lornajarrettblanchard

— 5  Assoc. Press. “Apartment Fire Claims 5 Lives.” New Castle News, PA, 12-18-1992, p. 2.

— 5  USFA. “Five-Fatality Apartment Fire, Auburn, Washington – December 17, 1992.” P. 19.

 

Narrative Information

 

USFA: “An early morning fire in an end unit of a four-family apartment building left five people dead, including three boys, ages 3, 6, and 13. The mother of the three children was the only resident who escaped; the boys’ father and a family friend perished.

 

“The Auburn Fire Department received the alarm at 2:11 a.m., from a 9-1-1 call placed from a neighboring unit. (Press accounts that the surviving occupant attempted to dial 9-1-1 from the unit of origin could not be confirmed by Auburn fire officials.) Two engine companies, a basic life support ambulance unit, a mutual aid tanker, and a chief officer–a total of 13 personnel–were dispatched. Police officers arrived at the scene ahead of firefighters and reported a fully-involved apartment unit. The responding chief requested an additional alarm en route, summoning off-duty Auburn firefighters. Arriving firefighters had difficulty controlling the blaze which involved both floors of the apartment in the wood-frame building. Although the fire completely gutted the unit of origin, the adjacent unit sustained only minor damage.

 

“Once the fire was brought under control, firefighters found all of the victims’ bodies on the second floor, either in the corridor or in bedrooms. All of the victims appeared to have been awakened, but it was unclear if smoke detectors were installed in the dwelling.

 

“One of the scenarios considered for the cause was a child playing with a lighter. Initial interviews with the lone survivor have provided contradictory accounts of the possible cause.” (USFA. “Appendix A: Briefs on 1992 Residential Fires with Five or More Fatalities Discussed in this Report.” Pp. 13-19 in Eight Children and Two Adults Die in Rural House Fire, Remer, Minn…. 1999, p. 19.)

 

Sources

 

Associated Press. “Apartment Fire Claims 5 Lives.” New Castle News, PA, 12-18-1992, p. 2. Accessed 5-30-2016 at: http://newspaperarchive.com/us/pennsylvania/new-castle/new-castle-news/1992/12-18/page-3?tag

 

United States Fire Administration. “Appendix A: Briefs on 1992 Residential Fires with Five or More Fatalities Discussed in this Report.” Pp. 13-19 in Eight Children and Two Adults Die in Rural House Fire, Remer, Minnesota (January 1, 1989). Emmitsburg, MD:  National Fire Data Center, USFA, FEMA, 1999, 29 pages. Accessed at: http://www.interfire.org/res_file/pdf/Tr-028.pdf

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

–~23  Blanchard tally from State breakouts below.

—>17  AP. “Coastal areas suffer widespread damage.” The Intelligencer, PA. 12-14-1992, C5.

—>15  AP (Leyva). “Storm backs off; 15 deaths reported.” Dover Times, OH, 12-13-1992, p. A3.

—>12  AP. “Relentless storm batters Atlantic…” Syracuse Herald-Journal, NY, 12-12-1992, A2.

—  10  National Climatic Data Center. Storm Data, Vol. 34, No. 12, Dec 1992, p. 8.

—    9  NWS Eastern HQ. Disaster Survey Rpt…Great Nor’easter of December 1992. 1994, p.15.[1]

 

Connecticut                (  5)

— 5  Blanchard tally from locality breakouts below.

— 1  Bridgeport, Dec 11. Mentally handicapped man, running errands, “apparently drowned.”[2]

— 1  Harwinton, Dec 12. Carport roof failed under weight of heavy snow. Male, 50, underneath.[3]

— 3  “Several” other people died of indirect causes such as snow shoveling and car accidents.[4]

 

Massachusetts            (  2)

— 1  Lowell. Male, heart attack while shoveling snow.[5]

— 1  Savoy. Male, heart attack while shoveling snow.[6]

 

New Jersey                 (  2)

–1  Deptford, Gloucester Co., Rt. 47. Female, 65, swerves auto to miss falling tree; hit by truck.[7]

–1  Jersey City, Hudson Co. Female, 38, struck and killed by roof debris blown off a building.[8]

 

New York                   (  2)

–1  Mamaroneck, Westchester County. Male, 73, drowned trying to reach car in floodwater.[9]

–1  Locality not noted. Weather-related traffic fatality.[10]

 

North Carolina          (  1)

— 1  Swannanoa, Buncombe County. Male killed by a falling tree in high wind.[11]

 

Pennsylvania              (>9)

—>9  Blanchard tally based on locality breakouts below.

—>6  Western PA. AP. “Storm ravages Northeast.” Evening Sun, Hanover, PA. 12-12-1992, A11.

—  4  Allegheny County. Heart attacks after shoveling snow.[12]

—>2  Western PA. Storm-related traffic accidents.[13]

—>5  State, Dec 10. AP. “Winter storms strike…” Nashua Telegraph, NH, 12-11-1992, p. 25.[14]

—  3  Pittsburgh, Allentown section. Printing co. roof collapses under weight of snow killing 3.[15]

 

Rhode Island             (  1)

–1  Young female “as a result of a snow storm.” CDC. “Surveillance of Deaths…” MMWR 42/1.

 

Virginia                      (  1)

–1  Stafford Co., Rappahannock River. Homeless person drowned from flooding along river.[16]

 

Narrative Information

 

CBS 6 Albany (NY): “A major east coast storm had been forecast for almost a week. The storm developed in classic form along the mid Atlantic coast, intensified rapidly, and began its expected trek up the eastern seaboard. Forecasts called for up to two feet of snow in upstate New York and Western New England, with high winds along the coast. The storm developed into everything it was predicted to be, almost. Hurricane force winds lashed New York and Boston.  In fact winds gusted to 90 mph along the New Jersey coast on the 11th, with gusts ranging from 70-80  mph in New York City and Boston Friday night into the day Saturday.

 

“Almost three inches of rain fell in Philadelphia, New York City, and Boston causing considerable poor drainage and urban street flooding. The combination of the slow motion of the storm with the persistent and intense easterly winds caused successive storm tides, much higher than normal, creating a much more serious flood in New York City by the mid afternoon of the 11th. In fact the flooding was so severe that many describe the scene as one of complete pandemonium with the subways shutdown and major roads inundated halting almost all city wide transportation. While the coast was being pummeled,  heavy snow was falling over interior areas of upstate New York and New England where temperatures were lower….A storm total of 40″ of paralyzing snow occurred at Worcester, MA….Conditions in the Capital Region through the entire day on Friday, December 11 were rather tranquil while at the same time blizzard conditions were occurring in the surrounding hill towns, and hurricane force winds with damaging storm tides were battering and inundating coastal areas….The storm is considered a rare super Nor’easter due to its intense compact nature and very slow motion along the coast. At times, the system developed an eye like structure and had profound damaging effects along the coast due to an long period wave battery, causing coastal erosion and severe coastal flooding.  Power was knocked out to thousands throughout the Northeast due to the combined effects of a heavy wet snow and the high winds. Few Nor’easters have packed the punch that this one did, even though it only produced about 6″ of snow at Albany. (CBS 6 Albany [NY]. “Friday-Saturday, December 11-12, Super Nor’easter.”)

 

CDC: “During December 10-13, 1992, a severe weather system of snow, sleet, rain, and high winds struck Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, and West Virginia. The highest recorded winds from this winter storm, called a nor’easter, were 80 miles per hour (mph) gusts at Cape May, New Jersey, with sustained winds of 20-30 mph. The tidal surge was 1-4 feet above normal, and wave heights were 20-25 feet near the shore. The 24-hour snowfall was 27 inches in the hills west of Boston. Flooding was recorded at 4-5 feet in both Boston and New York City. In the Berkshire Mountains in western Massachusetts, 4 feet of snow fell, with drifts as high as 10 feet. This report summarizes findings of surveillance for deaths associated with this storm and is based on information obtained from medical examiner (ME) offices.

 

“To assess mortality associated with this storm, during December 10-13, CDC officials contacted ME offices in Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Rhode Island; Suffolk, Westchester, and Nassau counties in New York; and New York City (which includes Bronx, Kings, New York, Queens, and Richmond counties); and Philadelphia Co., Pennsylvania. These offices were asked to report, retrospectively, any deaths occurring in their jurisdictions that they attributed to the storm. If deaths occurred, the office was asked to report demographic information about the decedent and the manner, cause, and circumstance of death. These jurisdictions have a combined population of 35,877,048 (Bureau of the Census, 1990).

 

“MEs in this region attributed three deaths on Dec 11 and one on Dec 13 to the nor’easter. In Hudson County, New Jersey, a 38-year-old woman died from multiple blunt force injuries; she had been walking on a sidewalk when the roof of an apartment building blew off during high winds and crushed her. In Westchester County, New York, a 73-year-old man drowned on the premises of a country club in Mamaroneck (northeast of New York City on Long Island Sound) when, because of high winds, he lost his grip while holding on to a tree to escape rising flood waters. In Connecticut, a 40-year-old man drowned in the incoming tide. On December 13, a young female died in Rhode Island as a result of a snow storm….

 

“Editorial Note: Although the findings of mortality surveillance suggest that the public health impact of this storm was minimal, the media reported considerably more deaths than did the MEs. The discrepancy may be due, in part, to the lack of a widely accepted definition of weather -related deaths. Some ME/Cs define weather-related deaths as those resulting from environmental forces such as wind and rising water. However, other ME/Cs include deaths from circumstances such as motor-vehicle collisions and stress-induced cardiovascular events in their definition of weather-related deaths.

 

“A standard definition for weather-related morbidity and mortality should assist health officials in assessing the public health impact associated with severe weather systems and other natural disasters. CDC is developing a definition for deaths related to natural disasters. Until this definition is available, CDC recommends that reports of disaster-related deaths either include selection criteria for disaster-related injuries and fatalities or cite the source of the case reports.”   (CDC, “Surveillance of Deaths Attributed to a Nor’easter—Dec 1992,” January 15, 1993.)

 

NCDC: “Outstanding Storms of the Month. “1. Powerful ‘Nor’easter’ Strikes the East Coast.

 

“A complex storm system moved eastward from the Gulf Coast of Texas to eastern Georgia on December 9 and 10^th. In the next 24 hours, the low pressure system moved to southeaster Virginia (00 UTC December 11) and then to Chesapeake Bay (12 UTC December 11). During this time, the central pressure on the cyclone dropped 24 millibars (mb) to 985 mb. This rapid intensification classified this cyclone as a ‘bomb’. Prior to the development of the ‘nor’easter’, the eastern United States was under the influence of a high pressure system. The high moved across southern Canada and remained stationary north of Maine on December 10. Moderately cold air was associated with the high pressure system. The center of the surface high moved to near Anticosti Island, off the coast of Quebec, and remained nearly stationary for the next several days…

 

“The large central pressure differences between the 1035 mb high and the 985 mb low produced a strong pressure gradient that resulted in very strong winds. Gale to storm-force winds with gusts exceeding hurricane force affected not only the Mid-Atlantic coastline, but also as far southwest as the southern Appalachians where trees were downed and roofs damaged. The strong on-shore winds also resulted in heavy surf and coastal flooding. Waves of 20 to 23 feet were reported in Massachusetts on December 12 and 13^th.

 

“Precipitation amounts with the Nor’easter…varied greatly. Rainfall amounts of 8 inches occurred in southeast Massachusetts, while several areas in New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Maryland recorded more than 30 inches of snow! By the evening of December 12, the storm moved slowly east over the Atlantic Ocean and brought an end to the precipitation.

 

“Ten deaths resulted from the storm with insured losses totaling near $850 million and non-insured losses near $2 billion. The Nor’easter of December 1992 will certainly be remembered as one of the worst on record.” (NCDC, NOAA. Storm Data, Vol. 34, No. 12, Dec 1992, p. 8.)

 

New Jersey

 

Asbury Park Press: “Fifteen years ago Tuesday [Dec 11, 1992], a surprisingly powerful nor’easter laid siege to the New Jersey coast, packing hurricane-force winds and propelling monstrous waves that sacked dunes and beaches and demolished boardwalks and other structures.” (Asbury Park Press, “Coast Less at Risk Now, Some Say,” 12-10-2007.)

 

Suro: “An intense, slow-moving “nor’easter” storm hit the eastern coast of New Jersey during December 11 and 12, 1992. This storm produced strong winds and record and near-record flooding along the entire Atlantic Coast of New Jersey from Bergen County to Cape May… Two deaths were attributed to the storm. The President of the United States declared Bergden, Essex, Hudson, Somerset, Union, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean, Salem, Atlantic, Cumberland, and Cape May Counties a disaster area….The hardest hit areas were near Raritan, Newark, Sandy Hook, and Upper New York Bay.”  (Suro, Summary of Floods of 1992, USGS)

 

New York

 

Columbia University: “On December 11, 1992, a winter storm pummeled New York City with hurricane-force wind gusts of up to 90 miles per hour, causing tidewaters to rise 7.7 feet above normal. The nor’easter crippled transportation, business, and schools, produced numerous power failures, and flooded wide areas.” (Columbia University Center for Climate Systems Research, “Hurricanes, Sea Level Rise, and New York City.”)

 

Mintz: “More than 100 homes on Long Island were destroyed and thousands more damaged.”  (Mintz, “The Nature of a Nor’easter,” 1-17-2004.)

 

NY Daily News: “In December 1992, a nor’easter caused the worst flooding in three decades and prompted then-President George Bush to make Long Island eligible for federal disaster relief.”  (New York Daily News, “Nor’easter Season Emergency Teams Prepare for Island’s First,” Nov 14, 1995.)

 

Staten Island Advance: “On this day [Dec 11] in 1992, Staten Island, along with the entire region, was hit with a powerful nor’easter. Winds of up to 75 mph and nearly four inches of rain over two days left many homes flooded, ferries stranded in mid-harbor and waterfront communities under water, and ripped down trees and power lines.” (Staten Island Advance, “Nor’easter Nails Staten Island: 1992,” 12-11-2007.)

 

U.S. Global Change Research Program: “The December 11-12,1992 nor’easter produced some of the worst flooding and strongest winds on record for the area. It resulted in a near shutdown of the New York metropolitan transportation system and evacuation of many seaside communities in New Jersey and Long Island. This storm should have provided a “wake-up” call, heralding the vulnerability of the transportation system to major nor’easters and hurricanes.” (U.S. Global Change Research Program, National Assessment, Chapter 19, 2002.)

 

Sources

 

Associated Press. “Coastal areas suffer widespread damage.” The Intelligencer, Doylestown, PA. 12-14-1992, C5. Accessed 4-5-2016: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=30018999&sterm

 

Associated Press, Pittsburgh. “Falling roof kills three.” Evening Sun, Hanover, PA. 12-12-1992, A11. Accessed 4-5-2016: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=295986593&sterm

 

Associated Press. “Relentless storm batters Atlantic Coast areas.” Syracuse Herald-Journal, NY, 12-12-1992, A2. Accessed 4-5-2016: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=28901646&sterm

 

Associated Press (Ric Leyva). “Storm backs off; 15 deaths reported.” Dover Times, OH, 12-13-1992, p. A3. Accessed 4-5-2016 at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=295365051&sterm

 

Associated Press. “Storm ravages Northeast. Six dead in western Pa.” Evening Sun, Hanover, PA. 12-12-1992, A11. Accessed 4-5-2016 at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=295986593&sterm=snow+storm

 

Associated Press. “Storm wrecks havoc in parts of New York.” Evening Telegram, Herkimer, NY, 12-12-1992, p. 2. Accessed 4-5-2016 at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=295859855&sterm

 

Associated Press. “Winter storms strike nationwide.” Nashua Telegraph, NH, 12-11-1992, p. 25. Accessed 4-5-2016 at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=294174110&sterm

 

Banck, J.  History of Nor’easter. “The Great Nor’easter of December 11, 1992.”  Fair.Harbor.com, 1-14-2004 revision. Accessed at:  http://www.fairharbor.com/weather_historynoreaster.htm

 

CBS 6 Albany. “Friday-Saturday, December 11-12, Super Nor’easter.” Accessed at:  http://www.cbs6albany.com/sections/weather/historical/paststorms/1992/

 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Surveillance of Deaths Attributed to a Nor’easter – December 1992.” MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), Atlanta, GA, Vol. 42, No. 1, 1-15-1993, pp. 4-5. Accessed 4-5-2016 at: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00018780.htm

 

Columbia University Center for Climate Systems Research, “Hurricanes, Sea Level Rise, and New York City.” Accessed 12-10-2008 at:  http://www.ccsr.columbia.edu/information/hurricanes/

 

Daily Herald, Arlington Heights, IL. “Storm rips through East Coast.” 12-12-1992, C2. Accessed 4-5-2016 at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=260264837&sterm

 

Mintz, Phil. “The Nature of a Nor’easter.” Newsday, 1-17-2004. Accessed at:  http://www.newsday.com/other/special/naturalworld/ny-nw-twstorm0118,0,629287.story?coll=ny-features-utility

 

National Climatic Data Center. Storm Data, Vol. 34, No. 12, Dec 1992. Asheville, NC: NCDC NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce. Accessed 4-5-2016 at: http://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/orders/IPS/IPS-619F9BFE-1CC3-49CD-A4DA-35772D5DF62E.pdf

 

National Weather Service Eastern Region. Disaster Survey Report. The Great Nor’easter of December 1992. Bohemia, NY: NWS Eastern Region Headquarters, NOAA, June 1994. Accessed 4-5-2016: http://www.weatherknowledge.com/The_Great_NorEaster_of_Dec_1992.pdf

 

New York Daily News. “Nor’easter Season Emergency Teams Prepare for Island’s First,” 11-14- 1995. Accessed 12-10-2008 at: https://www.nydailynews.com/archives/ny_local/1995/11/14/1995-11-14_nor_easter_season__emergency.html

 

New York Times (date-lined Boston, Dec 13). “After the Storm; Flooding and Snow Stagger Massachusetts.” 12-14-1992. Accessed 4-5-2016 at: http://www.nytimes.com/1992/12/14/nyregion/after-the-storm-flooding-and-snow-stagger-massachusetts.html

 

New York Times, Robert D. McFadden. “After the Storm: The Overview; Weakening Storm Leaves Northeast with Huge Damage.” 12-14-1992. Accessed 4-5-2016 at: http://www.nytimes.com/1992/12/14/nyregion/after-the-storm-the-overview-weakening-storm-leaves-northeast-with-huge-damage.html?pagewanted=all

 

Ramsey, Kelvin W., John H. Talley, Darlene V. Wells (Delaware and Maryland Geological Surveys). Summary Report. The Coastal Storm of December 10-14, 1992, Delaware and Maryland (Open File Report No. 37). Newark, DE: University of Delaware, Feb 1993, 33 pp. Accessed 4-5-2016 at: http://www.dgs.udel.edu/sites/dgs.udel.edu/files/publications/OFR37.pdf

 

Schwartz, Rick, Al Karr, Kevin Myatt. Hurricanes and the Middle Atlantic States. Blue Diamond Books, September 2007.

 

Staten Island Advance. “Nor’easter Nails Staten Island: 1992,” 12-11-2007. Accessed 12-10-2008 at:  http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/2007/12/noreaster_nails_staten_island.html

 

Suro, Thomas P.  “December 11-12, 1992, in New Jersey.” Summary of Floods of 1992. U.S. Geological Survey, September 17, 2008 update. Accessed 4-5-2016 at:  http://ks.water.usgs.gov/pubs/reports/wsp.2499.sumnj1292.html

 

U.S. Global Change Research Program. National Assessment, Chapter 19, 2002. Accessed 2008 at: http://www.usgcrp.gov/usgcrp/Library/nationalassessment/04C.pdf

 

 

[1] Table I – Fatalities + Insured Damage Estimates (Millions of Dollars).

[2] Daily Herald, Arlington Heights, IL. “Storm rips through East Coast.” 12-12-1992, C2. (Cites news services.)

[3] NWS Eastern HQ. Disaster Survey Rpt. The Great Nor’easter…, p. 19; NCDC Storm Data, 34/12, Dec 1992, p.20.

[4] NCDC, NOAA. Storm Data, Vol. 34, No. 12, Dec 1992, p. 20. The note of several other deaths comes immediately after noting direct-storm-caused death of Harwinton man. Another source writes “In Connecticut, where one to two feet of snow fell in the north and more than 200 motor-vehicle accidents were reported, three people were killed.” (New York Times, Robert D. McFadden. “After the Storm: The Overview; Weakening Storm Leaves Northeast with Huge Damage.” 12-14-1992.)

[5] NYT (date-lined Boston, Dec 13). “After the Storm; Flooding and Snow Stagger Massachusetts.” 12-14-1992.

[6] NYT (date-lined Boston, Dec 13). “After the Storm; Flooding and Snow Stagger Massachusetts.” 12-14-1992.

[7] NWS Eastern HQ. Disaster Survey Rpt. The Great Nor’easter…, p. 25; NCDC Storm Data, 34/12, Dec 1992, 38.

[8] NWS Eastern HQ. Disaster Survey Rpt. The Great Nor’easter…, p. 25; NCDC Storm Data, 34/12, Dec 1992, 38.

[9] NWS Eastern HQ. Disaster Survey Report. The Great Nor’easter of December 1992. 1994, p. 25. NCDC Storm Data, 34/12, Dec 1992, p. 41, notes The man “attempting to reach his partially submerged car in a parking lot in Mamaroneck, was swept away in the fast moving flood waters.” The victim’s age is from CDC, “Surveillance of Deaths Attributed to a Nor’easter – December 1992.” MMWR, Vol. 42, No. 1, 1-15-1993, pp. 4-5.

[10] Assoc. Press. “Storm wrecks havoc in parts of New York.” Evening Telegram, Herkimer, NY, 12-12-1992, p. 2.

[11] NWS Eastern HQ. Disaster Survey Rpt. The Great Nor’easter…, p. 29; NCDC Storm Data, 34/12, Dec 1992, 44.

[12] Associated Press. “Storm ravages Northeast.” Evening Sun, Hanover, PA. 12-12-1992, A11.

[13] Associated Press. “Storm ravages Northeast.” Evening Sun, Hanover, PA. 12-12-1992, A11.

[14] “Especially hard-hit was Pennsylvania, where at least five deaths Thursday were blamed on the storm. Nearly 3 feet of snow was reported in some parts of Pennsylvania during the 24 hours ending this morning.” [Dec 11]

[15] NWS Eastern HQ. Disaster Survey Rpt. The Great Nor’easter…, p. 29; NCDC Storm Data, 34/12, Dec 1992, 52. News article notes that there were more than 50 people working at the Raff Printing Co. when the roof collapsed. (Associated Press, Pittsburgh. “Falling roof kills three.” Evening Sun, Hanover, PA. 12-12-1992, A11.)

[16] NWS Eastern HQ. Disaster Survey Rpt. The Great Nor’easter…, p. 29; NCDC Storm Data, 34/12, Dec 1992, 61. NCDC write-up notes that the victim and his dog had been living in a tent on the bank of the river, near Fredericksburg, and that the man drowned in his tent.

— 8  Philly.com. “Fire Claims 8 Children Asleep in Chester Home…” 12-6-1992.

— 8  USFA. Eight Fatality Row House Fire…Chester, Pennsylvania, December 1992. Page 2.

 

Narrative Information

 

Philadelphia Inquirer: “Eight children, ranging in age from 1 to 11, died yesterday morning when fire ripped through their two-story Chester rowhouse. Chester fire and police investigators said the fire, which broke out at 524 W. Fifth St. about 7:30 a.m., was the deadliest in the city’s history…. The eight children were found huddled in a second-floor bedroom. Investigators said they died of smoke inhalation.

 

“The children were: Carnell Kimble, 11; Roxanne Kimble, 10; Ava Kimble, 9; Ashley and Larry Kimble, both 8; Denisha Kimble, 4; Jack Kimble, 15 months, and Paul Howard Freeman, 2. The Delaware County Medical Examiner’s Office said Paul was Gloria Freeman’s nephew….

 

“Chester Police Chief James Clark said the cause of the fire had not been determined, but the blaze was “consistent with a mattress fire.” Among possible causes, Clark said, were a cigarette and a space heater with a faulty cord.

 

“The landlords, Mac and Rachael Portal of West Goshen, Chester County, insisted in an interview that they installed detectors in the rental unit. “We put them in ourselves. We installed them all,” Mac Portal said last night. “They may have removed them, I don’t know.” Chester requires housing to have operational smoke detectors before the city will issue an occupancy certificate, said attorney Ann Torregrossa, executive director of the Delaware County Legal Assistance Association. She called it “highly improbable” that a rental house could be legally leased without originally having smoke detectors.

 

“Clark said investigators have determined that the fire started in the first-floor rear bedroom – originally a shed – that John Freeman occupied….

 

USFA: “At 7:33 a.m., Saturday, December 5, The Chester Fire Department responded to a 9-1-1 call reporting a fire at 524 W. Fifth Street. When firefighters arrived on the scene two minutes later they found heavy smoke conditions and fire venting from windows on the side and rear of the west half of a brick and frame duplex… Three adults and two children had already escaped from the dwelling and were waiting outside when firefighters arrived. Two of the adults, Gloria Freeman and her friend, Louis Fryson, had escaped with two of her children out the second floor front windows onto the porch roof. The other adult, John Freeman, the woman’s brother, had

escaped by exiting through the front door.

 

“Firefighters entered the house through the front door and attempted to reach the second floor to

rescue the eight children who remained inside. The firefighters were driven back by intense flames spreading up the stairway from the kitchen and dining room, which were already fully involved.

 

“Second and third alarms were requested at 7:40 a.m. and 7:43 a.m., respectively, summoning an

additional three engines and one truck company to the scene. In all, six engines and two truck companies staffed by 50 personnel were used at the scene to control the fire, perform overhaul, and remove the victims.

 

“Investigation revealed that the fire started in the first floor bedroom at the rear of the dwelling, behind the kitchen. This room was used as Mr. Freeman’s bedroom. The cause of the fire remains undetermined; however, investigators are focusing on misuse of smoking materials.

 

“According to Ms. Freeman, the boys’ bedroom was in the rear of the house on the second floor and the girls’ bedroom in the middle. All of the children were believed to have been asleep when the fire started. In a statement to investigators immediately after the fire, Ms. Freeman said that even before Mr. Freeman shouted up the stairs to tell them there was a fire, the children said that smoke was coming through the floor in their bedroom. She indicated in a subsequent interview, conducted with her attorney present, that she first became aware that the house might be on fire when her brother called out that his bedroom on the first floor was on fire. Whichever account is more accurate, she took no action until after her brother shouted up the stairs that the building was on fire.

 

“Ms. Freeman’s later statements to investigators indicated that she attempted to dial 9-1-1 to report the fire but was unable to, so Mr. Fryson called to report the fire. His call was the first of several received reporting the fire.

 

“After dialing 9-1-1, Ms. Freeman and Mr. Fryson went from their bedroom at the front of the house into the second floor corridor where they encountered some of the children. Ms. Freeman grabbed the two closest children, boys ages 12 and 2, and retreated to her bedroom with Mr. Fryson due to the heavy smoke conditions. There they broke out the front windows and escaped onto the front porch roof. A passerby encouraged the adults to drop the kids to him and then jump to ground level and safety.

 

“Mr. Freeman told investigators he awoke to find his bed in the first floor bedroom afire. Before notifying other occupants, Mr. Freeman indicated that he made several attempts to put the fire out, using a bucket filled with water from the kitchen located adjacent to his room. When it became apparent that his efforts were proving fruitless, he reportedly ran to the front of the house and alerted his sister.

 

“When firefighters arrived, the rear bedroom, kitchen, and dining room had reached flashover, and fire was extending up the stairs to the second floor and through a balloon-frame wall at the rear of the structure. The fire took more than 45 minutes to control. Firefighters discovered the children’s bodies in the second floor center bedroom while controlling the fire. This room was not seriously damaged by the fire and none of the children were burned. All of the children were found huddled together on the floor at the front end of the room away from the partially open door to the hallway and stair. Another door to the hallway, toward the front of the house, was closed.

 

“Investigators checked the premises carefully but found no evidence that smoke detectors were installed in the building at the time of the fire. Although a bracket for a smoke detector was found on the ceiling, no smoke detectors were found in the fire debris. Ms. Freeman indicated that one detector had been installed in the building when she moved in five years earlier, but it had become inoperable and had been removed. Mr. Fryson confirmed that the smoke detector had become infested with insects and had been disposed of without replacement….” (USFA. Eight Fatality Row House Fire…Chester, Pennsylvania December 1992. 1992, pp. 3-4.)

 

Sources

 

Philadelphia Inquirer (Suzette Parmley and Larry King). “Fire Claims 8 Children Asleep in Chester Home. Three Adults and Two Children Escaped the Killing Smoke. It’s the Deadliest Fire in the City’s History.” 12-6-1992. Accessed 5-28-2016 at: http://articles.philly.com/1992-12-06/news/25992377_1_smoke-detectors-smoke-inhalation-mattress-fire

 

United States Fire Administration. Eight Fatality Row House Fire: Lessons Learned from Residential Fires with Five or More Fatalities – Chester, Pennsylvania (USFA-TR-067). Emmitsburg, MD: National Fire Data Center, USFA, FEMA, December 1992. Accessed 5-28-2016 at: https://www.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/pdf/publications/tr-067.pdf

 

1992 — Nov 30, two USAF C-141B Starlifters collide about 9M north of Harlem, MT –all 13

–13 AP. “Cause Unknown in plane crash.” The Daily Inter Lake, Kalispell, MT. 12-2-1992, p.1.
–13 Aviation Safety Network. USAF C-141B Starlifter collision N of Harlem, MT, 1-Dec-1992.
–13 Baugher, Joseph F. 1965 USAF Serial Numbers. 1-16-2012 revision.
–13 Gero, David. Military Aviation Disasters: Significant Losses Since 1908. 1999, p. 160.
–13 Hansen, Paul M. (Lt. Col., USAFR Ret). C-141 Lifetime Mishap Summary. 10-1- 2004.
–13 Logansport Pharos-Tribune, IN. “13 Feared Dead in Collision…Planes.” 12-1-1992, 1.
–13 Planecrashinfo.com. “1992. Accident Details. USAF-USAF…~Harlem, MT, Nov 30.”

Narrative Information

Aviation Safety Network, Flight Safety Foundation, Database, 1992: [1st plane]
“Date: Tuesday 1 December 1992 [Incorrect – was Monday night, Nov 30.]
“Time: 21:20
“Type: Lockheed C-141B Starlifter
“Operator: United States Air Force – USAF
“Registration: 65-0255
“MSN: 300-6106
….
“Crew: Fatalities: 7 / Occupants: 7
“Passengers: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0
….
“Collision casualties: Fatalities: 6
….
“Location: 14 km (8.8 mls) N of Harlem, MT
“Phase: En route (ENR)
“Nature: Military
“Departure airport: Tacoma-McChord AFB, WA (USA)
“Destination airport: Tacoma-McChord AFB, WA (USA)
“Narrative:

“Four Lockheed C-141B Starlifters were night air refueling/airdrop training mission. A KC-135 tanker was leading the Starlifters in a refueling pattern at FL255. The first Starlifter completed refueling and backed away to the left behind the KC-135 at FL250. It remained at an unusually close position. When the second C-141 had completed refueling it also backed away to the left, unaware of the unusual position of the first C-141. Both aircraft collided, breaking up in mid-air.”
(Aviation Safety Network. USAF C-141B Starlifter collision N of Harlem, MT, 1-Dec-1992.)

Aviation Safety Network, Flight Safety Foundation, Database, 1992: [2nd plane]
“Date: Tuesday 1 December 1992 [Incorrect – was Monday night, Nov 30.]
“Time: 21:20
“Type: Lockheed C-141B Starlifter
“Operator: United States Air Force – USAF
“Registration: 66-0142
“MSN: 300-6168
….
“Crew: Fatalities: 6 / Occupants: 6
“Total: Fatalities 6 / Occupants: 6
“Collision casualties: Fatalities 7
….
“Location: 14 km (8.8 mls) N of Harlem, MT
“Phase: En route (ENR)
“Nature: Military
“Departure airport: Tacoma-McChord AFB, WA (USA)
“Destination airport: Tacoma-McChord AFB, WA (USA)
“Narrative: [Same as narrative above.]

Baugher: “Lockheed C-141A-LM Starlifter….0255 (c/n 300-6106, 62 AW) w/o Nov 30, 1992 in collision with 66-0142 over Harlem, MT. All 13 people on both planes killed.” (Baugher, Joseph F. 1965 USAF Serial Numbers. 1-16-2012 revision.)

Gero: “Operated by the Military Airlift Command, the two jet transports [65-0255 & 66-0142] collided in mid-air about 10 miles (15km) north of Harlem, and both then crashed and burned [ ~21:20]. All 13 crewmen of both aircraft, seven in 65-0255 and six in 66-0142, were killed.

“The colli¬sion occurred at a height of around 25,000ft (7,500m) in darkness and meteorological conditions consisting of scattered clouds at lower altitudes,, a visibility of 7 miles (11km) and moderate turbulence. The two involved in the accident were among four transports engaged in a training mission, and had just completed mid-air refueling. Proceeding on a west-south-westerly collision, both aircraft then suffered catastrophic structural failure, and wreckage was scattered across the open terrain over an area of approxi¬mately 8 miles (13km) long by about three miles (5km) wide. No information pertaining to the pos¬sible or probable cause of the accident was disclosed.” (Gero 1999, 159-160)

Hansen: “Synopsis: The aircraft were flying a night air refueling/airdrop training mission involving 4 C-141 aircraft. The lead C-141 completed refueling, and moved back to an unusually close post refueling position. The #2 aircraft completed refueling. During the rejoin, the #2 aircraft impacted the lead aircraft. Both aircraft broke up in-flight and crashed. Thirteen crew members on the two aircraft were killed.” (Hansen. C-141 Lifetime Mishap Summary. October 1, 2004.)

Planecrashinfo.com: “The two aircraft on a training mission and refueling collided in darkness at 25,000 ft. and crashed to the ground. Seven killed on 65-0255 and 6 on 66-0142.” No survivors. (Planecrashinfo.com. “1992. Accident Details. USAF-USAF…~Harlem, MT, Nov 30.”)
Newspaper

Dec 1, AP: “Harlem, Mont. (AP) – Two military cargo jets on a nighttime refueling training mission collided and crashed near the Canadian border. All 13 people aboard apparently were killed, the Air Force said today.

“In Montana, witnesses said Monday night’s [Nov 30] collision of the C-141B cargo planes lit up the sky. “There was a big fireball in the sky and then it fell to the earth,” said Angie Fischer, who was at her mother’s house on a hilltop west of the crash site. ‘Then there was another fireball when it hit the ground.”

“The training mission involved four Air Force C-141Bs and a KC-135 tanker, said Ray Martell, a spokesman for McChord Air Force Base near Tacoma, Wash., where the transports were based.

“Two of the C-141Bs collided after refueling and crashed nine miles north of Harlem, about 30 miles south of the Canadian border, authorities said. The cause of the collision wasn’t immediately known.

“There were six people on one of the planes and seven on the other, said Gloria Rayford, spokeswoman for the 62nd Airlift Wing at McChord.

“Initial indications were that all of them were killed, said Sgt. Brian Orban, a spokesman at Malmstrom Air Force Base in Great Falls….

“The planes were flying between 24,000 and 27,000 feet and the weather at that level was clear, said FAA spokesman Lee Fryer in Seattle.

“The Washington Air National-Guard tanker was from Fairchild Air Force Base near Spokane, Wash. A base spokesman, Lt. Col. Joe Jimenez, said it had finished refueling the cargo planes before the collision.

“Harlem Mayor Victor Miller, who also is a member of the town’s fire department, said early today that firefighters and ambulances were at the crash site, and that all fires had been put out. There were no reports of any buildings being hit or people injured on the ground.” (Logansport Pharos-Tribune, IN. “13 Feared Dead in Collision of Military Cargo Planes.” 12-1-1992, p. 1-2.)

Dec 2, AP: “Harlem, Mont. (AP) – The bodies of 13 airmen killed when their jumbo jet transports collided during a refueling operation will be taken from a temporary morgue on the northcentral Montana plains to Malmstrom Air Force Base at Great Falls, an Air Force spokeswoman says….

“The Monday night [Nov 30] collision of the two C-141B cargo planes, each capable of carrying up to 200 people, was the worst military air disaster in Montana history. In December 1942, the crash of a Flying Fortress out of Great Falls killed a crew of 12.

“The two transports were among four C-141Bs on a training mission out of McChord Air Force Base near Tacoma, Wash. The KC-135 tanker that refueled them was attached to the Washington National Guard at Fairchild Air Force Base near Spokane. The refueling operation concluded just prior to the collision of the two planes, said Lt. Col. Joe Jimenez, a spokesman for the Washington National Guard….” (AP. “Cause Unknown in plane crash.” The Daily Inter Lake, Kalispell, MT. 12-2-1992, p.1.)

Sources

Associated Press. “Cause Unknown in plane crash.” The Daily Inter Lake, Kalispell, MT. 12-2-1992, p.1. Accessed 7-27-2023 at:
https://newspaperarchive.com/kalispell-daily-inter-lake-dec-02-1992-p-1/

Aviation Safety Network, Flight Safety Foundation, Database, 1992. USAF C-141B Starlifter collision N of Harlem, MT, 1-Dec-1992. Accessed 7-27-2023 at:
https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19921201-2
Also at: https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19921201-3

Baugher, Joseph F. 1965 USAF Serial Numbers. 1-16-2012 revision. Accessed 2-27-2012 at: http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1965.html

Gero, David. Military Aviation Disasters: Significant Losses Since 1908. UK and Newbury Park, CA: Patrick Stephens Limited, an imprint of Hayes Publishing, 1999.

Hansen, Paul M. (Lt. Col., USAFR Ret.). C-141 Lifetime Mishap Summary. October 1, 2004. Accessed at: http://www.c141heaven.com/mishap_paul_hansen.htm

Logansport Pharos-Tribune, IN. “13 Feared Dead in Collision of Military Cargo Planes.” 12-1-1992, 1. At: http://newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=109341683

Planecrashinfo.com. “1992. Accident Details. USAF-USAF…~Harlem, MT, Nov 30.” Accessed at: http://www.planecrashinfo.com/1992/1992-81.htm

— 26  NWS WFO, Jackson, MS. November 21-22, 1992 Tornado Outbreak. “Summary…”

— 26  Blanchard tally of State breakouts below.

— 26  Nov 21-22. NCDC. Storm Events Database. Tornado. Search Results for all U.S. States.

— 10  Nov 21. NCDC. Storm Events Database. Tornado. Search Results, all U.S. States.

— 14  Nov 22. NCDC. Storm Events Database. Tornado. Search Results, all U.S. States.

—   2  Nov 23. NCDC. Storm Events Database. Tornado. Search Results, all U.S. States.

— 25  Nov 21-23. Grazulis, Thomas P. Significant Tornadoes Update 1992-1995. 1997, p. 1341.

 

Georgia                      (  6)

— 6  Grazulis, Thomas P. Significant Tornadoes Update 1992-1995. 1997, p. 1343.

— 6  NCDC, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Tornado. Search Results for all Georgia, Nov 22.

— 1  Greene County, Nov 22, 16:07 EST, F4. Female. NCDC Storm Events Database, Greene.

— 1  Lumpkin County, Yahoola Valley resort/ranch, Nov 22, 13:10 EST, F3. Female worker.[1]

— 3  Putnam County, Lake Oconee, Nov 22, 15:45 EST, F4. House and trailer swept into lake.[2]

— 1  Putnam County, near U.S. Hwy. 441. Mobile home; young man.[3]

 

Kentucky                   (  1)

— 1  Carroll County, Easterday, Nov 22, 16:52-17:50 EST, F4. Female, 62.[4]

 

Mississippi                  (15)

— 15  Grazulis. Significant Tornadoes Update 1992-1995. 1997, p. 1342. [See breakouts below.]

— 15  NWS WFO, Jackson, MS. Ten Year Anniversary of the Brandon Tornado. 2002.

— 15  NWS WFO, Jackson, MS. November 21-22, 1992 Tornado Outbreak. “Summary of…”

—  1  Choctaw County.

—  1  Kemper Co. F2 just west of Wahalak, Nov 22, 02:15-02:55. Wood frame home.[5]

—  1  Leake County.

–10  Rankin County, Nov 21, 23:27-Nov 22, 02:01 CST.[6]

—  2  Webster Co. Clarkson, Nov 22, 02:14, small wood frame home (both occupants).[7]

— 14  NCDC. Storm Events Database. Tornado. Search Results for all U.S. States and Areas.

— 12  Grazulis. Significant Tornadoes Update 1992-1995. 1997, p. 1342.

–1  Choctaw County, Weir, Nov 21. F3-F4.[8]

–1  Leake Co., west of Carthage, Pine Tree Community,[9] Nov 21, F4. Mobile home.

–4  Rankin County, Brandon, Nov 21. Mobile homes. Females, 67, 73.[10]

–4  Rankin Co., Brandon, Easthaven subdivision, Nov 21. F4.[11] Males, 7, 10, 7, father.[12]

–2  Rankin County, Florence, edge of, Nov 21. Mobile homes. F3-F4.[13]

—   2  Webster-Chickasaw, Nov 22, 02:14, F1. Grazulis. Significant Tornadoes Update… p.1342.

—   1  Kemper –Noxubee (Wahalak). Nov 22, 02:15, F2. Grazulis. Significant…Update… p.1342.

— 12  NWS.  Twenty-four Deadliest Tornadoes in Mississippi 1950-2005.  Jackson, MS WFO.

 

North Carolina          (  2)

— 2  Orange Co., near Hillsborough, Nov 23, 02:20, F3. Males, 2 and 53. Grazulis, p. 1344.[14]

 

South Carolina          (  1)

— 1  Saluda Co., Nov 22. Home destroyed near intersection of Hwy 395 and Secondary Rd 56.[15]

 

Tennessee                   (  1)

— 1  Hardeman Co., Bolivar to Toone, F1, Nov 22, 03:50. Mobile home tipped over; boy, 11.[16]

 

Narrative Information

 

Mississippi

 

NWS WFO, Jackson, MS: “November 21, 2002 marks the ten year anniversary of the violent F4 tornado that struck the Florence and Brandon areas in 1992. This was a night where 15 tornadoes occurred across Mississippi which caused 15 fatalities and 269 injuries. In Rankin county alone there were 10 fatalities and 98 injuries and millions of dollars in property damage. (NWS WFO, Jackson, MS. Ten Year Anniversary of the Brandon Tornado. 2002.)

 

Grazulis, Nov 21: “Two people were killed in one of several mobile homes destroyed at the edge of Florence. Four people died as 30 mobile homes were destroyed at Brandon. Four others died when the tornado leveled a large well-built brick home…in the Easthaven subdivision; one body was found in a tree a quarter-mile from the foundation. In Rankin County, 10 people were killed, 98 injured, 60 homes were destroyed and 500 were damaged….One death occurred in a mobile home west of Carthage. Twelve people were injured in Attala County. In Choctaw County, 101 homes were damaged or destroyed. One person was killed and 12 injured at Weir.”  (Grazulis. Significant Tornadoes Update 1992-1995. 1997, p. 1342.)

 

Sources

 

Associated Press. “Cub Scout brothers buried; tornado killed them, buddy.” Leader-Telegram, Eau Claire, WI, 11-25-1992, p. 5C. Accessed 4-7-2016 at: http://newspaperarchive.com/us/wisconsin/eau-claire/eau-claire-leader-telegram/1992/11-25/page-21?tag

 

Associated Press. “Deadly tornado barrage spreads to N. Carolina.” Daily Herald, Arlington Heights, IL, 11-24-1992, p. 1. Accessed 4-7-2016 at: http://newspaperarchive.com/us/illinois/arlington-heights/daily-herald-suburban-chicago/1992/11-24/page-143?tag

 

Burlington Times-News, NC. “Obituaries.” 11-25-1992, D2. Accessed 4-7-2016 at: http://newspaperarchive.com/us/north-carolina/burlington/burlington-times-news/1992/11-25/page-20?tag

 

Grazulis, Thomas P. Significant Tornadoes Update 1992-1995. St. Johnsbury, VE: The Tornado Project of Environmental Films, January 1997, 128 pages.

 

Laurel Leader-Call, MS. “Funerals,” 11-25-1992, 2A. Accessed 4-7-2016 at: http://newspaperarchive.com/us/mississippi/laurel/laurel-leader-call/1992/11-25/page-2?tag

 

National Climatic Data Center, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Tornado. Georgia, Greene County, F4, 11-22-1992, 16:07 EST. Accessed 4-7-2016 at: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=10010606

 

National Climatic Data Center, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Tornado. Georgia, Lumpkin County, F3, 11-22-1992, 12:10 EST. Accessed 4-7-2016 at: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=10009523

 

National Climatic Data Center, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Tornado. Georgia, Putnam County, 11-22-1992, 15:45 EST, F4. Accessed 4-7-2016 at: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=10010604

 

National Climatic Data Center, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Tornado. Kentucky, Carroll County, 11-22-1992, 15:52 EST, F4. Accessed 4-7-2016 at: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=10031845

 

National Climatic Data Center, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Tornado. F2, Mississippi, Kemper County, 11-22-1992, 02:15 CST. Accessed 4-7-2016 at: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=10062536

 

National Climatic Data Center, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Tornado. Mississippi, Leake County, 11-22-1992, 00:29 CST Accessed 4-7-2016 at: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=10062527

 

National Climatic Data Center, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Tornado. Mississippi, Rankin County, 11-21-1992, 23:35, F4. Accessed 4-7-2016 at: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=10062523

 

National Climatic Data Center, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Tornado. F1, Mississippi, Webster County, 11-22-1992, 02:14 CST. Accessed 4-7-2016 at: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=10062535

 

National Climatic Data Center, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Tornado. Search Results for all U.S. States and Areas, 11-21-1992. Accessed 4-7-2016 at: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/listevents.jsp?eventType=%28C%29+Tornado&beginDate_mm=11&beginDate_dd=21&beginDate_yyyy=1992&endDate_mm=11&endDate_dd=21&endDate_yyyy=1992&hailfilter=0.00&tornfilter=0&windfilter=000&sort=DT&submitbutton=Search&statefips=-999%2CALL

 

National Climatic Data Center, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Tornado. Search Results for all U.S. States and Areas, 11-22-1992. Accessed 4-7-2016 at: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/listevents.jsp?eventType=%28C%29+Tornado&beginDate_mm=11&beginDate_dd=22&beginDate_yyyy=1992&endDate_mm=11&endDate_dd=22&endDate_yyyy=1992&hailfilter=0.00&tornfilter=0&windfilter=000&sort=DT&submitbutton=Search&statefips=-999%2CALL

 

National Climatic Data Center, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Tornado. Search Results for all U.S. States and Areas, 11-23-1992. Accessed 4-7-2016 at: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/listevents.jsp?eventType=%28C%29+Tornado&beginDate_mm=11&beginDate_dd=23&beginDate_yyyy=1992&endDate_mm=11&endDate_dd=23&endDate_yyyy=1992&hailfilter=0.00&tornfilter=0&windfilter=000&sort=DT&submitbutton=Search&statefips=-999%2CALL

 

National Climatic Data Center, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Tornado. South Carolina, Saluda County, 11-22-1992, 17:55 CST, F3. Accessed 4-7-2016 at: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=10109884

 

National Climatic Data Center, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Tornado. Tennessee, Hardeman, 11-22-1992, 03:50 CST, F1. Accessed 4-7-2016 at: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=10120394

 

National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office, Jackson, MS. November 21-22, 1992 Tornado Outbreak. “Summary of the National Outbreak.” Flowood, MS: NWS WFO, Jackson, MS, NOAA. 11-19-2012 modification. Accessed 4-7-2016: http://www.srh.noaa.gov/jan/?n=1992_11_21_22_tor

 

National Weather Service Forecast Office, Jackson, MS. Ten Year Anniversary of the Brandon Tornado. NWS Weather 2002. At: http://www.srh.noaa.gov/jan/events/brandon2002.html

 

National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office, Jackson, MS. Twenty-four Deadliest Tornadoes in Mississippi 1950-2005. Jackson, MS:  NWS WFO, NOAA, January 18, 2006 update. Accessed at: http://www.srh.noaa.gov/jan/TorStats/24DeadliestTors.php

 

 

[1] Grazulis. Significant Tornadoes Update 1992-1995, p. 1343. Grazulis notes that the victim and another employee were carried 65 yards. She “died of massive head injuries.” Also: NCDC, NOAA. Storm Events Database.

[2] NCDC, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Tornado. Georgia, Putnam County, 11-22-1992, 15:45 EST, F4.

[3] NCDC, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Tornado. Georgia, Putnam County, 11-22-1992, 15:45 EST, F4.

[4] NCDC. Storm Events Database. Tornado. Kentucky, Carroll County, 11-22-1992, 15:52 EST, F4; Grazulis.

[5] NCDC, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Tornado. Mississippi, Kemper County, 11-22-1992, 02:15 CST, F2.,

[6] Times are from: NCDC. Storm Events Database. Tornado. Mississippi, Rankin County, 11-21-1992, 23:35, F4.

[7] NCDC, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Tornado. Mississippi, Webster County, 11-22-1992, 02:14 CST, F1.

[8] Also: NCDC. Storm Events Database. Tornado. Mississippi, Leake County, 11-22-1992, 00:29 CST. (1 death)

[9] NCDC, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Tornado. Mississippi, Leake County, 11-22-1992, 00:29 CST. (1 death)

[10] Two of the victims were identified as (1) Mrs. Flora Parker, 73, who died of injures “suffered during Saturday’s tornado at Duncan Trailer Park in Brandon” and (2) “Miss Sarah Lou West, 67…from injuries suffered during Saturday’s tornado at Duncan Trailer Park in Brandon.” (Laurel Leader-Call, MS. “Funerals,” 11-25-1992, 2A.)

[11] Grazulis notes that the deaths were all in one “large well-built brick home.” See, also: NCDC, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Tornado. Mississippi, Leake County, 11-22-1992, 00:29 CST. (4 deaths)

[12] Ages of victims are from: Associated Press. “Cub Scout brothers buried; tornado killed them, buddy.” Leader-Telegram, Eau Claire, WI, 11-25-1992, p. 5C. Writes: “Lee Warrington, 10, and his 7-year-old brother, Chaz, died Sunday when a tornado razed the home of a fellow Scout with whom they were staying overnight. Also killed was 7-year-old Justin Smith and his father, Terry.” Also notes “No tornado warning was issued, and authorities blamed antiquated weather radar.” [This may be inaccurate.]

[13] Also; NCDC. Storm Events Database. Tornado. Mississippi, Leake County, 11-22-1992, 00:29 CST. (2 deaths). An AP article identifies one of the victims as Donna Overstreet and noted her son, 8, survived. (Associated Press. “Deadly tornado barrage spreads to N. Carolina.” Daily Herald, Arlington Heights, IL, 11-24-1992, p. 1.)

[14] The 53-year-old male seems to be a reference to Joshua A. Hall who “died…November 23, 1992 at his home [Hillsborough] from injuries suffered in a tornado.” Burlington, NC, Times-News. “Obituaries.” 11-25-1992, D2.

[15] NCDC. Storm Events Database. Tornado. SC, Saluda County, 11-22-1992, 17:55 CST, F3; Grazulis, p. 1344.

[16] Grazulis, Thomas P. Significant Tornadoes Update 1992-1995, p. 1343. Also: NCDC, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Tornado. Tennessee, Hardeman, 11-22-1992, 03:50 CST, F1.

— 5  Associated Press. “Five Killed in House Fire.” 11-8-1992.

— 5  USFA. “Five People Die in House Fire, South Jordan, Utah, November 8, 1992.” P. 16.

 

Narrative Information

 

USFA: “An early morning house fire left two adults and three teenagers dead in South Jordan, a suburb fifteen miles southwest of Salt Lake City. Two of the victims were visiting from Norway. Two other occupants of the two-story wood-frame dwelling escaped unharmed. All of the victims were related. The three teenage victims–two girls aged 14 and 15, and a 17-year-old male — were all siblings. Their grandmother and aunt, aged 50 and 80, respectively, also died. The teenagers’ mother, age 47, and a 22-year-old male cousin were able to escape.

 

“The grandmother, aunt, and cousin were all visiting from Norway and had only been staying with the family for a few days when the fire occurred.

 

“Firefighters received the call at 4:40 a.m. MST and arrived approximately eleven minutes later to find the home heavily involved in fire. Fire Chief Gary Whatcott indicated that the fire started in the den, located in the finished basement (lower level) of the two-story home, in a cardboard box used to store fireplace ashes, and spread to the furniture in the room of origin. The location of the fire’s point of origin cut off access to both the interior stairway and an exit to the outside at the rear of the home. Two of the victims were found on the lower level. The other three victims were found on the first floor. Both survivors were asleep in first floor rooms when the fire occurred.

 

“Smoke detectors were not found in the home, which was estimated to have been built within the

last twelve years. Chief Whatcott believes all of the victims had been awakened by smoke or other occupants before expiring. One of the teenage girls was believed to have been asleep in the room of fire origin and was found down the hallway in the bedroom of her 17-year-old brother.

 

“The surviving 22-year-old cousin reported to fire investigators that he awoke to a smoke-free room when he heard the other teenage girl shouting that something was wrong. (Her body was found in the first floor hallway after the fire.) When he opened the hallway door, however, he found heavy heat and smoke conditions and quickly closed the door. He then dressed before escaping through the bedroom window.

 

“The grandmother and aunt were found in a bathroom located adjacent to the bedroom in which

they had been sleeping. The 22-year-old reported that he heard their cries for help and broke the

bathroom window from the outside but was unable to rescue them.

 

“The teenagers’ mother was asleep in a bedroom at the far end of the first floor–in a room which had formerly been an attached garage–and escaped through the front door.

 

“Chief Whatcott reported that the fire devastated the otherwise peaceful residential community of 16,000 residents. He indicated he hopes to use this tragedy to drive home the message “Smoke

detectors save lives.”

 

“The South Jordan Fire Department has a volunteer force of 33 members. The chief is the only paid member. The department enforces the 1991 edition of the Uniform Fire Code and presents public fire safety education programs through the school system and open house events.” (USFA. “Appendix A: Briefs on 1992 Residential Fires with Five or More Fatalities Discussed in this Report.” Pp. 13-19 in Eight Children and Two Adults Die in Rural House Fire, Remer, Minn…. 1999, p. 16.)

 

Sources

 

Associated Press. “Five Killed in House Fire.” 11-8-1992. Accessed 5-30-2016 at: http://www.apnewsarchive.com/1992/Five-Killed-in-House-Fire/id-1299ab76e42cd70f2c3032bfe5f2588f

 

United States Fire Administration. “Appendix A: Briefs on 1992 Residential Fires with Five or More Fatalities Discussed in this Report.” Pp. 13-19 in Eight Children and Two Adults Die in Rural House Fire, Remer, Minnesota (January 1, 1989). Emmitsburg, MD:  National Fire Data Center, USFA, FEMA, 1999, 29 pages. Accessed at: http://www.interfire.org/res_file/pdf/Tr-028.pdf

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

–12 Aviation Safety Network. USAF Pave Hawk crash, Great Salt Lake, UT, 29-Oct-1992.
–12 Orange County Register, Santa Ana, CA. “Great Salt Lake copter crash kills 12 people.” 10-31-1992, p6.

Narrative Information

Aviation Safety Network, Flight Safety Foundation, Database, 1992:
“Date: 29-Oct-1992
“Time: 21:15
“Type: Sikorsky MN-60G Pave Hawk
“Owner/Operator: 1st SO Wg USAF….
“Fatalities: Fatalities: 12 / Occupants: 13
….
“Location: Great Salt Lake, Utah 100 yards north of Antelope Island
“Phase: En Route
“Nature: Military
“Departure airport: USAF Hill AFB [Davis County, UT (Google)]
“Destination airport: [None noted.]
“Narrative: Crashed during a training exercise. Twelve persons died in the crash, one
survived.”

Newspaper

Oct 30, AP: “Hill Air Force Base, Utah (AP) – Up to 13 people were believed killed when an Air Force helicopter crashed into the Great Salt Like during a training mission, a law enforcement source said today. The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said searchers had recovered some bodies from Thursday night’s crash, about 100 yards north of Antelope Island in northern Utah’s inland sea.

“There was one survivor of the crash of the Air Force MN-60G Pave Hawk helicopter, Air Force officials said.

“The exact body count was difficult to determine, the source said, because there were two different military agencies involved and not all of the bodies had been recovered. However, the number of dead was believed to be 13, the source said….

“The source said the helicopter went down in the water and some bodies were pushed by the tide and winds in a northwesterly direction into deeper waters. Clusters of bodies were spotted from the air and recovered by crews in boats, the source said.

“Gusty winds, accompanied by lightning and rain, periodically hammered the search area, about 13 miles west of the Air Force base.

“The helicopter, from Florida, normally carries a crew of three and may also carry another 12 passengers, but Air Force spokesmen said they could not say how many were aboard.

“The law enforcement source said he believed the crew was a mixture of Army and Air Force personnel on a special operation training mission.

“Air Force officials declined to give details of the crash or the number of persons aboard.

“The search was suspended at 4 a.m. due to darkness and storm weather, but with daylight a few hours later search crews returned to the briny inland sea to resume their efforts….Base officials confirmed earlier that after seven hours of searching, one person had been rescued and taken to the University of Utah Health Sciences Center in Salt Lake City. The man was in serious condition with cuts on the right leg and over the left eye [unclear]….” (Associated Press. “Thirteen feared dead in crash.” The Herald Journal, Logan UT. 10-30-1992, p. 1.)

Sources

Associated Press. “Thirteen feared dead in crash.” The Herald Journal, Logan UT. 10-30-1992, p. 1. Accessed 7-27-2023 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/logan-herald-journal-oct-30-1992-p-1/

Aviation Safety Network, Flight Safety Foundation, Database, 1992. USAF Pave Hawk crash, Great Salt Lake, UT, 29-Oct-1992. Accessed 7-27-2023 at:
https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/177306

Orange County Register, Santa Ana, CA. “Great Salt Lake copter crash kills 12 people.” 10-31-1992, p. 6. Accessed 7-27-2023 at:
https://newspaperarchive.com/santa-ana-orange-county-register-oct-31-1992-p-6/

–13  B3A (Geneva). Crash of a Lockheed C-130 Hercules in West Virginia: 13 killed.[1]

–13  Baugher, Joseph F. 1963 USAF Serial Numbers. 1-16-2012 revision.[2]

—  6  ASN. Accident description. ANG Lockheed C-130E Hercules, 3 km NW Berkeley Springs.

—  6  The Capital, Annapolis, MD. “Pilot error blamed in C-130 crash.” 11-6-1992, p. C2.

—  6  Washington Post (Tamara Jones). “Morgan County’s Lofty Argument.” 2-13-1995.[3]

 

Narrative Information

 

AVN: “Time:              ca 09:30….

“Total:             Fatalities: 6 / Occupants: 6….

“Location:       3 km (1.9 mls) NW of Berkeley Springs, WV…

“Departure airport:      Martinsburg-Eastern West Virginia Regional Airport/Shepherd Field, WV

“Destination airport:   Martinsburg-Eastern West Virginia Regional Airport/Shepherd Field, WV

“Narrative:      The plane was on a routine training mission when it struck powerlines and crashed into a two-story house.” (Aviation Safety Network. Accident Description.  Air National Guard Lockheed C-130E Hercules, 3 km NW Berkeley Springs, WV, 07 Oct 1992.) 

 

Baugher: “Lockheed C-130E-LM Hercules….7881 (c/n 382-3952, 167th Airlift SQ)  crashed near Berkeley Springs, WV Oct 7, 1992.  13 killed.”  (Baugher, Joseph F.  1963 USAF Serial Numbers.  1-13-2016 revision.)

 

Nov 6, The Capital: “Charleston, W.Va. — Investigators blame the crash of a West Virginia Air National Guard C-130E transport plane last month in Berkeley Springs on pilot error and bad judgment, a television station reports. WCHS-TV of Charleston cited unidentified sources with the U. S. Air Force for the investigators findings.

 

“The Oct. 7 crash killed six crew members from the Martinsburg-based 167th Tactical Airlift Group and demolished a two-story farmhouse.

 

“Col. Wayne Lloyd, air commander of the 167th, said Thursday there had been no official reports about the cause of the crash.  He said he did not expect a complete report on the crash for two more months.” (The Capital, Annapolis, MD. “Pilot error blamed in C-130 crash.” 11-6-1992, C2.)

Sources

 

Aviation Safety Network. Accident Description. Air National Guard Lockheed C-130E Hercules, 3 km NW Berkeley Springs, WV, 07 Oct 1992. Accessed 2-25-2012 at: http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19921007-0

 

B3A (Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives, Geneva, Switzerland). Crash of a Lockheed C-130 Hercules in West Virginia: 13 killed. Accessed 4-7-2016 at: http://www.baaa-acro.com/1992/archives/crash-of-a-lockheed-c-130-hercules-in-west-virginia-13-killed/

 

Baugher, Joseph F. 1963 USAF Serial Numbers. 1-13-2016 revision. Accessed 4-7-2016 at: http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1963.html

 

The Capital, Annapolis, MD. “Pilot error blamed in C-130 crash [Berkeley Springs, WV].” 11-6-1992, p. C2. At: http://newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=25890930

 

Washington Post (Tamara Jones). “Morgan County’s Lofty Argument.” 2-13-1995. Accessed 4-7-2016 at: https://www.google.com/#q=wv+ang+c-130+crash+berkeley+springs+oct+7+1992

 

[1] Notes  fatalities as crew of five and eight passengers. It appears clear there were six fatalities thus cannot explain, other than he followed Baugher, or both followed the same incorrect source – see note on Baugher figure below.

[2] Communicated with Joseph Baugher on April 7, 2016 on the accuracy and source of his 13 fatalities notation. He responded back on April 12 noting that he had double checked and determined that six fatalities was correct.

[3] The article is about Morgan County’s unsuccessful effort to recover about $11,000 for emergency services from the federal government. Notes, though, that six crewmembers died in the crash.

— 6  FEMA. Andrew, Iniki, Omar: FEMA Evaluation of Federal Response and…. 1993, p. 9.

— 6  NWS Central Pacific Hurricane Center. The 1992 Central Pacific Tropical Cyclone Season.

–1  Kauai. Female; “heart attack when a portion of her house fell on her.”

–1  Location not noted. Male “killed by flying debris when he was out during the storm.”

–2  “Japanese nationals drowned when their boat was capsized off Kauai.”

–1  Oahu. Male, “when his residence was set on fire by a candle used for light.”

–1  National Guardsman’s truck overturned trying to avoid live wires; cleanup phase.

— 3  National Climatic Data Center. Storm Data. Vol. 34, No. 9, Sep 1992, p. 8.

–1  Kilauea. Male, 77, struck by flying debris. NCDC Storm Data 34/9 Sep 1992, p. 125.

–2  Fishermen, 33 and 57, drowned at sea.

 

Narrative Information

 

FEMA: “Hurricane Iniki was the worst hurricane to strike Hawaii in this century. On September 11 at 10 p.m., EDT, the eye of the storm passed over the western part of the island of Kauai, with sustained winds of 130 mph and gusts of up to 165 mph. An hour later, the fast-moving storm was 50 miles north of Kauai, heading toward Oahu. Iniki brought with it torrential rains and waves of 25 feet on Kauai and 10-20 feet on Oahu. Six deaths were attributed to the storm. On Kauai, nearly 15,000 homes were damaged or destroyed. The basic physical infrastructure – including transportation, energy, and water facilities – was severely impacted. Many businesses, including tourist-related establishments, were damaged or destroyed. Estimates of Federal assistance under the Stafford Act for the State of Hawaii exceed $437 million.” (FEMA. Andrew, Iniki, Omar: FEMA Evaluation of Federal Response and Recovery Efforts. Feb 1993, pp. 9-10.)

 

NCDC Storm Data: “The most powerful Hawaiian hurricane in recent history moved over the Hawaiian Islands during the afternoon hours of September 11. Iniki moved across Kauai in a south-southwest to north-northeast direction. The eye crossed the coast in the Waimea area bout 3:30 p.m. HST and departed over Haena about 40 minutes later. Estimated maximum sustained winds were 140 mph with gusts to 175 mph (a category 4 hurricane of the Saffir/Simpson Scale with is not considered valid for the Pacific Islands). Iniki caused $1.8 billion in damage. Even though the hurricane force winds were confined to the island of Kauai, all the other islands in the state experienced some damage from strong winds and heavy (4-6 foot) surf. The Red Cross reported 1,421 homes were destroyed on Kauai with 5,152 homes receiving major damage and 7,178 homes receiving minor damage. Sixty-three homes were destroyed by wave and storm surge on the south coast of Kauai. Damaged crops included: sugarcane, papayas, and other assorted plants, fruits and tropical nuts. Iniki killed 3 people and injured 100.

 

Sources

 

Federal Emergency Management Agency. Andrew, Iniki, Omar: FEMA Evaluation of Federal Response and Recovery Efforts. Washington, DC: FEMA, February 1993, 88 pages.

 

National Climatic Data Center. Storm Data. Vol. 34, No. 9, Sep 1992. Asheville, NC: NCDC, NOAA. Accessed 4-8-2016 at: http://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/orders/IPS/IPS-73A9C5A6-5BAC-4796-9C5E-DD2D4CB43302.pdf

 

National Weather Service Central Pacific Hurricane Center. The 1992 Central Pacific Tropical Cyclone Season. Honolulu, HI. 6-4-2015 modification. Accessed 4-8-2016 at: http://www.prh.noaa.gov/cphc/summaries/1992.php

 

 

–12  NTSB. NTSB Brief, Identification:  DCA92MA048…Accident…Sep 7, 1992. 30 Nov 1993.

–12  NTSB. Special Investigation Report…Safety of Parachute Jump Operations. 2008, p.3.[1]

 

Narrative Information

 

“After takeoff, the airplane was seen at low altitude trailing smoke from the left engine.  Witnesses saw the wings ‘tipping’ back and forth, then a wing dropped and hit the ground.  Examination revealed that a supercharger bearing had failed in the left engine. The left engine had been recently installed by non-certified personnel after being inactive for 18 yrs without preservation. The airplane had flown about 184 hrs since the last annual inspection; no record of subsequent 100-hr inspection. The left prop blades were found in an intermediate position between the operating range and the feathered position. The left prop was changed several weeks prior to the accident. There is no evidence that the left prop had ever been successfully cycled to the full feather position. The operator and pilots were not aware of Hamilton Standard SB 657 recommending full-feather checks every 30 days. Left prop feathering motor relays not recovered. All parachutists were found in center part of fuselage; no evidence of restraint usage.

 

“The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:

 

“Inadequate maintenance and inspection by the operator which resulted in an engine power loss during the critical takeoff phase of flight.  In addition, the pilot did not, or was unable to, attain a full-feather position on the left engine propeller, which would have most likely enabled the airplane to sustain minimum control airspeed.” (NTSB. NTSB Brief, Identification:  DCA92MA048…Accident…Sep 7, 1992. 30 Nov 1993.)

 

Source

 

National Transportation Safety Board. NTSB Brief, Identification:  DCA92MA048, Nov 30, 1993. Accessed at: http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=20001211X15678

 

National Transportation Safety Board. Special Investigation Report on the Safety of Parachute Jump Operations (NTSB/SIR-08/01). Washington, DC: NTSB, Adopted 9-16-2008, 64 pages. Accessed 2-22-2016 at: http://www.ntsb.gov/safety/safety-studies/Documents/SIR0801.pdf

 

 

[1] From: “Table 1. Fatal parachute jump operations accidents since 1980.”