fine of $2,610.

 

“KV Express was previously known as KV Trucking, Inc. The owner and his wife shared the responsibilities and duties of running the company. The husband was the president, handled most business matters, and drove only occasionally. KV Trucking was registered with the FMCSA and had been assigned USDOT identification number 879903 on December 6, 2001. KV Trucking operated four power units with six interstate drivers. The company ceased operation in February 2004 but was still listed as an active carrier by the FMCSA at the time of the accident.

 

“Because the FMCSA had not been notified by the owners that KV Trucking was inactive, the company was considered an active carrier in the FMCSA database. The NTSB database inquiry response at the time of the accident was based on the prior 24 months. During this time, KV Trucking vehicles had been subjected to 15 vehicle inspections, of which 4 inspections resulted in a vehicle out-of-service (OOS) violation—for an OOS rate of 26.7 percent, compared to the national OOS average of 22.92 percent. KV Trucking drivers had been subjected to roadside driver inspections 22 times, during which 4 drivers were placed out of service—for a driver OOS rate of 18.2 percent, compared to the national OOS average of 6.78 percent.

 

“The rationale for KV Trucking becoming KV Express is unclear. According to the husband and wife owners, the husband wanted to return to driving duties. The NTSB did not discover any unpaid fines or FMCSA orders to cease operating against KV Trucking. However, the company’s driver OOS average was nearly three times greater than the national average. There is no apparent justification for the KV Express application as a new entrant carrier. The FMCSA has recently developed new procedures to identify existing carriers who attempt to reincarnate themselves through the new entrant program.

 

“Ejections From Pickup Truck.

 

“Of the six passengers in the Ford pickup truck, four were either partially or fully ejected. One of these passengers had been sitting in the front seat and was partially ejected out the front right door as it was torn open during the accident sequence. All three passengers who had been sitting in the enclosed bed of the pickup were ejected—two of whom came to rest in the roadway and were killed. The third passenger was found on the roof of the upright pickup truck at final rest.

 

“There are no restraints in open or enclosed cargo areas. In 1981, the NTSB conducted a safety study on fatalities and injuries associated with riding in cargo areas of pickups. The study focused on an accident involving a compact pickup truck carrying 11 passengers—3 riding in the cab and 8 riding in the open cargo area of the truck. The driver failed to negotiate a curve, and the truck ran off the road and overturned. Seven people in the cargo area were killed. The study also examined 1975–1979 data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System involving accidents with occupants riding in the cargo areas of pickups. As a result of the study, the Board made a recommendation to the states to review existing laws and revise as necessary to prohibit passengers from riding in the open cargo area of a vehicle, except during work-related activities. (The status of Safety Recommendation H-81-68 is “Closed—Acceptable Action.”) As of February 2010, 30 states and the District of Columbia have enacted laws that restrict riding in the cargo areas of pickup trucks.

 

“Probable Cause.

 

“The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of the September 20, 2004, median crossover accident near Sherman, Texas, was the Freightliner driver’s startle response consisting of a sudden and sharp over control maneuver to the left in an unnecessary reaction to vehicles that were traveling a safe distance ahead of the truck, caused either by the driver’s significant lack of sleep, which resulted in a brief period of sleep or attention loss while driving, or by the driver’s attempted or imminent use of a wireless device, which distracted him from his driving duties. Contributing to the severity of the accident was the use of a pickup truck cargo area bed to transport passengers despite its lack of any occupant restraint system.” (National Transportation Safety Board.  Highway Accident Report. Median Crossover, Collision, and Fire, U.S. Highway 75, Sherman, Texas, September 20, 2004 (NTSB No. HAB-10/01).  4-8-2010.)

 

Sources

 

Kerrville Daily Times, TX. “Fiery crash of SUV vs. 18-wheeler kills 10.” 9-22-2004, p. 5. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/kerrville-daily-times/2004-09-22/page-5/

 

Law Reporter.  “Automobile Accidents. Tractor-trailer crosses median, strikes pickup, SUV: Failure to remain awake: Vicarious liability: Wrongful death: Settlement.  Contreras v. KV Trucking, Inc., U.S. Dist. Ct., E.D. Tex., No. 4:04-cv-00398, Oct. 15, 2007. Vol. 51, May 2008, pp. 105-106.” Accessed 2-1-2012 at:  http://fineberglaw.com/assets/files/Law%20Reporter%20Contreras.pdf

 

Mexia Daily News, TX. “Fiery crash kills 10 in Sherman.” 9-21-2004, p. 6. Accessed at:  http://www.newspaperarchive.com/the-mexia-daily-news/2004-09-21/page-6/

 

National Transportation Safety Board. Highway Accident Report. Median Crossover, Collision, and Fire, U.S. Highway 75, Sherman, Texas, September 20, 2004 (NTSB No. HAB-10/01).  Washington, DC: NTSB, adopted 4-8-2010. Accessed 2-1-2012 at: http://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/fulltext/HAB1001.htm

 

Seguin Gazette Enterprize, TX. “Accident kills 10 people.” 9-23-2004, p. 2. Accessed at:  http://www.newspaperarchive.com/seguin-gazette-enterprise/2004-09-23/page-2/

 

 

 

International 

—  4  Cuba. Pasch, et al. Tropical Cyclone Report, Hurricane Charley… 9-15-2011 rev., p. 4.

—  1  Jamaica. Pasch, et al. Tropical Cyclone Report, Hurricane Charley… 9-15-2011 rev., p. 4.

 

United States              (34-40)

–34-40  Blanchard tally of aggregated State and County breakouts below.[1]

—     35  Direct and indirect. Pasch. Tropical Cyclone Report…Charley… 9-15-2011 rev., 3-4.[2]

—     34  Blanchard tally of individualized State and locality breakouts below.

—     27  Burt and Stroud. Extreme Weather: A Guide & Record Book. 2004, p. 205.

—     25  Indirect. Pasch. Tropical Cyclone Report, Hurricane Charley… 9-15-2011 rev., pp. 3-4.

—     15  NCDC, NOAA. Storm Data Query Results, Florida, Hurricane/High Wind.

—     10  NWS. The Hurricane History of Central and Eastern Virginia. Wakefield, VA WFO.

—     10  Direct. Pasch, et al. Tropical Cyclone Report…Charley… 9-15-2011 rev., 3.[3]

 

Florida                        (33-38)

–33-38  Blanchard tally from County breakouts of individual victims.[4]

—      37  McKinney. “Direct and indirect mortality in Florida…the 2004…” 2011, p. 535.[5]

—      37[6] Ragan. “Mortality Surveillance: 2004…2005 [FL] Hurricane…Deaths.” 2008, 150.[7]

—      33  Ackerman/Markley. “Officials Admit Better Plans…” Houston Chronicle, 9-30-2005.

—      33  McKinney. Human Mortality in [FL]…2004 Hurricane Season. PowerPt., 10-13-2008.

–9 Direct        –24 Indirect

—      33  NWS. “Hurricane Charley Storm Related Deaths…2004” (Spreadsheet). 9-13-2004.

—      33  Pasch, et al. Tropical Cyclone Report, Hurricane Charley… 9-15-2011 rev., pp. 3-4.

—      33  Wright. Chapter 22. Disasters and Heroic Rescues of Florida. 2006, p. 188.

—      31[8] CDC (Jones). “Preliminary Medical Examiner Reports…Charley…” 2004, 835.[9]

—      25  AP. “Florida deaths blamed on Hurricane Charley.” Miami Herald, 8-20-2004.

 

By Florida County    (33-38)

—  1  Brevard Co., Aug 23.[10] Electrocution, attempting to restore power to home, man, 44.[11]

–10  Charlotte Co. Long. “Hurricane Charley…” News Herald, Panama City, 8-15-2004, 1.[12]

—  2  Charlotte County, Aug 13. Husband/wife, 83/82, mobile home destroyed by hurricane.[13]

—  1  Charlotte Co., Aug 13. Wind; flying debris (glass) cuts man’s leg, 76, bleeds to death.[14]

—  1  Charlotte County, Aug 13. Wind; flying debris hits man, 51.[15]

—  1  Charlotte County, Sep 1. Fall from roof; roofer, male, 57, taken to Lee Co. hospital, died.[16]

—  1  Charlotte County, Sep 3. Drowning; boy, 6, in pool where hurricane had destroyed fence.[17]

—  1  Collier Co., Aug 17. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbated by stress woman, 87.[18]

—  ?  Collier County, Aug 20 (Aug 18 injury). Head injuries, unidentified person.[19]

—  1  Collier County, Aug 24. Trauma to head; man, 75, outside, storm cleanup.[20]

—  1  Collier County, Sep 4 (Sep 1 injury). Fall from ladder; clearing debris, man, 49.[21]

—  1  DeSoto County, Aug 13. Wind flips storage container/tool shed; trauma, man, 53, inside.[22]

—  1  Hardee County, Aug 16. Probable heart attack; after cleaning up storm damage, man, 60.[23]

—  1  Hardee Co., Aug 27. Crushing; girl, 4, caught between trailer and truck hauling debris.[24]

—  1  Highlands Co., Aug 17. Heart Attack, during clean-up with chain saw in heat, man, 55.[25]

—  1  Lee Co., North Fort Myers, Aug 13. High wind and tree fall; man, 25, outside home.[26]

—  1  Lee County, Aug 14. CO poisoning; generator in shed attached to house, man, 56.[27]

—  1  Lee County, Aug 15. Hypertension and heart disease exacerbated by heat, man, 74.[28]

—  1  Lee County, Aug 19. Fire; from candles, no power; propane ignites, CO poison, man, 68.[29]

—  1  Lee Co., Aug 24. Fall from house or tree; removing downed storm branches, man, 58.[30]

—  1  Orange Co., Aug 13. Vehicular; collision at intersection with traffic light out, man, 48.[31]

—  1  Orange Co., Aug 13. Vehicle. Strong wind blows truck into vehicle killing girl, 8.[32]

—  1  Orange Co., Aug 18. Fall from tree; cutting branches during storm clean-up, man, 37.[33]

—  1  Osceola Co., Aug 15. Vehicular. Motorist hits tree blown down on rural road, man, 32.[34]

—  1? Osceola Co., Aug 16. Vehicular, “person was killed in a car accident…August 16^th.”[35]

—  1  Polk County, Aug 13. Fall in hotel room where Fort Myers man, 86, evacuated.[36]

—  1  Polk Co., Aug 13. Vehicular; man, 61, drowns, drove off flooded highway into a lake.[37]

—  1  Polk County, Aug 13. Power out, oxygen pump stops, man, 61, goes out to his car, dies.[38]

—  1  Polk County, Aug 14. Heart attack; man, 66, tried to ride out storm in his van.[39]

—  1  Polk Co., Aug 15. Carbon monoxide poison; home with inside gas generator, man, 50.[40]

—  1  Polk Co., Aug 15. Carbon monoxide poison; home, inside gas generator, man, 30 or 33.[41]

—  1  Sarasota Co., Aug 13. Vehicular; severe weather causes woman, 56, to drive off the road.[42]

—  1  Sarasota Co., Aug 19. Suicide; head gunshot, man, 83, despondent, lost Punta Gorda home.[43]

—  3? Sarasota Co., I-75, Sep 25. Mother, 36, son, 14, crash victim hit by truck, darkened road.[44]

—  1  Volusia Co., Daytona Beach, Aug 14. Electrocution; Female, ~30 steps on power line.[45]

—  1  Volusia Co., Edgewater, Aug 14. Tree limb fall; man, 44, hit while cutting limbs.[46]

 

Rhode Island             (       1)

— 1  East Matunuck State Beach, South Kingstown, Aug 14. Drowning; man, 52, rip current.[47]

 

South Carolina          (     1?)

— 1? Indirect. Pasch, et al. Tropical Cyclone Report, Hurricane Charley… 9-15-2011 rev., 4.[48]

 

Cause of Death (Total = 34-40)

 

Direct                          (     10):

 

Drowning:                              (  2)

–1  FL, Polk Co., Aug 13. Vehicular; man, 61, drowns, drove off flooded highway into a lake.[49]

–1  RI, East Matunuck State Beach, South Kingstown, Aug 14. Drowning; man, 52, rip current.

 

Wind:                                     (  8)

–2  FL, Charlotte County, Aug 13. Husband/wife, 83/82, mobile home destroyed by hurricane.

–1  FL, Charlotte County, Aug 13. Wind; flying debris (glass) cuts man’s leg, 77, bleeds to death.

–1  FL, Charlotte County, Aug 13. Wind; flying debris hits man, 51.

–1  FL, DeSoto County, Aug 13. Wind flips storage container/tool shed; trauma, man, 53, inside.

–1  FL, Lee Co., North Fort Myers, Aug 13. High wind, tree fall; man, 25, outside home.

–1  FL, Orange Co., Aug 13. Strong wind;  blows tractor-trailer onto vehicle killing girl, 8.

–1  FL, Sarasota Co., Aug 13. Severe weather; causes woman, 56, to drive off the road.

 

Indirect                       (24-30):

 

Carbon monoxide poisoning:           (  3)

–1  FL, Lee County, Aug 14. Carbon monoxide; generator in shed attached to house, man, 56.

–1  FL, Polk Co., Aug 15. Carbon monoxide; home with inside gas generator, man, 30.

–1  FL, Polk Co., Aug 15. Carbon monoxide; home with inside gas generator, man, 50.

 

Drowning:                                          (  1)

–1  FL, Charlotte Co., Sep 3. Drowning; boy, 6, in pool where hurricane had destroyed fence.

 

Electrocution:                                    (  2)

–1  FL, Brevard Co., Aug 23.[50] Electrocution, attempting to restore power to home, man, 44.

–1  FL, Volusia County, Aug 14. Electrocution; woman, ~30 steps onto submerged power line.

 

Falls, inside:                                       (  1)

–1  FL, Polk County, Aug 13. Fall in hotel room where Fort Myers man, 86, evacuated.

 

Falls, outside:                                     (  4)

–1  FL, Charlotte Co., Sep 1. Fall from roof; roofer, male, 57, taken to Lee Co. hospital, died.

–1  FL, Collier County, Sep 4 (Sep 1 injury). Fall from ladder; clearing debris, man, 49.

–1  FL, Lee Co., Aug 24. Fall from house or tree; removing downed storm branches, man, 58.

–1  FL, Orange Co., Aug 18. Fall from tree; cutting branches during storm clean-up, man, 37.

 

Fire and/or Suffocation:                   (  1)

–1  FL, Lee County, Aug 19. Fire; from candles, no power; propane ignites, CO poison, man, 68

 

Natural (Health-Related) Causes:   (  6)

–1  FL, Collier Co., Aug 17. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbated by stress woman, 87.

–1  FL, Hardee County, Aug 16. Probable heart attack; cleaning up storm damage, man, 60.

–1  FL, Highlands Co., Aug 17. Heart Attack, during clean-up with chain saw in heat, man, 55.

–1  FL, Lee County, Aug 15. Hypertension and heart disease exacerbated by heat, man, 74.

–1  FL, Polk County, Aug 13. Power out, oxygen pump stops, man, 61, goes out to his car, dies.

–1  FL, Polk County, Aug 14. Heart attack; man, 66, tried to ride out storm in his van.

 

Suicide:                                               (  1)

–1  FL, Sarasota Co., Aug. 19. Suicide; gunshot, man, 83, despondent, lost Punta Gorda home.

 

Trauma (fall?):                                  (1-2)

–1? FL, Collier County, Aug 20 (Aug 18 injury). Head injuries, unidentified person.[51]

–1   FL, Collier County, Aug 24. Trauma to head; man, 75, outside, storm cleanup.

 

Tree/Tree Limb Falls:                      (  1)

–1  FL,  Volusia Co., Aug 14. Tree limb fall; during cleanup, man, 44, hit while cutting limbs.

 

Vehicular:                                          (3-7)

–4  FL, State. CDC (Jones, et al.). “Preliminary Med. Examiner Rpts…Charley…” 2004, 836.[52]

–1  FL, Hardee Co., Aug 27. Crushing; girl, 4, caught between trailer and truck hauling debris.

–1  FL, Orange Co., Aug 13. Vehicular; collision at intersection with traffic light out, man, 48.

–1  FL, Osceola Co., Aug 15. Vehicular. Motorist hits tree blown down on rural road, man, 32.

–1? FL, Osceola Co., Aug 16. Vehicular, “person was killed in a car accident…August 16^th.”[53]

–3? FL, Sarasota Co., I-75, Sep 25. Mother, 36, son, 14, crash victim hit by van, darkened road.

 

Unstated:                                            (  1?)

–1? SC. Indirect. Pasch, et al. Tropical Cyclone Report, Hurricane Charley… 9-15-2011 rev., 4.

 

Date of Deaths (Aug 13-Sep 25 = 34-40)

Aug 13:           (12)[54]

–1  FL, Polk Co., Aug 13. Vehicular; man, 61, drowns, drove off flooded highway into a lake.

–2  FL, Charlotte County, Aug 13. Husband/wife, 83/82, mobile home destroyed by hurricane.

–1  FL, Charlotte County, Aug 13. Wind; flying debris hits man, late 70’s.

–1  FL, Charlotte County, Aug 13. Wind; flying debris hits man, 51.

–1  FL, DeSoto County, Aug 13. Wind damages tool shed killing man, 53, inside.

–1  FL, Lee County, Aug 13. High Wind; tree fall onto structure, man, 25.

–1  FL, Orange Co., Aug 13. Strong wind;  blows moving van into vehicle killing girl, 8.

–1  FL, Orange Co., Aug 13. Vehicular; collision at intersection with traffic light out, man, 48.

–1  FL, Polk County, Aug 13. Fall in hotel room where Fort Myers man, 86, evacuated.

–1  FL, Polk County, Aug 13. Power out, oxygen pump stops, man, 61, goes out to his car, dies.

–1  FL, Sarasota Co., Aug 13. Severe weather; causes woman, 56, to drive off the road.

 

Aug 14:           (  5)

–1  RI, East Matunuck State Beach, South Kingstown, Aug 14. Drowning; man, 52, rip current.

–1  FL, Lee County, Aug 14. Carbon monoxide; generator in shed attached to house, man, 56.

–1  FL, Polk County, Aug 14. Heart attack; man, 66, tried to ride out storm in his van.

–1  FL, Volusia County, Aug 14. Electrocution; Female, ~30 steps onto submerged power line.

–1  FL, Volusia Co., Aug 14. Tree limb fall; during cleanup, man, 44, hit while cutting limbs.

 

Aug 15:           (  4)[55]

–1  FL, Lee County, Aug 15. Hypertension and heart disease exacerbated by heat, man, 74.

–1  FL, Osceola Co., Aug 15. Vehicular. Motorist hits tree blown down on rural road, man, 32.

–1  FL, Polk Co., Aug 15. Carbon monoxide; home with inside gas generator, man, 30.

–1  FL, Polk Co., Aug 15. Carbon monoxide; home with inside gas generator, man, 50.

 

Aug 16:           (  2)

–1  FL, Hardee County, Aug 16. Probable heart attack; cleaning up storm damage, man, 60.

–1? FL, Osceola Co., Aug 16. Vehicular, “person was killed in a car accident…August 16^th.”[56]

 

Aug 17:           (  2)

–1  FL, Collier Co., Aug 17. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbated by stress woman, 87.

–1  FL, Highlands Co., Aug 17. Heart Attack, during clean-up with chain saw in heat, man, 55.

 

Aug 18:           (  1)

–1  FL, Orange Co., Aug 18. Fall from tree; cutting branches during storm clean-up, man, 37.

 

Aug 19:           (  2)

–1  FL, Lee County, Aug 19. Fire; from candles, no power; propane ignites, man, 68.

–1  FL, Sarasota Co., Aug. 19. Suicide; gunshot, man, 83, despondent, lost Punta Gorda home.

 

Aug 20:           (1?)

–1? FL, Collier County, Aug 20 (Aug 18 injury). Head injuries, unidentified person.[57]

 

Aug 23:           (  1)

–1  FL, Brevard Co., Aug 23.[58] Electrocution, attempting to restore power to home, man, 44.

 

Aug 24:           (  2)

–1  FL, Collier County, Aug 24. Trauma to head; man, 75, outside, storm cleanup.

–1  FL, Lee Co., Aug 24. Fall from house or tree; removing downed storm branches, man, 58.

 

Aug 27:           (  1)

–1  FL, Hardee Co., Aug 27. Crushing; girl, 4, caught between trailer and truck hauling debris.

 

Sep 1:              (  1)

–1  FL, Charlotte Co., Sep 1. Fall from roof; roofer, male, 57, taken to Lee Co. hospital, died.

 

Sep 3:              (  1)

–1  FL, Charlotte Co., Sep 3. Drowning; boy, 6, in pool where hurricane had destroyed fence.

 

Sep 4:              (  1)

–1  FL, Collier County, Sep 4 (Sep 1 injury). Fall from ladder; clearing debris, man, 49.

 

Sep 25:            ( 3?)

–3?  FL, Sarasota Co., I-75, Sep 25. Mother, 36, son, 14, crash victim hit by van, darkened road.

 

No Date:         ( 1?)

–1? SC. Indirect. Pasch, et al. Tropical Cyclone Report, Hurricane Charley… 9-15-2011 rev., 4.

 

Age of Deceased (34-40)

Up to 9:          (    3)

–1  FL, Charlotte County, Sep 3. Drowning; boy, 6, pool where hurricane had destroyed fence.

–1  FL, Hardee Co., Aug 27. Crushing; girl, 4, caught between trailer and truck hauling debris.

–1  FL, Orange County, Aug 13. Strong wind;  blows moving van into vehicle killing girl, 8.

 

10-19:              (    1?)

–1?  FL, Sarasota Co., I-75, Sep 25. Boy, 14, standing roadside, hit by tractor trailer, darkened hwy.

 

20-29:              (    1)

–1  FL, Lee County, Aug 13. High Wind; tree fall onto structure, man, 25.

 

30-39:              ( 4-5)

–1  FL, Orange Co., Aug 18. Fall from tree; cutting branches during storm clean-up, man, 37.

–1  FL, Osceola Co., Aug 15. Vehicular. Motorist hits tree blown down on rural road, man, 32.

–1  FL, Polk County, Aug 15. Carbon monoxide; home with inside gas generator, man, 30.

–1?FL, Sarasota Co., I-75, Sep 25. Woman, 36, standing roadside, hit by tractor trailer, darkened hwy.

–1  FL, Volusia County, Aug 14. Electrocution; Female, ~30 steps onto submerged power line.

 

40-49:              (    4)

–1  FL, Brevard Co., Aug 23.[59] Electrocution, attempting to restore power to home, man, 44.

–1  FL, Collier County, Sep 4 (Sep 1 injury). Fall from ladder; clearing debris, man, 49.

–1  FL, Orange Co., Aug 13. Vehicular; collision at intersection with traffic light out, man, 48.

–1  FL, Volusia Co., Aug 14. Tree limb fall; during cleanup, man, 44, hit while cutting limbs.

 

50-59:              (    9)

–1  FL, Charlotte County, Aug 13. Wind; flying debris hits man, 51

–1  FL, Charlotte Co., Sep 1. Fall from roof; roofer, male, 57, taken to Lee Co. hospital, died.

–1  FL, DeSoto County, Aug 13. Wind damages tool shed killing man, 53, inside.

–1  FL, Highlands Co., Aug 17. Heart Attack, during clean-up with chain saw in heat, man, 55.

–1  FL, Lee County, Aug 14. Carbon monoxide; generator in shed attached to house, man, 56.

–1  FL, Lee Co., Aug 24. Fall from house or tree; removing downed storm branches, man, 58.

–1  FL, Polk County, Aug 15. Carbon monoxide; home with inside gas generator, man, 50.

–1  FL, Sarasota County, Aug 13. Severe weather; causes woman, 56, to drive off the road.

–1  RI, East Matunuck State Beach, South Kingstown, Aug 14. Drowning; man, 52, rip current.

 

60-69:              (    5)

–1  FL, Hardee County, Aug 16. Probable heart attack; cleaning up storm damage, man, 60.

–1  FL, Lee County, Aug 19. Fire; from candles, no power; propane ignites, man, 68.

–1  FL, Polk Co., Aug 13. Vehicular; man, 61, drowns, drove off flooded highway into a lake.

–1  FL, Polk County, Aug 13. Power out, oxygen pump stops, man, 61, goes out to his car, dies.

–1  FL, Polk County, Aug 14. Heart attack; man, 66, tried to ride out storm in his van.

 

70-79:              (    3)

–1  FL, Charlotte County, Aug 13. Wind; flying debris hits man, late 70’s.

–1  FL, Collier County, Aug 24. Trauma to head; man, 75, outside, storm cleanup.

–1  FL, Lee County, Aug 15. Hypertension and heart disease exacerbated by heat, man, 74.

 

80-89:              (    5)

–2  FL, Charlotte County, Aug 13. Husband/wife, 83/82, mobile home destroyed by hurricane.

–1  FL, Collier Co., Aug 17. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbated by stress woman, 87.

–1  FL, Polk County, Aug 13. Fall in hotel room where Fort Myers man, 86, evacuated.

–1  FL, Sarasota Co., Aug. 19. Suicide; gunshot, man, 83, despondent, lost Punta Gorda home.

 

Not noted:      (0-4)

–1? FL, Collier County, Aug 20 (Aug 18 injury). Head injuries, unidentified person.[60]

–1? FL, Osceola Co., Aug 16. Vehicular, “person was killed in a car accident…August 16^th.”[61]

–1?FL, Sarasota Co., I-75, Sep 25. Motorcyclist on roadside, hit by tractor trailer, darkened hwy.

–1? SC  Indirect. Pasch, et al. Tropical Cyclone Report…Charley… 9-15-2011 rev., p. 4.[62]

 

Gender

Male               (30)

Female            (  7)

Not noted        (  1)

 

NWS: “2004 August 14 CHARLEY made a second landfall near Cape Romain, SC as a weakening Category 1, after devastating portions of central and southwest Florida. Charley brought locally heavy rainfall and strong winds to much of southeast Virginia, especially near the coast. A wind gust to 72 mph was recorded at the Chesapeake Light buoy. In the U.S., 10 deaths and $14 billion in damage resulted from Charley.” (NWS, NCDC, NOAA)

 

Ackerman and Markley: “…in Hurricane Charley, Florida suffered 33 deaths, 12 of those involving senior citizens, none of whom was evacuating or staying in nursing homes, said Kathryn Hyer, a professor of Aging Studies at the University of South Florida.” (Ackerman, Todd, and Melanie Markley. “Officials Admit Better Plans Needed for the Elderly, Frail.” Houston Chronicle, 9-30-2005.)

 

Sources

 

Ackerman, Todd, and Melanie Markley. “Officials Admit Better Plans Needed for the Elderly, Frail.” Houston Chronicle, 9-30-2005. Accessed 2-12-2014 at: http://globalag.igc.org/armedconflict/countryreports/americas/plans.htm

 

Associated Press. “Deaths from Hurricane Charley,” St. Petersburg Times, 8-16-2004. Accessed 3-10-2014 at: http://www.sptimes.com/2004/08/16/Weather/Deaths_from_Hurricane.shtml

 

Associated Press. “Florida deaths blamed on Hurricane Charley.” Miami Herald, 8-20-2004. Accessed 3-10-2014 at: http://www.pressure-clean.com/charley%20deaths.htm

 

Associated Press. “Mother, son are killed helping crash victim.” St. Petersburg Times, FL, 9-29-2004. Accessed at: http://www.sptimes.com/2004/09/29/State/Mother__son_are_kille.shtml

 

Breed, Allen (AP). “Hurricane Charley victims filing for unemployment.” Aiken Standard, SC, 8-18-2004, 10A. At: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=103883039&sterm

 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (K. T. Jones, et al., reporters). “Preliminary Medical Examiner Reports of Mortality Associated with Hurricane Charley – Florida, 2004,” Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), Vol. 53, No. 36, 9-17-2004, pp. 835-837. Accessed 3-5-2014 at: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/wk/mm5336.pdf

 

Grimaldi, Paul E. “Hurricane may have contributed to swimmer’s drowning at East Matunuck. Saturday’s death of a Connecticut vacationer came amid heavy waves.” Providence Journal, RI, 8-16-2004. Accessed 3-11-2014 at: http://archive.is/Mb8eW

 

Johnson, Pamela J. “Hurricane Charley Killed 10 From Central Florida,” Orlando Sentinel, 8-22-2004. At: http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2004-08-22/news/0408220014_1_camille-pictures-of-animals-eyes

 

Jones, K. T., et al. “Preliminary Medical Examiner Reports of Mortality Associated with Hurricane Charley – Florida, 2004.” MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly), CDC, Vol. 53, No. 36, 9-17-2004, pp. 835-837. At: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5336a1.htm

 

Long, Mark, and Allen G. Breed. “Hurricane Charley ‘Our worst fears,’ Charley’s death toll reaches 15 in Florida.” News Herald, Panama City. 8-15-2004, p. 1. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=182085107&sterm

 

McKinney, Nathan, Chris Houser, Klaus Meyer-Arendt. “Direct and indirect mortality in Florida during the 2004 hurricane season.” International Journal of Biometeorology, Vol. 55, 2011, pp. 533-546. Accessed 2-23-2014 at: http://www.academia.edu/421697/Direct_and_Indirect_Mortality_In_Florida_During_the_2004_Hurricane_Season

 

National Weather Service. “Hurricane Charley Storm Related Deaths in August 2004” (Spreadsheet). 9-13-2004. Email attachment sent to Wayne Blanchard by Edward Rappaport, Deputy Director, National Hurricane Center, 3-7-2014.

 

National Weather Service, Charleston, SC. “Post Tropical Cyclone Report…Hurricane Charley.” 8-16-2004, 7:30 PM. At: http://www.weather.gov/media/chs/events/PSHCHS_08162004.pdf

 

National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office, Melbourne, FL. Hurricane Charley, August 13, 2004. “Post Tropical Cyclone Report…Hurricane Charley…Corrected.” 8-20-2004. Accessed 3-10-2014 at: http://www.srh.noaa.gov/mlb/?n=charley

 

Palm Beach Post, FL. Mean Season: Florida’s Hurricanes of 2004. Roanoke, VA, R. R. Donnelley and Longstreet Press, 2004. Google preview accessed at:

http://books.google.com/books?id=QBj7tWkUmwMC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

 

Pasch, Richard J., Daniel P. Brown, Eric S. Blake. Tropical Cyclone Report, Hurricane Charley, 9-14 August 2004. Miami, FL: National Hurricane Center, 10-18-2004, revised 9-15-2011. Accessed 2-23-2014 at: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/pdf/TCR-AL032004_Charley.pdf

 

Ragan, Patricia (FL Epidemic Intelligence Service, Bureau of Epidemiology, and the Office of Vital Statistics, FL Dept. of Health), Joann Schulte (Career Field Epidemiology Officer, CDC, Atlanta), Stephen J. Nelson (FL Medical Examiners Commission, Dept. of Law Enforcement, Tallahassee), and Ken T. Jones (FL Epidemic Intelligence Service, Bureau of Epidemiology, and the Office of Vital Statistics, FL Dept. of Health). “Mortality Surveillance: 2004 to 2005 Florida Hurricane-Related Deaths.” American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology, Vol. 29, No. 2, June 2008, pp. 148-153.

 

Wright, Lynne E. Disasters and Heroic Rescues of Florida. “Chapter 22. An Unforgettable Hurricane Season. Hurricanes Charley, Frances, Ivan, and Jeanne, 2004.” Guilford, CT: Insiders’ Guide, an imprint of the Globe Pequot Press, 2006. (pp. 185-196)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[1] Low range of 34 (33 in FL and 1 in RI) is of deaths that are “identified” by some combination of place, date, cause, gender and age. High range of 40 includes four deaths in FL reported by Ragan which were not identified and beyond those which we have been able to establish. The high range also includes one SC death noted by Pasch in his NWS Tropical Cyclone Report, which we have not been able to identify. See FL BWB tally footnote.

[2] We have not been able to substantiate one of the deaths in this report – the one in SC.

[3] Nine in Florida and 1 in Rhode Island.

[4] Thirty-three of the listings below appear to be reliable. Five are not: (1) the Aug 20 death in Collier Co. from an Aug 18 incident (for which we have too little information and but one source); (2) an Aug 16 Osceola Co. car accident which, even though noted by the NWS Weather Forecast Office in Melbourne, FL, might be a mistakenly dated reference to an event on Aug 15; and (3) the three Sep 25 deaths on I-75 in Sarasota County when a tractor trailer hit three people on the side of the road where night lighting lost during the hurricane, had not been restored.

[5] “It was estimated that the storm was responsible for 37 deaths in Florida.” On page 536, Table 1 notes 37 deaths for Florida for Hurricane Charley under the heading “Official death count” but with no citation.

[6] Left voice msg. for Ken T. Jones, a co-author, in that Ragan is no

[7] “As part of the surveillance conducted by the Florida Department of Health (FDOH) in the aftermath of hurricanes, hurricane-related deaths are monitored. Although there is no universally accepted definition, hurricane-related deaths have been defined as those attributed to the effects of a hurricane, both direct and indirect…The framework used for hurricane-related deaths classification in this study was that developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for assessing disaster-attributed mortality….Data collection and analysis for this review were conducted by the MEC [FL Medical Examiners Commission]and the FDOH [FL Dept. of Health] Bureau of Epidemiology….Data from the medical examiners, death certificates and Master File were merged into a single Excel spreadsheet and imported into SPSS version 13 (SPSS, Chicago, IL) for analysis…” (pp. 148-149)

[8] Does not include 4-year-old girl crushed between debris-removing truck and trailer Aug 27 in Hardee County. CDC reports that the youngest death was that of a 6-year-old (p. 835).

[9] Under Florida law, all deaths related to hurricanes are reportable to MEs. A directly related death was defined as death caused by the environmental force of the hurricane. An indirectly related death was a death occurring under circumstances caused by the hurricane. Natural causes of death were considered storm related if physical stress during or after the storm resulted in exacerbation of preexisting medical conditions and death. As of September 1, a total of 31 deaths had been reported…(77%) were male.”

[10] Incident occurred at man’s home in Brevard County. Was taken to Orange County Trauma Center where he died.

[11] NWS. “Hurricane Charley Storm Related Deaths in August 2004” (Spreadsheet). 9-13-2004.

[12] We have only been able to identify six Charlotte County deaths, and two of those happened after story appeared.

[13] NWS. “Hurricane Charley Storm Related Deaths…” (Spreadsheet). 9-13-2004; Pasch, et al. Tropical Cyclone Report…Charley… 9-15-2011 rev., p. 3. AP notes both Gordon and Joanne Hawkins were 82 and lived in Punta Gorda. (AP. “Deaths from Hurricane Charley,” St. Petersburg Times, 8-16-2004.) Later report has Mr. Hawkins as 83 and notes the couple refused to evacuate. (AP. “Florida deaths blamed on…Charley.” Miami Herald, 8-20-2004.)

[14] Burton Macleod was cut by glass at his Punta Gorda apartment. (AP. “Florida deaths blamed on…Charley.” Miami Herald, 8-20-2004); NWS. “Hurricane Charley…Related Deaths in August 2004” (Spreadsheet). 9-13-2004.

[15] NWS. “Hurricane Charley Storm Related Deaths in August 2004” (Spreadsheet). 9-13-2004.

[16] NWS. “Hurricane Charley Storm Related Deaths in August 2004” (Spreadsheet). 9-13-2004.

[17] NWS. “Hurricane Charley Storm Related Deaths in August 2004” (Spreadsheet). 9-13-2004.

[18] NWS. “Hurricane Charley Storm Related Deaths in August 2004” (Spreadsheet). 9-13-2004. Notes woman was in poor health and on oxygen which she lost for awhile and died of “Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and hypertension exacerbated by stress from storm.”

[19] Tentative; based on one report: AP. “Florida deaths blamed on Hurricane Charley.” Miami Herald, 8-20-2004.

[20] NWS. “Hurricane Charley Storm Related Deaths in August 2004” (Spreadsheet). 9-13-2004.

[21] NWS. “Hurricane Charley Storm Related Deaths in August 2004” (Spreadsheet). 9-13-2004.

[22] Larry Turner. AP. “Florida deaths…Charley.” Miami Herald, 8-20-2004; NWS. “Hurricane Charley…Related Deaths…” (Spreadsheet). 9-13-2004; Pasch, et al. Tropical Cyclone Report…Charley… 9-15-2011 rev., p. 4.

[23] Dean Cullins. Associated Press. “Florida deaths blamed on Hurricane Charley.” Miami Herald, 8-20-2004. NWS. “Hurricane Charley Storm Related Deaths in August 2004” (Spreadsheet). 9-13-2004. Notes victim “had a history of heart disease” and that cause of death was “Stress-related heart attack.”

[24] NWS. “Hurricane Charley Storm Related Deaths in August 2004” (Spreadsheet). 9-13-2004.

[25] NWS. “Hurricane Charley Storm Related Deaths in August 2004” (Spreadsheet). 9-13-2004.

[26] AP report has it that “Danny Williams, 25, of North Fort Myers, stepped outside his house to smoke a cigarette and died when a banyan tree fell on him” (citing county officials).  Associated Press. “Deaths from Hurricane Charley,” St. Petersburg Times, 8-16-2004. NWS. “Hurricane Charley Storm Related Deaths in August 2004” (Spreadsheet). 9-13-2004; Pasch, et al. Tropical Cyclone Report, Hurricane Charley… 9-15-2011 rev., p. 4.

[27] Howard Jones was found on Aug 14. Associated Press. “Florida deaths blamed on Hurricane Charley.” Miami Herald, 8-20-2004. NWS. “Hurricane Charley Storm Related Deaths in August 2004” (Spreadsheet). 9-13-2004.

[28] NWS. “Hurricane Charley…Related Deaths…” (Spreadsheet). 9-13-2004. Notes “Man had medical history of hypertension and heart disease. Was found dead in his small trailer in extreme heat and no power.”

[29] NWS. “Hurricane Charley Storm Related Deaths in August 2004” (Spreadsheet). 9-13-2004. Notes cause of death “Probable Carbon monoxide poisoning and/or burns.”

[30] NWS. “Hurricane Charley Storm Related Deaths in August 2004” (Spreadsheet). 9-13-2004.

[31] NWS. “Hurricane Charley Storm Related Deaths in August 2004” (Spreadsheet). 9-13-2004. AP notes this was in Orlando and victim was Jorge Hernandez. AP. “Deaths from Hurricane Charley,” St. Petersburg Times, 8-16-2004.

[32] Camille Celina Vilar of St. Cloud. (AP. “Florida deaths blamed on…Charley.” Miami Herald, 8-20-2004). NWS. “Hurricane Charley Storm Related Deaths…” (Spreadsheet). 9-13-2004; Pasch. Tropical Cyclone Report… Charley… 9-15-2011 rev., p. 4. Happened on highway 528, eastern Orange Co., at about 4:15 PM according to: NWS WFO, Melbourne, FL. Hurricane Charley, August 13, 2004. “Post Tropical Cyclone Report…Hurricane Charley…Corrected.” 8-20-2004. Press report has age as 8 and location as Beeline Expressway, 20 miles east of Orlando (citing FL Hwy. Patrol spokesperson). Associated Press. “Deaths from Hurricane Charley,” St. Petersburg Times, 8-16-2004. According to Pamela Johnson report, “Camille was riding in a car with her father, Rick Vilar, her half-brother and friends on the Bee Line Expressway in east Orange County when a tractor-trailer lost control in the winds and rolled atop the vehicle.” Her father “had been trying to get the group to Sebastian before the hurricane struck…” (Pamela J. Johnson. “Hurricane Charley Killed 10 From Central Florida,” Orlando Sentinel, 8-22-2004.)

[33] NWS. “Hurricane Charley Storm Related Deaths in August 2004” (Spreadsheet). 9-13-2004.

[34] NWS. “Hurricane Charley Storm Related Deaths in August 2004” (Spreadsheet). 9-13-2004. Press report has it that this early Sunday morning [Aug 15] took place in Kissimmee when Jose Cruz, whom they have as 33, of St. Cloud, drove his car into two fallen trees in the road (citing FL Highway Patrol spokesperson). Associated Press. “Deaths from Hurricane Charley,” St. Petersburg Times, 8-16-2004.

[35] NWS WFO, Melbourne, FL. “Post Tropical Cyclone Report…Hurricane Charley…Corrected.” 8-20-2004. This may, however, be an incorrectly dated reference to the Aug 15 vehicle crash into downed trees, killing Jose Cruz. Also noted, though, in: Associated Press. “Florida deaths blamed on Hurricane Charley.” Miami Herald, 8-20-2004, which writes that there had been but one reported death in Osceola County.

[36] NWS. “Hurricane Charley Storm Related Deaths in August 2004” (Spreadsheet). 9-13-2004.

[37] NWS. “Hurricane Charley Storm Related Deaths in August 2004” (Spreadsheet). 9-13-2004. Pasch, et al. Tropical Cyclone Report, Hurricane Charley… 9-15-2011 rev., p. 4. Identified as Jerry David Padgett of Lake Wales in: Associated Press. “Deaths from Hurricane Charley,” St. Petersburg Times, 8-16-2004. Identified as Jerry Padgett Jr. in: Associated Press. “Florida deaths blamed on Hurricane Charley.” Miami Herald, 8-20-2004.

[38] NWS. “Hurricane Charley Storm Related Deaths in August 2004” (Spreadsheet). 9-13-2004. This appears to be a reference to Jerry Kane, of Lake Wales [?], who was reported to have died at his home of congestive heart failure. Associated Press. “Deaths from Hurricane Charley,” St. Petersburg Times, 8-16-2004. Later AP report has home as in Dundee and notes that “Jerry Allen Kane…was found dead in his car Aug 14. He went to his car for air conditioning but did not have his oxygen tank with him.” AP. “Florida deaths…Charley.” Miami Herald, 8-20-2004.

[39] A press report has it that “Anthony Turk, 66, of Haines City [Polk County] died of a heart attack Friday [Aug 13] night during the storm.” Associated Press. “Deaths from Hurricane Charley,” St. Petersburg Times, 8-16-2004. (Cites Polk County Sheriff’s spokesperson.) A later AP account states Mr. Turk was 65, not 66, and lived in Haines City. AP. “Florida deaths blamed on Hurricane Charley.” Miami Herald, 8-20-2004. Also: NWS. “Hurricane Charley Storm Related Deaths in August 2004” (Spreadsheet). 9-13-2004. Notes victim had a history of heart problems and that death was due to “Heart failure due to excessive stress from storm.”

[40] Robert Banks of Winter Haven. (AP. “Florida deaths blamed on Hurricane Charley.” Miami Herald, 8-20-2004). NWS. “Hurricane Charley Storm Related Deaths in August 2004” (Spreadsheet). 9-13-2004.

[41] Michael Thompson, aged 33, stepson of Robert Banks. AP. “Florida deaths blamed on Hurricane Charley.” Miami Herald, 8-20-2004.  NWS. “Hurricane Charley Storm Related Deaths in August 2004” (Spreadsheet). 9-13-2004.

[42] Pasch, et al. Tropical Cyclone Report…Charley… 9-15-2011 rev., pp. 3-4. AP report notes “Karen Ryan, 56, of Nokomis, died in a car accident when she lost control of her car driving south on Interstate 75 in Venice, FHP [FL Hwy Patrol] said.” AP. “Deaths…Charley,” St. Petersburg Times, 8-16-2004. Later AP report: “Her car skidded off the shoulder and struck a tree.” AP. “Florida deaths blamed on Hurricane Charley.” Miami Herald, 8-20-2004.

[43] NWS. “Hurricane Charley Storm Related Deaths in August 2004” (Spreadsheet). 9-13-2004.

[44] “North Port – A woman was killed with one of her sons when they got out of their vehicle to help a motorcyclist after a freeway crash…Marsha Gambill, 36, and her older son, Brian Gambill, 14, died Saturday night on Interstate 75 in southwest Florida when a van ran into them and motorcyclist Brian Dess in the darkened median. Dess also died….[FL Hwy] Patrol said…that lighting on that stretch of interstate was knocked out by Hurricane Charley.” (AP. “Mother, son are killed helping crash victim.” St. Petersburg Times, FL, 9-29-2004.) Highlight in that some might not consider these to be Charley-related indirect deaths due to remoteness in time and circumstances. Another press report, however, quotes a FL Hwy Patrolman to the effect that the event happened so fast that it might have occurred  anyway, even with working Interstate lighting.

[45] Line was “submerged” (NWS. “Hurricane Charley Storm Related Deaths…” (Spreadsheet). 9-13-2004); NWS WFO, Melbourne, FL. “Post Tropical Cyclone Report…Hurricane Charley…Corrected.” 8-20-2004; AP. “Deaths from…Charley,” St. Petersburg Times, 8-16-2004. Later report notes the power line was “at the base of a utility pole on South Martin Luther King Boulevard.” AP. “Florida deaths blamed on…Charley.” Miami Herald, 8-20-2004.

[46] AP. “Florida deaths blamed on Hurricane Charley.” Miami Herald, 8-20-2004 (writes that “Patrick Haley, 44, of Palm Coast, was killed Aug. 14 when a large section of a tree fell on him while he was helping relatives clean up in the Florida Shores neighborhood of Edgewater.” See, also, NWS. “Hurricane Charley Storm Related Deaths in August 2004” (Spreadsheet). 9-13-2004; AP. “Deaths from Hurricane Charley,” St. Petersburg Times, 8-16-2004.

[47] Victim was Peter David, vacationer from Burlington, CT. (Paul E. Grimaldi. “Hurricane may have contributed to swimmer’s drowning at East Matunuck. Saturday’s death of a Connecticut vacationer came amid heavy waves.” Providence Journal, RI, 8-16-2004.) Listed as direct death in: Pasch, et al. (NWS). 2011 revision, p. 4.

[48] Have looked at the Charleston, SC NWS “Post Tropical Cyclone Report…Hurricane Charley.” 8-16-2004, 7:30 PM, and no mention of any deaths is made. Have also searched Aiken Standard, SC for several weeks afterwards without finding any mention of a S.C. Charley-related fatality. Communicated with Ed Rappaport, Deputy Director of the National Hurricane Center in March 2014, who communicated with Pasch, who indicated he no longer has the individualized data used to build the casualties section of his report, and does not recall this case.

[49] Labeled as a “direct” death in Pasch.

[50] Incident occurred at man’s home in Brevard County. Was taken to Orange County Trauma Center where he died.

[51] Tentative; based on one report: AP. “Florida deaths blamed on Hurricane Charley.” Miami Herald, 8-20-2004.

[52] We are fairly certain the CDC report does not include the crushing of a girl between a trailer and a truck in its report that “Four trauma deaths resulted from motor-vehicle crashes…” If so, we must be missing one or two (if the Aug 16 Osceola accident is not correct). It is possible that the Aug 13 Sarasota County direct death is counted.

[53] NWS WFO, Melbourne, FL. “Post Tropical Cyclone Report…Hurricane Charley…Corrected.” 8-20-2004. This could be, though, a reference to the Aug 15 incident.

[54] Same number that CDC (TK Jones, et al) reports.

[55] CDC (TK Jones, et al., also report eight deaths for FL for Aug 14-15.

[56] NWS WFO, Melbourne, FL. “Post Tropical Cyclone Report…Hurricane Charley…Corrected.” 8-20-2004.

[57] Tentative; based on one report: AP. “Florida deaths blamed on Hurricane Charley.” Miami Herald, 8-20-2004.

[58] Incident occurred at man’s home in Brevard County. Was taken to Orange County Trauma Center where he died.

[59] Incident occurred at man’s home in Brevard County. Was taken to Orange County Trauma Center where he died.

[60] Tentative; based on one report: AP. “Florida deaths blamed on Hurricane Charley.” Miami Herald, 8-20-2004.

[61] NWS WFO, Melbourne, FL. “Post Tropical Cyclone Report…Hurricane Charley…Corrected.” 8-20-2004.

[62] Have looked at the Charleston, SC NWS “Post Tropical Cyclone Report…Hurricane Charley.” 8-16-2004, 7:30 PM, and no mention of any deaths is made. Have also searched Aiken Standard, SC for several weeks afterwards without finding any mention of a S.C. Charley-related fatality. Communicated with Ed Rappaport, Deputy Director of the National Hurricane Center in March 2014, who communicated with Pasch, who indicated he no longer has the individualized data used to build the casualties section of his report, and does not recall this case.