lornajarrettblanchard

— 5-6  Mann. “The Physics of Revenge: When Dr. Lu Gang’s American Dream…” 6-7-1992.

— 5-6  National Public Radio. “Timeline: Shootings at U.S. College Campuses,” April 15, 2007.

 

Narrative Information

 

Mann:  “Inside Room 309, a third-floor classroom in concrete-and-brick Van Allen Hall on the University of Iowa campus, Ken Nishikawa was standing at an old-fashioned blackboard. He was lecturing to a weekly graduate seminar in plasma physics when Dr. Lu Gang’s first shot rang out.  At first, some of the graduate students in the room thought it might be a firecracker. It was Friday afternoon, last Nov. 1, and one of the students later recalled thinking it must be some sort of prank. “What are you doing, Lu Gang?” he thought to himself. “Halloween is over.” The pretty blue smoke coming out of Lu Gang’s .38-caliber revolver added to the unreality, the seeming playfulness of it all.

 

“But it was no joke. In an instant, Prof. Christoph K. Goertz — one of America’s top space physicists, a specialist on Jupiter and Saturn — slumped in his chair, bleeding from the back of his head.  Lu Gang, who had been behind Goertz near the door, took a step to his left and fired again, directly into the face of Dr. Shan Linhua, Lu’s former roommate, friend and rival within the Iowa physics and astronomy department. Shan fell.

 

“By now, the other eight scientists in the room were diving under chairs or the brown, oval seminar table. Among them was Prof. Robert A. Smith, Goertz’s protégé, himself an expert on space and plasma physics.  As Smith sought protection under the table, Lu took a step toward him and fired three shots, hitting Smith in the chest. Then Lu Gang walked out of the seminar room, turned right and down one flight of stairs.  Between floors, Lu reloaded his Brazilian-made Taurus revolver. By the time he entered the bright, airy office of Prof. Dwight R. Nicholson, chairman of the department, he was ready to fire again.

 

“Upstairs, panicked students scattered from the seminar into nearby classrooms, their hands trembling as they tried to lock the doors behind them. A Chinese student named Wu Li stumbled into the room next to 309, dialed 911 for the police and handed the phone to an American, afraid that in the frenzy of the moment his usually trusty and long-studied English might jam in his throat. Lu aimed three shots at Nicholson, wheeled and returned upstairs to the seminar room, where Smith was still alive.  He fired again, finishing off Smith and, just to make sure, pumped one more round each into Goertz and Shan.

 

“Lu’s mission wasn’t quite finished. He walked downstairs, exited the physics building and turned left.  On a freezing-cold afternoon, he strode a full three blocks along the southern edge of the campus to Jessup Hall, the drab gray-stone administration building, where he asked for T. Anne Cleary, the university’s associate vice president for academic affairs. Told she was unavailable, Lu grew angry, shouting and creating a stir until she appeared outside her office.  He fired at Cleary, the bullet entering through her left nostril, then pivoted and fired again, striking Miya Rodolfo-Sioson, the 23-year-old Filipino-American student working as a temp outside Cleary’s office, in the mouth.

 

“As police began to converge on the building, Lu walked the length of Jessup Hall toward the office of President Hunter Rawlings. He never went in. He may have had designs on Rawlings, but as it turned out, the university head was in Columbus, Ohio, where Iowa’s beloved football team, the Hawkeyes, was preparing for the next day’s Big 10 game against Ohio State. Finally, with shotgun-carrying officers beginning fevered door-to-door searches on the ground floor, Lu walked upstairs to an empty classroom, Room 203, and took his own life.

 

“In 20 minutes, Lu had killed himself and five others and left one more person, Sioson, paralyzed for life.

 

“The cliché about American mass murderers is that they ‘went berserk.’  But as it turned out, there was little that was berserk about Lu Gang’s crime. The 28-year-old Lu, who had come to Iowa as one of China’s most promising prospects in advanced physics, had been methodically planning it for half a year.

 

“In May he had purchased his first gun. Over the summer, he purchased another and began practicing against targets until he was proficient. In the weeks before the murders, he emptied his bank accounts, mailing the money home to his sister in China with instructions to deposit it quickly. On the day of the crime, he left a letter inside a briefcase in the seminar room, photocopies of which he had mailed to the Los Angeles Times, the New York Times and Iowa news media, detailing his grievances against most of his victims.

 

“Lu knew exactly whom he wanted to shoot and why. Goertz, Smith and Nicholson were professors who he felt had spurned him and favored his rival, Shan; Cleary was one of the university administrators who seemed to have ignored his written complaints. On that Friday, Lu let others escape unharmed. He walked past them, and passed by several other buildings, in his march of death from Van Allen to Jessup halls.”  (Mann, Jim. “The Physics of Revenge: When Dr. Lu Gang’s American Dream Died, Six People Died with It.” Los Angeles Times, 6-7-1992.)

 

NPR:  Gang Lu, 28, a graduate student in physics from China, reportedly upset because he was passed over for an academic honor, opens fire in two buildings on the University of Iowa campus. Five University of Iowa employees are killed, including four members of the Physics Department; two other people are wounded. The student fatally shoots himself.”  (NPR, April 15, 2007.)

Sources

 

Mann, Jim. “The Physics of Revenge: When Dr. Lu Gang’s American Dream Died, Six People Died with It.” Los Angeles Times, 6-7-1992. Accessed 1-15-2013 at: http://articles.latimes.com/1992-06-07/magazine/tm-411_1_lu-gang

 

National Public Radio. “Timeline:  Shootings at U.S. College Campuses,” 4-15-2007. Accessed 4-15-2016 at: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=9603275

 

[1] Four University of Iowa faculty and one student killed before gunman commits suicide.

— 13  Blanchard tally based on State breakouts below.

— 12  NWS. The Halloween Nor’easter of 1991…Oct 28 to Nov 1, 1991. Table III, 11.[1]

— 10  Celebrate Boston. Boston Disasters. “The Perfect Storm, 1991.”

 

Massachusetts:                                   (8)

—  6  Andrea Gail. Celebrate Boston. Boston Disasters. “The Perfect Storm, 1991.”

—  2  NWS. The Halloween Nor’easter of 1991…October 28 to November 1, 1991. Table III, 11.

—  1  Quincy. Heart Attack after tying down yacht; male, 62. NWS. Halloween. P. 10.

 

New York (off Long Island):            (4)

—  1  NY Air National Guard rescue helicopter ditches into the sea; Guardsman lost.

 

Rhode Island:                                    (1)

—  1  Pt. Judith vic.. Fisherman presumably swept off rocks and drowned. NWS. Halloween, 10.

 

Narrative Information

 

Celebrate Boston: “On October 31st 1991, a low pressure system, high pressure system, and fading hurricane collided over the Atlantic Ocean, creating what became known as The Perfect Storm. Originally called the Halloween Storm or No-Name Hurricane, this tempest slammed the eastern United States, causing hundreds of millions of dollars in damage. 10 people tragically lost their lives due to the storm.

 

“The Perfect Storm rivaled the devastating Blizzard of ’78. About 100 homes along the Massachusetts coast were completely destroyed by The Perfect Storm. Seven counties in Massachusetts were declared Federal Disaster Areas. High tide was about four feet greater than normal, and 25 foot waves were observed.  Six men aboard the Gloucester fishing vessel Andrea Gail, made famous by the later book and film, tragically lost their lives. South of Long Island, a rescue helicopter was forced to ditch into the sea, and a New York Air National Guardsman tragically lost his life.

 

“In greater Boston, most of the damage was caused by wind-driven rain. High winds made small debris airborne, damaged rooftops and wooden structures, knocked signs over, and flooded low lying areas. This author went to Revere Beach, just north of Boston, on the evening of November 2nd or 3rd 1991. Everything at the bottom of Revere Bay was thrown up onto the beach. Dozens of lobster traps, tons of seaweed, and a great deal of ancient boat debris was thrown about the shore.  Revere Beach rests on a large tidal flat, and most of the sand was blown completely off the beach and into the surrounding streets.

 

“The Perfect Storm was a classic Nor’easter, where a hurricane-like system forms off the New England coast, swirling from the north and east. Bob Case, a NOAA forecaster is credited with naming the storm, having made the statement when fading Hurricane Grace was about to add huge tropical energy to the colliding low and high pressure systems. Local weather forecasters and media outlets quickly acted to warn people about the dangerous weather system, saving many lives.”  (Celebrate Boston.  Boston Disasters.  “The Perfect Storm, 1991.”)

 

NWS: “A series of extraordinary meteorological events during the week of October 27, 1991, set the stage for a major coastal flood and erosion event. Although principally affecting sections of the East Coast from Maine through North Carolina, the impact of the storm was felt south from there to the southernmost reaches of Florida, across much of the Bahamas, and as far south as Puerto Rico. Flooding began early and continued throughout the week. The worst impacts, however, were experienced on October 30 and 31. For this reason, the storm will likely go down in the annals of meteorological history as the ‘Halloween Nor’easter of 1991.’” (NWS. The Halloween Nor’easter of 1991. East Coast of the United States…Maine to Florida and Puerto Rico, October 28 to November 1, 1991 (Natural Disaster Survey Report), June 1992, p. 1.)

 

Sources

 

Celebrate Boston. Boston Disasters. “The Perfect Storm, 1991.” Accessed 10-2-2009 at:  http://www.celebrateboston.com/disasters/storms/perfectstorm.htm

 

National Weather Service. The Halloween Nor’easter of 1991. East Coast of the United States…Maine to Florida and Puerto Rico, October 28 to November 1, 1991 (Natural Disaster Survey Report). Silver Spring, MD: NWS, NOAA, U.S. Dept. of Commerce, June 1992. At: http://www.nws.noaa.gov/os/assessments/pdfs/Halloween%20Nor%27easter%20of%201991.pdf

 

 

[1] It was believed at the time, though, that the Andrea Gail went down with five men, when it was six.

–26  Bredeson, Carmen. Fire in Oakland – Billion Dollar Blaze. Enslow Pubs., 1996, p. 10.[1]

–26  National Fire Protection Association. Home Fires with Ten or More Fatalities (website).[2]

–25  Blanchard.[3]

–25  FEMA. Hazard Mitigation Report for the East Bay Fire in the Oakland-Berkeley Hills, p.5.

–25  History.com. This Day in HAistory, Disaster, October 19, 1991. Fire Sweeps through…

–25  National Fire Protection Association. Key Dates in Fire History [Oct 20, 1991]. 1996.

–25  Oakland Fire Dept. “October 20, 1991 – One of the Worst Fire Disasters in America.”

–25  Oakland Wiki. Firestorm Memorial Garden (webpage). 25 names listed as fatalities.

–25  USFA. The East Bay Hills Fire, Oakland-Berkeley, California (USFA-TR-060)/Oct 1991)

 

Narrative Information

 

Bredeson: “On Saturday, October 19, 1991, a brushfire broke out in the heavily wooded hills behind Oakland and neighboring Berkeley, California. Firefighters put out the six-acre blaze in about two hours. They left some hoses at the site in case any hot spots developed later. The next morning, several firefighters returned to the scene of the fire and found a few places where embers still burned just as these small fires were being put out, the wind picked up and started to blow very hard. What happened next started one of the worst fires in California’s history….” [p. 11] “….twenty-six people…lost their lives in the one-day fire….” [p.10] (Bredeson, Carmen. Fire in Oakland – Billion Dollar Blaze. 2009.)AAA

 

City of Oakland: “Twenty years ago, Oakland faced what was then the worst urban fire disaster in the nation’s history. On October 20, 1991, at 11 am Diablo winds gusting at 65 mph fanned a wildfire that started from an incompletely extinguished grass fire in the Berkeley Hills from the day before and swept through 1600 acres in the Oakland/Berkeley Hills, killing 25 people, injuring 150 people and destroying more than 3000 homes at an estimated economic loss of $1.5 billion. At the fire’s peak, it destroyed one home every 11 seconds. The winds raged for 6 hours and finally died down by 5 pm, but full containment of the fire was not achieved until October 22. As many as 400 engine companies, 1500 personnel and 250 agencies worked to put out the fire.” (City of Oakland. Remember, Honor & Prepare… Oakland/Berkeley Hills Firestorm 20 Years Later. “October 20, 1991 – One of the Worst Fire Disasters in America.”

 

FEMA Description of the Disaster: “The moisture laden air that normally sweeps eastward from the Pacific Ocean was replaced the week before the fire by winds flowing westward from the Central Valley of California as a large, stationary high-pressure area settled over the Great Basin east of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. At the same time, a center of low pressure area stalled offshore. The result was a foehn wind that, at speeds in excess of sixty-five-miles per hour, raced down from the crest of the Oakland-Berkeley Hills. Coupled with record high temperatures well into the nineties, the hot, dry winds gusted and swirled through five years of drought-dry brush and groves of freeze damaged Monterey Pine and Eucalyptus groves. All of the conditions for a major fire disaster were present that morning of October 20, 1991.

 

“The resultant 1600 acre East Bay Fire (formerly titled as the Tunnel Fire) began under suspicious circumstances. Sunday morning, October 20^th, at approximately 10:53 a.m. near the Caldecott Tunnel and the site of a brush fire brought under containment the previous afternoon (Saturday), embers from an undetermined source were blown into bone-dry brush and onto nearby residential shake roofs by swirling winds of twenty to twenty-five miles per hour. The fire was out of control in a few minutes, jumping an eight lane ‘firebreak’ (Highway 24). In a matter of hours, this major conflagration would leave twenty-five people dead, 150 injured, destroy 3,354 single family dwellings, and 456 apartments, and cause damages in excess of one billion dollars, the most costly urban-wildland fire in the Nation’s history. The conflagration was not officially declared ‘under control’ until 8:00 a.m. Wednesday, October 23, 1991…

 

“The Alameda County neighborhoods of Claremont, Rockbridge, Grizzly Peak, Broadway Terrace, Montclair, and the City of Piedmont were evacuated during the fire. Adjacent streets and freeways were clogged with residents trying to get out, while sightseers, emergency personnel and fire fighters were trying to get in.

 

“The 2,000 degree fire affected utility systems including power, gas, telephone, and water. Loss of power early in the fire, caused by burning powerlines and melting underground services, also affected water system pumping plants. A total of eight pumping plants lost power Sunday afternoon. Portable pumps and emergency generators were installed by Sunday evening as soon as the conflagration and the Oakland Fire Department permitted access. Ten waster system reservoirs were drained at the peak of the fire as a result of an unprecedented demand from fire fighting units, fire prevention measures by homeowners, and broken water services connections.

 

“The fire split into three fingers, north toward the Claremont Hotel, south toward Broadway Terrace, and east toward Orinda. All three fingers of the fire remained out of control through the night and into the morning of October 21^st. By 8:50 a.m. that morning, the eastern finger of the fire was ten percent contained, while the remaining two fingers burned out of control.

 

“Twenty helicopters and ten air tankers had been called into action since first light, Monday, October 21^st, as 300 law enforcement officers helped to control the flow of personnel and equipment throughout the fire area. Over 370 fire units and 1,000 fire personnel were on line by 1:30 p.m. Monday afternoon.

 

“Later that same day, cooler temperatures settled in as the reduced winds shifted to the west. At 5:45 p.m., in the early evening of October 21^st, 1991, the conflagration was declared contained with no active head burning. As night approached, fog moved in over the burn area, temperatures fell and humidity increased. Several hot spots were extinguished during the night.

 

“The East Bay Fire was officially declared under control at 8:00 a.m., Wednesday, October 23, 1991, some seventy hours after its inception.” (pp. 5 & 7)

 

“Individual Impacts. Over 10,000 people were evacuated from the Oakland-Berkeley Hills communities on October 20^th-21^st. Five American Red Cross (ARC) shelters were established, four n Oakland and one in Berkeley. Approximately 1,300 individuals registered at the shelters, with 450 staying the first night. The last congregate care shelter closed on October 25^th. During the emergency, the Red Cross, Salvation Army, Seventh Day Adventists, and St. Vincent De Paul Society served in excess of 100,000 meals. Refreshments continued to be served at the Disaster Application and ARC Service Centers. By November 11th, the American Red Cross had registered 1,800 households for assistance at their service centers. Relief costs have exceeded $2.4 million, with final costs estimated to top $3 million. The Red Cross and United Way fund campaigns were supported by $3 million in public donations and over 2,000 volunteers assisted at the relief centers.

 

“Of the 11,055 people living in the fire area, 25 were killed, 150 injured, and at least 5,000 left homeless. The average price of the 3,354 single family dwellings destroyed was $360,000 for a total cost of $1,207,440,000. Four hundred fifty-six apartment units were destroyed. In addition, 2,000 automobiles were destroyed….” (p. 9)

 

Recommendations

 

“An estimated 7,000,000 Californians are living in established hillside settlements or in new, rapidly growing communities in urban-wildland areas. These areas are known to be extremely hazardous. The inhabitants of these hazardous areas are at risk of not only losing their homes, but even their lives from wildland fire. It is no longer a question of if a conflagration will occur in these areas, it’s a question of where, when, and how great the losses will be.

 

“In the opinion of the Hazard Mitigation Survey Team, many California communities have repeatedly failed to effectively recognize the seriousness and extent of their vulnerability to catastrophic wildland fire. Fire Safe Guides for Residential Development in California (Appendix C), formulated by the County Supervisors Association of California (CSAC) and CDF in 1965 (revised in 1980), has been available for twenty-six years to assist and promote the development and adoption of Fire Safe Planning for local jurisdictions. Unfortunately, few local governments have implemented the guidance. Historically, local fire ordinances or general plan safety updates have occurred only after a major wildland fire has caused a significant loss of lives and/or structures.

 

“The direct relationship between development in California’s wildland areas and destructive conflagrations has been studied and evaluated numerous times. We know the problems, as well as the solutions, yet the potential for catastrophic fires increases every year. California’s communities have a long way to go toward solving the wildland fire problems identified twenty-six years ago when the Fire Safe Guides for Residential Development were first developed….” (p. 13)  (FEMA. Hazard Mitigation Report for the East Bay Fire in the Oakland-Berkeley Hills in Response to the October 22, 1991….)

 

History.com: “On this day in 1991 [Oct 19], a fire begins in the hills of Oakland, California. It went on to burn thousands of homes and kill 25 people. Despite the fact that fires had ravaged the same area three times earlier in the century, people continued to build homes there.

 

“Fires had previously raged through the hills in 1923, 1970 and 1980. Each time, the fires occurred during autumn in a year with relatively little precipitation, and, each time, the residents rebuilt and moved back in as soon as possible. The deadly 1991 fire can be traced to a small fire at 7151 Buckingham Boulevard on October 18. Firefighters responded quickly and thought they had brought the blaze under control. However, heat from the fire had caused pine needles to fall from the trees and cover the ground.

 

“When highly flammable debris, also known as “duff,” accumulates on the ground, fires can smolder unseen. At 10:45 a.m. on October 19, strong winds blew one of these unseen fires up a hillside; changing wind patterns then caused it to spread in different directions.

 

“The winds were so intense and the area was so dry that within an hour close to 800 buildings were on fire. The wind then blew southwest, pushing the fire toward San Francisco Bay. In some places, the temperature reached 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit, making it virtually impossible to fight the fire effectively. Homeowners attempted to hose down their roofs, but were often thwarted when water pipes burst from the fire. Also, many homes had wooden shingle roofs that were particularly susceptible to fire–it took only 10 minutes in some cases for a house to be brought down by the flames.

 

“Firefighting efforts were constrained by the fact that the affected homes were located on steep hills with very narrow streets. This made it difficult to maintain radio communications and to move large fire engines close to the flames. The fire spread so rapidly that firefighters were unable to establish a perimeter. When the fire was finally contained the following day, 25 people had lost their lives, 150 people were injured and 3,000 homes and 1,500 acres had been consumed. The total tally of damages was $1.5 billion.

 

“In the aftermath, authorities attempted to reduce the likelihood of a similar fire breaking out the in the future. Laws were changed regarding the maximum height of trees permitted and the type of vegetation that was allowable in the area. In addition, most homes that have been rebuilt do not have wooden roofs.” (History.com. This Day in History, Disaster, October 19, 1991. Fire Sweeps through Oakland Hills.”)

 

NFPA Home Fires page: 25 civilians and 1 firefighter.

 

Ukiah Daily Journal, Oct 21: “Oakland – Firefighters announced today that they had contained a ferocious firestorm that swept through the dry hills above Oakland and Berkeley and destroyed at least 380 homes. At least 10 people were reported killed and damage was put at $1.5 billion.  Oakland Fire Chief Phillip Ewell made the announcement at a news conference at about 9 a.m. He said officials expected the 1,700-acre blaze, which began Sunday morning, to be controlled by evening.  A parade of fire engines cruised through the eerie, blackened area overlooking San Francisco Bay, extinguishing hot spots as isolated flames continued to poke into the sky….”  (Ukiah Daily Journal, CA. “Oakland Firestorm – Hundreds of Homes Gone…” 21 Oct 1991.)

 

USFA Overview of the Fire: “The largest dollar fire loss in United States history occurred in the East Bay Hills, within the California cities of Oakland and Berkeley, between October 19 and 22, 1991. Twenty-five lives were lost and more than 3,000 structures were destroyed by a wildland-urban interface fire in one of the most heavily populated metropolitan areas of the North American continent. The fire completely overwhelmed the firefighting forces of the area, consuming everything in its path, and was only stopped when the Diablo wind conditions abated. The wind had threatened to drive the fire across the entire city of Oakland. [p.1]

 

“The factors that set the stage for this disaster were identified long before the fire occurred, and the potential consequences had been predicted by fire officials. Nevertheless, their warnings went unheeded, and the measures that could have reduced the risks were not implemented. More than one billion dollars in damage resulted from a fire that exceeded the worst expectations in the most concerned fire professionals. It was a fire that demonstrates how natural forces may be beyond the control of human intervention and should cause a renewed look at the risk of wildland-urban interface fire disasters….” [p.2]  (USFA/J. Gordon Routley, investigator. The East Bay Hills Fire, Oakland-Berkeley, California (USFA-TR-060)/Oct 1991).)

 

Sources

 

Bredeson, Carmen. Fire in Oakland – Billion Dollar Blaze. Berkeley Heights, NJ: Enslow Publishers, Inc., 1999.

 

City of Oakland. Remember, Honor & Prepare for a Fire Safe Future. Oakland/Berkeley Hills Firestorm 20 Years Later. “October 20, 1991 – One of the Worst Fire Disasters in America.” Accessed 4-16-2016 at: http://www2.oaklandnet.com/Residents/OAK030313

 

Federal Emergency Management Agency. Hazard Mitigation Report for the East Bay Fire in the Oakland-Berkeley Hills in Response to the October 22, 1991 Federal Disaster Declaration Covering Alameda County, California (FEMA-919-DR-CA). San Francisco, CA: GSA Printing, 1992.

 

History.com. This Day in History, Disaster, October 19, 1991. “Fire Sweeps through Oakland Hills.” Accessed 12-8-2008 at: http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&displayDate=10/19&categoryId=disaster

 

National Fire Protection Association. Home Fires with Ten or More Fatalities (website). NFPA, copyright 1016. Accessed 4-15-2016 at:  http://www.nfpa.org:80/itemDetail.asp?categoryID=953&itemID=30981&URL=Research%20&%20Reports/Fire%20statistics/The%20U.S.%20fire%20problem

 

National Fire Protection Association. Key Dates in Fire History. 1996. Accessed 2010 at:  http://www.nfpa.org/itemDetail.asp?categoryID=1352&itemID=30955&URL=Research%20&%20Reports/Fire%20statistics/Key%20dates%20in%20fire%20history&cookie%5Ftest=1

 

Oakland Wiki. Firestorm Memorial Garden (webpage). Accessed 4-16-2016 at: https://localwiki.org/oakland/Firestorm_Memorial_Garden

 

United States Fire Administration (J. Gordon Routley, investigator). The East Bay Hills Fire, Oakland-Berkeley, California (USFA-TR-060)/Oct 1991). Emmitsburg, MD: National Fire Data Center, USFA, FEMA, U. S. Department of Homeland Security, web version modified 2-5-2008. Accessed 4-15-2016 at:  http://www.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/pdf/publications/tr-060.pdf

 

 

 

 

[1] There is no source citation for 26 fatalities.

[2] Notes 25 civilian and one firefighter death. It is to be noted that another webpage (Key Dates in Fire History) on the same website notes twenty-five deaths.

[3] Though we cite two sources citing 26 fatalities, the other sources we cite, as well as others consulted, but not cited, note 25 deaths, including the Oakland Memorial Gardens webpage which identifies by name 25 fatalities.

–23-24  Houston Chronicle. “Shooting rampage at Killeen Luby’s left 24 dead.” 8-11-2001.

—     23  Duwe, Grant.  Mass Murder in the United States: A History. McFarland, 2007, p. 28.

—     23  LA Times (Hart & Wood). “23 Shot Dead at Texas Cafeteria: Massacre…” 10-17-1991.

—     23  Minshew, Charles.  “The worst mass shootings in U.S. history.” Denver Post, 7-20-2012

 

Narrative Information

 

Houston Chronicle, Aug 11, 2001: “Before Oct. 16, 1991, the Central Texas town of Killeen was perhaps best known for its proximity to the Army base at Fort Hood, and Luby’s was known only regionally as a popular cafeteria chain that served a wide variety of inexpensive dishes. But on that day, both came to be linked to what was then the worst mass murder in U.S. history.[2] At 12:45 p.m., 35-year-old George Hennard of nearby Belton drove his pickup truck through a window at the Killeen Luby’s and killed 24 people. His 15-minute rampage ended when he shot himself after being wounded by police officers….Hennard…[was] described as being bitter, disgruntled and deranged during the past several months – fatally shot himself after a Texas Department of Public Safety officer charged into the building and chased Hennard into a restroom.” (Houston Chronicle. “Shooting rampage at Killeen Luby’s left 24 dead.” 8-11-2001.)

 

LA Times, Oct 17, 1991: “Killeen, Tex. In the deadliest shooting spree in U.S. history, a man crashed his pickup truck into a cafeteria crowded with lunchtime patrons here Wednesday afternoon and began firing rapidly and indiscriminately with a semiautomatic pistol…. The massacre resulted in injuries to 20 others, many of them listed in “very critical condition.” The death toll passed by one the number killed by an out-of-work security guard in a McDonald’s restaurant in San Ysidro, Calif., seven years ago.

 

“….Officials said Hennard was armed with a 9-millimeter Glock 17, described as a lightweight, Austrian-made handgun now in use by many federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Marr said a second weapon, described as an empty Luger with the clip out and the firing chamber pulled back, was found on a tray on the serving line…. Some witnesses said Hennard fired up to 100 rounds inside the cafeteria, and Killeen Police Chief F. L. Giacomozzi said that “he wasn’t out of bullets when the officers got there.”

 

“Officials said the gunman smashed his blue truck through the eight-foot-high, plate-glass front window of Luby’s cafeteria, a red-brick, low-slung building just off the highway through this Central Texas town. At the time, the restaurant was unusually crowded with about 150 patrons and employees, including teachers and other workers treating their supervisors to lunch for national Boss’s Day….” (Los Angeles Times (Lianne Hart and Tracy Wood). “23 Shot Dead at Texas Cafeteria: Massacre…” 10-17-1991.)

 

Sources

 

Duwe, Grant. Mass Murder in the United States: A History. McFarland, 2007.

 

Houston Chronicle. “Shooting rampage at Killeen Luby’s left 24 dead.” 8-11-2001. Accessed 4-16-2016 at: http://www.chron.com/life/article/Shooting-rampage-at-Killeen-Luby-s-left-24-dead-2037092.php

 

Los Angeles Times (Lianne Hart and Tracy Wood, (LAT staff)). “23 Shot Dead at Texas Cafeteria: Massacre: A gunman drives his pickup through a window and opens fire with a semiautomatic handgun, in nation’s worst mass shooting. He is among the dead.” 10-17-1991. Accessed 4-16-2016 at: http://articles.latimes.com/1991-10-17/news/mn-740_1_worst-mass

 

Minshew, Charles. “Interactive timeline: The worst mass shootings in U.S. history.” Denver Post, 7-20-2012. accessed 7-22-2012: http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_21123777

 

 

 

[1] Twenty-three killed by Hennard, who then killed himself.

[2] 32 were killed at Virginia Tech in 2007 and 27 were killed at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012.

— 25  National Fire Protection Association. Key Dates in Fire History. 1996.

— 25  USFA. Chicken Processing Plant Fires, Hamlet, NC (Sep 3, 1991), N. Little Rock…, 1999.

­­­

Narrative Information

 

USFA: “The morning work shift of employees at the Imperial Foods Processing Plant in Hamlet, North Carolina, had just begun when a fire occurred, at approximately 8:15 a.m. on September 3, 1991. The rapid spread of heavy smoke throughout the structure ultimately resulted in 25 fatalities and 54 people being injured in varying degrees. Of the people who died, 18 were women and seven were men….

 

“The plant had a total employment of approximately 200 people, with a normal shift having around 90 employees….

 

“The…Processing Room is the room where the fire incident occurred. This area is centrally located within the building complex. Any incident occurring in this area could adversely affect much of the building operations and personnel.  Poultry products that had already gone through the various marinating and mixing procedures were taken by conveyor to a cooking vat in the Processing Room, which contained soybean oil. The oil was maintained by a thermostat control at a constant temperature of 375°F plus or minus 15°F.

 

“A maintenance worker who survived the fire indicated that the hydraulic line that drove the conveyor had developed a leak. The hydraulic line was turned off and drained of fluid. Then the maintenance worker disconnected the leaking line and replaced it with a factory prepared line.

 

“The factory prepared line, however, was found to be too long and would have dragged on the floor, possibly causing people working in the area to trip. So the maintenance worker reportedly asked for and gained permission to cut the factory prepared hydraulic line to an appropriate length, replaced the end connector with their own connector, and put the line back in place. This line has been described as a 3/4-inch flex line rated to carry 3,000 psi. Information from plant personnel indicated normal pressure was kept at approximately 800 psi, but it would at times fluctuate as high as 1,200 to 1,500 psi.

 

“The hydraulic line was brought back to operating pressure. Shortly afterward it separated at the repaired connector point. The connector was some four to six feet above floor level with hydraulic fluid being expelled at a pressure of 800 to 1,500 psi. It obviously began to splatter off the concrete floor. Droplets were bouncing back onto the gas heating plumbs for the cooking vat, which turned them into vapor. The vapors then were going directly into the flame. The vapors had a much lower flashpoint than the liquid hydraulic fluid and therefore rapidly ignited.

 

“In sum, the pressurization of the hydraulic fluid combined with the heat was causing an atomizing of the fuel which in all probability caused an immediate fireball in and around the failed hydraulic line and the heating plumbs.  The ignition of the fuel caused an immediate and very rapid spreading of heavy black smoke throughout the building. Seven workers were trapped between the area of origin and any escapable routes….

 

“In addition to the hydraulic fluid, the fire reached a natural gas regulator that in turn failed and caused an induction of natural gas to the fire increasing the intensity and buildup of toxic gases….

 

“Witness reports indicate much of the plant was enveloped in under two minutes. Workers throughout the plant found their visibility eliminated and oxygen quickly consumed. Hydrocarbon-charged smoke, particularly as heavy as this, is extremely debilitating to the human body and can disable a person with one or two breaths. This was confirmed as autopsies conducted on all of the fatalities found that virtually all died of smoke inhalation as opposed to direct flame injury.

 

“Survivors indicate there was no real organization in the plant’s evacuation, and this was confirmed by the locations of the bodies. Several employees in the central part of the structure moved to the trash compactor/loading dock area near the southeast comer of the building. It was here they found one of the personnel doors to the outside locked. A trailer was backed into the loading dock cutting off all exiting through this area. One woman became trapped between the compactor seal and the building wall while trying to squeeze through an opening. A number of remaining people in this area went into a large cooler adjacent to the loading dock, but failed to pull the sealed door shut thus allowing smoke infiltration into the cooler. The cooler had the largest single fatality count area with 12 deceased people being removed from this room along with five injured people.

 

“The second largest fatality area were the seven trapped in the processing room between the fire and any escape route. Three additional bodies were found in the trim room area, one of whom was a route salesman who had been filling food machines in the break room. The exterior personnel door in the break room was the other door locked from the outside….

 

“Upon discovery of the fire, the operations manager of the plant attempted to call the alarm to the Fire Department, but found that phone lines were already inoperable. (Imperial Foods was not equipped with pull-station alarms, nor does the town have 911.) He then ran to his vehicle parked outside and drove some three to five blocks to the fire station….

 

“Much discussion has taken place about the lack of inspections conducted by the North Carolina Department of Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) at the Imperial Food operations. In fact, during the 11-year operation of this plant, N.C.O.S.H.A had never inspected the facility…. (USFA. Chicken Processing Plant Fires, Hamlet, NC…, 1999, pp. 1-9)

 

Lessons Learned

 

• Life safety codes must be enforced….
• Cooking: areas must be separately partitioned from other employee work areas….
• Building exits in wet type operations should have double emergency lighting, one positioned above the door and one low to the floor….
• High pressure equipment maintenance and repairs must be limited to factory trained personnel and specifications….
• High pressure equipment in probable incident areas should have built-in catastrophic shut down valves….
• Negative air flow systems in these facilities could enhance safety by being modified to also accomplish smoke evacuation….
• State and federal inspectors from various departments should be cross-trained….
• Establish a “worry free” line of communications for industry employees….
• The number of OSHA safety inspectors must be increased….
• Emergency exit drills must be incorporated into industry policies….”

 

(USFA. Chicken Processing Plant Fires, Hamlet, NC…, 1999, pp. 14-15.)[1]

 

Sources

 

National Fire Protection Association. Key Dates in Fire History. 1996. Accessed 2010 at:  http://www.nfpa.org/itemDetail.asp?categoryID=1352&itemID=30955&URL=Research%20&%20Reports/Fire%20statistics/Key%20dates%20in%20fire%20history&cookie%5Ftest=1

 

United States Fire Administration. Chicken Processing Plant Fires, Hamlet, North Carolina, and North Little Rock, Arkansas.  Emmitsburg, MD: National Fire Data Center, USFA, FEMA,1999, 56 pages. Accessed at: http://www.interfire.org/res_file/pdf/Tr-057.pdf

 

 

 

 

[1] The names, ages and towns of residence of the victims can be found on pages 6-7.

–14  B3A. “Crash of an Embraer EMB-120 Brasilia in Eagle Lake: 14 killed.” Geneva.[1]

–14  NTSB. AAR, Britt Airways, Inc., d/b/a Continental Express Flight 2574…” 7-21-1992, p. v.

 

Narrative Information

 

NTSB Executive Summary: “On September 11, 1991, about 1003 Central Daylight Time, Continental Express Flight 2574, an Embraer 120, operating under Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 135, experienced a structural breakup in flight and crashed in a cornfield near Eagle Lake, Texas. The 2 flight crewmembers, 1 cabin crewmember and 11 passengers aboard the airplane were fatally injured.

 

“The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of this accident was the failure of Continental Express maintenance and inspection personnel to adhere to proper maintenance and quality assurance procedures for the airplane’s horizontal stabilizer deice boots [2]that led to the sudden in-flight loss of the partially secured left horizontal stabilizer leading edge and the immediate severe nose-down pitch-over and breakup of the airplane. Contributing to the cause of the accident was the failure of the Continental Express management to ensure compliance with the approved maintenance procedures, and the failure of FAA surveillance to detect and verify compliance with approved procedures.

 

“The issues in this investigation focused on:

 

1. The responsibilities of the Federal Aviation Administration and aircraft manufacturers and operators to determine the critical items and inspection levels of aircraft systems.
2. The procedures for relaying and standardizing maintenance shift turnover information.

 

“As a result of this investigation, the Safety Board issued safety recommendations to the Federal Aviation Administration on the feasibility of developing a means to advise flightcrews of recent maintenance work on aircraft and the need for reviewing regulations, policies and practices for establishing required inspection items with a view toward developing more specific identification of such items. Also, as a result of this investigation, on February 28, 1992, the Safety Board issued safety recommendations to the Federal Aviation Administration that would enhance both flight standards surveillance of Continental Express and flight standards Program Guidelines, including the National Aviation Safety Inspection Program….” (NTSB. AAR, Britt Airways, Inc., d/b/a Continental Express Flight 2574…” 7-21-1992, p. v.)

 

Sources

 

B3A Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives. “Crash of an Embraer EMB-120 Brasilia in Eagle Lake: 14 killed.” Geneva, Switzerland. Accessed 4-16-2016 at: http://www.baaa-acro.com/1991/archives/crash-of-an-embraer-emb-120-brasilia-in-eagle-lake-14-killed/

 

National Transportation Safety Board. Aircraft Accident Report, Britt Airways, Inc., d/b/a Continental Express Flight 2574 In-Flight Structural Breakup, EMB-120RT, N33701, Eagle Lake, Texas, September 11, 1991.” Washington, DC: NTSB, adopted 7-21-1992; notation 5612B. Accessed 4-16-2016 at: http://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/AAR9204.pdf

 

 

 

 

 

[1] Has crash location as Eagle Lake, California, not Texas.

[2] “A deicing boot is a type of ice protection system installed on aircraft surfaces to permit a mechanical deicing in flight. Such boots are generally installed on the leading edges of wings and control surfaces (e.g. horizontal and vertical stabilizer) as these areas are most likely to accumulate ice and any contamination could severely affect the aircraft’s performance.” (Wikipedia. “Deicing boot,” 3-18-2016 modification.)

— 18  NCDC, NOAA. “Billion Dollar U.S. Weather Disasters 1980-1994.”

— 17  NHC, NWS, NOAA. Preliminary Report. Hurricane Bob, 16 – 20 August 1991. P. 4.[1]

 

United States              (15-16)

— 15-16  Blanchard tally based on State breakouts below (range based on 5-6 for CT).

—      15  NHC, NWS, NOAA. Preliminary Report. Hurricane Bob, 16 – 20 August 1991. Page 4.

 

Connecticut                (5-6)

–6  NHC. Preliminary Report. Hurricane Bob, 16 – 20 August 1991. Page 4.

–5  Blanchard tally based on locality breakouts below.

 

–2  Hartford Co., Manchester, Aug 20.[2] Fire started by candle; home without power; 2 children.[3]

–1  New Haven County, Oxford, Route 67, Aug 19. Auto accident; female (Flood),[4] 76.[5]

–1  New London Co., Long Island Sound near Clinton, Aug 19. Sailboat capsizes, female, 28.[6]

–1  Windham Co., Sterling, Aug 19. Falling tree; clearing branch debris in driveway; male, 52.[7]

–0  NCDC. Storm Events Database. Search Results for All Counties in [CT], All…Event Types.

 

Maine                         (   3)

— 3  NHC. Preliminary Report. Hurricane Bob, 16 – 20 August 1991. Page 4.

— 3  Cumberland County, Portland.[8]

–1 So. Portland, Aug 20. Electrocution, plugging in pump, flooded basement; male, 34.[9]

–1 Off coast, Aug 19. Head injuries; fishing boat capsized; male from Kittery, 35.[10]

–1 Cumberland. Drowning in stream; swept away after leaving stalled vehicle; male, 60.[11]

 

New Hampshire         (   2)

— 2  NHC. Preliminary Report. Hurricane Bob, 16 – 20 August 1991. Page 4.

— 1  Off NH coast. Drowning; fishing boat capsizes; male.[12]

— 1  Hooksett, Route 3. Automobile accident, weather-related; male.[13]

 

New York                   (   3)

— 3  Cotterly, Wayne. Hurricane Bob-(1991) (webpage). 10-21-2002.

— 2  NHC. Preliminary Report. Hurricane Bob, 16 – 20 August 1991. Page 4.

— 1  Scarsdale.[14] NYC conductor killed when her commuter train struck a fallen tree.[15]

— 1  Suffolk Co., Long Island, Center Moriches, Aug 19. Drowning in rough water; male, 19.[16]

— 1  Suffolk County, Long Island, Coram, Aug 19. Car accident; no power at two hospitals.[17]

 

North Carolina          (  1)

— 1  NHC. Preliminary Report. Hurricane Bob, 16 – 20 August 1991. Page 4.

— 1  Holden Beach. Swimmer drowning in ocean.[18]

 

South Carolina          (  1)

— 1  NHC. Preliminary Report. Hurricane Bob, 16 – 20 August 1991. Page 4.

— 1  Myrtle Beach. Drowning associated with high surf and strong undertow.[19]

 

Canada

— 2  Nova Scotia. NHC. Preliminary Report. Hurricane Bob, 16 – 20 August 1991. Page 4.

 

Sources

 

Associated Press. “Hurricane lashes North Carolina; Long Island braces for direct hit.” Daily Reporter, Spencer, IA, 8-21-1991, p. 12. Accessed 6-3-2014 at: http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=a1orAAAAIBAJ&sjid=5dkEAAAAIBAJ&dq=hurricane%20bob%20north%20carolina%20evacuation&pg=1548%2C5939935

 

Cotterly, Wayne. Hurricane Bob-(1991) (webpage). 10-21-2002. Accessed 6-3-2014 at: http://www.pivot.net/~cotterly/bob.htm

 

Federal Emergency Management Agency. Situation Report – Hurricane Bob. 8-20-1991. Accessed 6-3-2014: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/atlantic/atl1991/bob/preloc/fema01.gif

 

National Climatic Data Center. “Billion Dollar U.S. Weather Disasters 1980-1994.” Table 4.  NOAA, 8-4-1997.

 

National Climatic Data Center. Storm Events Database. Search Results for All Counties in Connecticut, All Available Event Types between 08-18/1991 and 08/30/1991. Accessed 6-3-14: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/listevents.jsp?eventType=ALL&beginDate_mm=08&beginDate_dd=18&beginDate_yyyy=1991&endDate_mm=08&endDate_dd=30&endDate_yyyy=1991&county=ALL&hailfilter=0.00&tornfilter=0&windfilter=000&sort=DT&submitbutton=Search&statefips=9%2CCONNECTICUT

 

National Hurricane Center. Preliminary Report. Hurricane Bob, 16 – 20 August 1991. Miami, FL. NHC, National Weather Service, NOAA, U.S. Dept. of Commerce. Accessed 6-3-2014 at:  http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/atlantic/atl1991-prelim/bob/prelim04.gif

 

National Weather Service, Concord, NH. Preliminary Report Hurricane Bob. 8-21-1991, p. 1. Accessed 6-3-2014: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/atlantic/atl1991/bob/preloc/pshcon.gif

 

National Weather Service, Hartford, CT. Preliminary Survey Hurricane Bob…Final Issue. 8-23-1991, p. 1. Accessed 6-3-2014 at: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/atlantic/atl1991/bob/preloc/pshbdl1.gif

 

National Weather Service, Portland, ME. Hurricane Report, Bob, 8/19/91. 9-18-1991. Accessed 6-3-2014 at: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/atlantic/atl1991/bob/preloc/portlnd1.gif

 

New York Times. Sarah Lyall). “Hurricane Leaves Deaths, Flooding and Blackouts All Along the Coast.” 8-21-1991. Accessed 6-3-2014 at: http://www.nytimes.com/1991/08/21/nyregion/hurricane-leaves-deaths-flooding-and-blackouts-all-along-the-east-coast.html

 

The Courant, Hartford, CT (Susan E. Kinsman). “State Cleaning Up After Storm That Left 5 Dead.” 8-21-1991. Accessed 6-3-2014 at: http://articles.courant.com/1991-08-21/news/0000212898_1_line-crews-hurricane-bob-eastern-region

 

Washington Post (Michael Specter). “Hurricane Rakes New England,” 8-20-1991, A1. Accessed 6-3-2014 at: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/national/longterm/hurricane/archives/bob91.htm

­­­­­­

 

 

 

[1] This includes two deaths in Nova Scotia.

[2] Date from: The Courant, Hartford, CT. “State Cleaning Up…” 8-21-1991, which identifies victims as Jamal Outlaw, 4-months-old, and Charlita Jackson, 12.

[3] National Weather Service, Hartford, CT. Preliminary Survey Hurricane Bob…Final Issue. 8-23-1991, p. 1.

[4] “May L. Flood…died Monday in a head-on collision…after her car skidded into an oncoming lane.” The Courant, Hartford, CT. “State Cleaning Up…” 8-21-1991.

[5] National Weather Service, Hartford, CT. Preliminary Survey Hurricane Bob…Final Issue. 8-23-1991, p. 2.

[6] National Weather Service, Hartford, CT. Preliminary Survey Hurricane Bob…Final Issue. 8-23-1991, p. 2. Identified as Helen Tracy of NYC in: The Courant, Hartford, CT. “State Cleaning Up…” 8-21-1991.

[7] NWS, Hartford, CT. Preliminary Survey Hurricane Bob…Final Issue. 8-23-1991, p. 2. Age is from: The Courant, Hartford, CT. “State Cleaning Up…” 8-21-1991, which also identifies victim as Thomas Keech.

[8] National Weather Service, Portland, ME. Hurricane Report, Bob, 8/19/91. 9-18-1991, p. 1.

[9] National Weather Service, Portland, ME. Hurricane Report, Bob, 8/19/91. 9-18-1991, p. 2.

[10] National Weather Service, Portland, ME. Hurricane Report, Bob, 8/19/91. 9-18-1991, p. 2.

[11] National Weather Service, Portland, ME. Hurricane Report, Bob, 8/19/91. 9-18-1991, p. 2.

[12] National Weather Service, Concord, NH. Preliminary Report Hurricane Bob. 8-21-1991, p. 1.

[13] National Weather Service, Concord, NH. Preliminary Report Hurricane Bob. 8-21-1991, p. 1.

[14] Washington Post (Michael Specter). “Hurricane Rakes New England,” 8-20-1991, A1.

[15] FEMA. Situation Report – Hurricane Bob. 8-20-1991.

[16] The victim, Louis Sigerson, was swimming. NYT (Sarah Lyall). “Hurricane Leaves Deaths, Flooding and Blackouts All Along the Coast.” 8-21-1991.

[17] NYT (Sarah Lyall). “Hurricane Leaves Deaths, Flooding and Blackouts All Along the Coast.” 8-21-1991. The victim “was taken to two hospitals where there was no power…[and] died before being taken to a third hospital.”

[18] Washington Post (Michael Specter). “Hurricane Rakes New England,” 8-20-1991, A1.

[19] AP. “Hurricane lashes North Carolina; Long Island braces for…hit.” Daily Reporter, Spencer, IA, 8-21-1991,12.

–13  Aviation Safety Network. Accident description. Beechcraft C99. L’Express Airlines.

–13  NTSB. AAR. L’Express Airlines…Flight 508…Weather Encounter…Crash… 1992, p. vi.

–12  NTSB. Accidents Involving Passenger Fatalities: U.S. Commuters (Part 135) 1982-Present.

 

Narrative Information

 

NTSB AAR: “On July 10, 1991, at approximately 1812 CDT, L’Express Flight 508 crashed while conducting an instrument landing system approach to runway 5 at the Birmingham Airport, Birmingham, Alabama. Flight 508 was a Beech C99 on an instrument flight rules flight plan. The captain of the flight and one passenger survived the crash in Ensley, a residential area in southwest Birmingham. The first officer and the remaining 12 passengers aboard the flight were fatally injured. The airplane was destroyed by the impact and postcrash fire. Two homes and two automobiles were also destroyed.

 

“The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of this accident was the decision of the captain to initiate and continue an instrument approach into clearly identified thunderstorm activity, resulting in a loss of control of the airplane from which the flightcrew was unable to recover and subsequent collision with obstacles and the terrain.

 

“The safety issues raised in this report include:

 

1. Pilot training in recognizing thunderstorm hazards and recovering from unusual attitudes, and radar interpretation.

 

2. The relaying of complete weather information to pilots by air traffic controllers.”

 

(NTSB. AAR. L’Express Airlines, Inc., Flight 508, Beech C99, N7217L, Weather Encounter and Crash near Birmingham, Alabama, July 10, 1991. 1992, p. vi. of 146 pages.)

 

Sources

 

Aviation Safety Network (Flight Safety Foundation). Accident description. Beechcraft C99. L’Express Airlines. 10 July 1991. Fatalities 13. Accessed 4-27-2016 at: http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19910710-0

 

National Transportation Safety Board. Accidents Involving Passenger Fatalities: U.S. Commuters (Part 135) 1982 – Present (website). Accessed 4-27-2016 at: http://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/data/Pages/paxftl35.aspx

 

National Transportation Safety Board. Aircraft Accident Report. L’Express Airlines, Inc., Flight 508, Beech C99, N7217L, Weather Encounter and Crash near Birmingham, Alabama, July 10, 1991 (NTSB/AAR-92/01). Washington, CD: NTSB, adopted 3-3-1992, notation 5558A. Accessed 4-27-2016 at: http://libraryonline.erau.edu/online-full-text/ntsb/aircraft-accident-reports/AAR92-01.pdf

 

–200  CDC WONDER. ICD-9, E900 code for excessive natural heat and hyperthermia.[1]

–137  Blanchard tally of State breakouts below.

 

Arizona                      (10) CDC Wonder ICD-9, E900 code for excessive natural heat search.

 

Arkansas                    (10)

–10  State. CDC Wonder ICD-9, E900 code for excessive natural heat search.

—  1  Pine Bluff, Jefferson County, July 9. Heatstroke; male, 79, while mowing his lawn.[2]

—  1  Pine Bluff, Jefferson Co., Aug 5. Heat-related; baby boy, 7-weeks, in crib; 91° in house.[3]

 

California                   (21)  CDC Wonder ICD-9, E900 code for excessive natural heat search.

 

Florida                        (  5)

— 5  Lushine. “Underreporting of Heat and Cold Related Deaths in Florida.” Figure 3.[4]

 

Georgia                      (  1)

— 1  Atlanta, Aug 6. Heatstroke; male, 38, bridge construction worker; 95° day, 82% humidity.[5]

 

Illinois                         (12)  CDC Wonder ICD-9, E900 code for excessive natural heat search.

 

Louisiana                   (  1)

— 1  Mer Rouge, June 5. Heat exhaustion; male laborer, laying pipe below ground, 94° day.[6]

 

Missouri                     (10)

–10  MO DHSS. Data & Statistical Rpts. “Hyperthermia Mortality, Missouri 1980-2013.”

 

North Carolina          (  6)

— 6  Mirabelli and Richardson. “Heat-Related Fatalities in North Carolina.” AJPH, April 2005.

 

Oklahoma                  (  2)

— 2  Garwe (OK Dept Health). “Heat-Related Deaths, Oklahoma, 1990-2001,” 5-31-2002, p.1.[7]

— 1  Sallisaw, Sequoyah County. Excessive heat; male, 33, collapsed raking hay in a field.[8]

 

Pennsylvania              (31)

—     31  Philadelphia, July. AP. “Health officials seek to prevent heat stress.” 8-30-1991.[9]

–25-30  Philly, ~July 19-27. Daily News, Philadelphia. “Heat Wave Death Toll…” 7-29-1991.[10]

—     25  Philadelphia, July 15-25. NCDC, NOAA. Storm Data, Vol. 33, No. 7, July 1991, p. 139.

—     25  Philly, July 18-24. AP. “Heat Wave Death Toll Doubles in Philly…” 8-12-1993, p1.

 

South Carolina          (  1)

— 1  Duncan, Spartanburg Co., July 24. Heatstroke, male, 44; non-air-conditioned warehouse worker.[11]

 

South Dakota             (  1)

— 1  Wagner, June 28. Hyperthermia leads to heart attack; male, highway construction laborer.[12]

 

Texas                          (25)

–25  State. CDC Wonder ICD-9, E900 code for excessive natural heat search.

— 1  Hondo, Aug 27. Heat stress; male construction worker; cement-related work. OSHA.[13]

— 1  Madisonville, July 26. Heatstroke leading to cardiac arrest; male oil rig worker. OSHA.[14]

 

Virginia                      (  1)

— 1  Manassas, June 30. Heat exhaustion; male garbage truck worker. OSHA.[15]

 

Narrative Information

 

NCDC on August nationwide: “August 1991 ranked as the 16^th warmest August on record (since 1895). Mean monthly temperature departures of +2°F were observed in the northern third of the nation, the desert Southwest, and southern Texas. Temperatures averaged near to above normal in Hawaii and southern Alaska. Departures of -2°F were observed in California, parts of the southern Plains, and northern and central Alaska.” (NCDC. Storm Data, 33/8, Aug 1991, p4.)

 

New York

 

NCDC on Central NY, July 16-23: “A Bermuda high pumped hot air into eastern New York for 8 days, starting on July 16^th and ending on July 23^rd. During the 8-day period, Albany hit 90° or above seven times. Poughkeepsie hit 100° or greater three times, and at Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, high temperatures ranged from 95° to 104° during the 8 days. Record highs were broken in Binghamton on the 19^th and 20^th, in Poughkeepsie on the 19^th, and record highs were tied in Albany on the 20^th and in Binghamton on the 17^th. The excessive heat was also accompanied by oppressive humidity and high levels of ozone. Numerous records for power consumption were also broken during the period.” (NCDC. Storm Data, 33/7, July 1991, p. 115.)

 

Pennsylvania

 

AP, Aug 30: “Philadelphia (AP) – City officials are urging residents to watch out for elderly people and giving out free electric fans to help senior citizens combat this week’s oppressive heat. Thirty-one elderly people died of heat-related causes in a July heat wave that sent temperatures into the 90s for at least 10 days. The temperature hit 98 at Philadelphia International Airport Thursday [Aug 29], tying the record high for the date from 1953. The combination of heat and humidity made things even worse. The National Weather Service predicted its heat index., also known as the apparent temperature – would reach 105 today….

 

“Officials estimate 29,000 elderly people live alone in the city, some in houses or apartments with windows nailed shut to thwart burglars….” (AP. “Health officials seek to prevent heat stress.” Indiana Gazette, 8-30-1991.

 

AP, Aug 12, 1993: “In 1991, 25 people died during a heat wave in the city [Philadelphia].” (AP. “Heat Wave Death Toll Doubles in Philly; Mostly Senior Citizens.” 8-12-1993, 1.)

 

NCDC on Eastern PA: “Hot humid weather prevailed over eastern Pennsylvania during the 11-day period. The temperature reached 90° or higher on 11 consecutive days at Harrisburg, on 9 days at Philadelphia, on 8 days at Williamsport and in the Wilkes-Barre Scranton area, and on 7 days at Allentown. It was 100° or more on 2 days at Williamsport and on 4 days at Harrisburg. This was during a month when Harrisburg hit 90° or more on 15 days, Philadelphia on 13 days, and Williamsport on 10 days. The hot weather took its toll in Philadelphia where 25 deaths were attributed to the heat. The deaths were mostly of older people (13 men, 12 women) with ages ranging from 54 to 92.” (NCDC, NOAA. Storm Data, Vol. 33, No. 7, July 1991, p. 139.)

 

West Virginia

 

NCDC on July 17-24 WV Heat Wave: “About a week of excessive heat and humidity peaked on the 23^rd. Charles Town reached 103 and Martinsburg 101 degrees. Mid and upper 90s were common in the western lowlands with 80s in the mountains. It was the hottest in many counties since he summer of 1988. Some utility companies reported a record 1 hour usage of electricity for the summer season on the 23^rd. Six people at a summerfest in Huntington were treated for heat exhaustion on the 20^th and 21^st.” (NCDC. Storm Data, Vol. 33, No. 7, July 1991, p. 175.)

 

Sources

 

Associated Press, Philadelphia. “Health officials seek to prevent heat stress.” Indiana Gazette, Indiana, PA, 8-30-1991. p. 12. Accessed 4-26-2016 at: http://newspaperarchive.com/us/pennsylvania/indiana/indiana-gazette/1991/08-30/page-12?tag

 

Associated Press. “Heat Wave Death Toll Doubles in Philly; Mostly Senior Citizens,” Indiana Gazette, Indiana, PA,  8-12-1993, 1. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=112037654

 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. Compressed Mortality File 1979-1998. (ICD-9, E900 code for excessive natural heat and hyperthermia for 1991). CDC WONDER On-line Database, compiled from Compressed Mortality File CMF 1968-1988, Series 20, No. 2A, 2000 and CMF 1989-1998, Series 20, No. 2E, 2003. Accessed at http://wonder.cdc.gov/cmf-icd9.html on Jun 26, 2017 12:23:24 PM

 

Daily News, Philadelphia (Gloria Campisi). “Heat Wave Death Toll: 25 Most Were Poor, Sick, Elderly – And Frightened, Officials Say.” 7-29-1991. Accessed 4-27-2016 at: http://articles.philly.com/1991-07-29/news/25785007_1_heat-related-deaths-heat-wave-natural-deaths

 

Garwe, Tabitha, M.P.H., Epidemiologist, Injury Prevention Service, OK DPH. ). “Heat-Related Deaths, Oklahoma, 1990-2001.” Oklahoma City, OK: Oklahoma State Department of Health, 5-31-2002. Accessed 11-8-2015 at: http://www.ok.gov/health2/documents/Heat_Deaths_1990-2001.pdf

 

Lushine, James B. “Underreporting of Heat and Cold Related Deaths in Florida.” Miami, FL: National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office, NOAA. 1-6-2009 modification. Accessed 11-1-2015 at: http://www.srh.noaa.gov/mfl/?n=fla_weather_casualties

 

Mirabelli, Maria C. and David B. Richardson. “Heat-Related Fatalities in North Carolina.” American Journal of Public Health, vol. 95, no. 4, April 2005, pp. 635-637. Accessed 9-2-2015 at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1449233/

 

Missouri Department of Health & Senior Services. Data & Statistical Reports. Table: “Hyperthermia Mortality, Missouri 1980-2013.” Accessed 4-27-2016 at: http://health.mo.gov/living/healthcondiseases/hyperthermia/data.php

 

National Climatic Data Center. Storm Data, Vol. 33, No. 6, June 1991. Asheville, NC: NCDC, NOAA, U. S. Dept. of Commerce. Accessed 4-26-2016 at: http://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/orders/IPS/IPS-BB566E77-FE57-4132-AF9E-A9552715EC7F.pdf

 

National Climatic Data Center. Storm Data, Vol. 33, No. 7, July 1991. Asheville, NC: NCDC, NOAA, U. S. Dept. of Commerce. Accessed 4-27-2016 at: http://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/orders/IPS/IPS-E534773C-4EC0-4D35-AD64-F4899BF93241.pdf

 

National Climatic Data Center. Storm Data, Vol. 33, No. 8, Aug 1991. Asheville, NC: NCDC, NOAA, U. S. Dept. of Commerce. Accessed 4-27-2016 at: http://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/orders/IPS/IPS-4D11378B-3912-47D0-A943-CC40F0D86317.pdf

 

Occupational Safety & Health Administration. Fatality and Catastrophe Investigation Summaries. “Inspection: 107370413 – FWA Drilling Co., Inc.” Accessed 4-27-2016 at: https://www.osha.gov/pls/imis/establishment.inspection_detail?id=107370413

 

Occupational Safety & Health Administration. Fatality and Catastrophe Investigation Summaries. “Inspection: 108764853 – F. C. Barron Construction, Inc.” Accessed 4-27-2016 at: https://www.osha.gov/pls/imis/establishment.inspection_detail?id=108764853

 

Occupational Safety & Health Administration. Fatality and Catastrophe Investigation Summaries. “Inspection: 110108586 – Traylor Brothers, Inc.” Accessed 4-27-2016 at: https://www.osha.gov/pls/imis/establishment.inspection_detail?id=110108586

 

Occupational Safety & Health Administration. Fatality and Catastrophe Investigation Summaries. “Inspection: 110375169 – Harbert Construction Company.” Accessed 4-27-2016 at: https://www.osha.gov/pls/imis/establishment.inspection_detail?id=110375169

 

Occupational Safety & Health Administration. Fatality and Catastrophe Investigation Summaries. “Inspection: 110499175 – Sweetman Construction Co.” Accessed 4-27-2016 at: https://www.osha.gov/pls/imis/establishment.inspection_detail?id=110499175

 

Occupational Safety & Health Administration. Fatality and Catastrophe Investigation Summaries. “Inspection: 112385828 – ABC Disposal Service, Inc.” Accessed 4-27-2016 at: https://www.osha.gov/pls/imis/establishment.inspection_detail?id=112385828

 

[1] The CDC WONDER breakout by State, totals only 78. The difference between 78 and 200 is that the CDC suppresses (does not show) data for States where the loss-of-life due to excessive natural heat is below ten.

[2] NCDC, NOAA. Storm Data, Vol. 33, No. 7, July 1991, p. 14.

[3] NCDC, NOAA. Storm Data, Vol. 33, No. 8, Aug 1991, p. 20. Notes that outdoor temp was 97 degrees F.

[4] Figure 3 (“Annual Temperature Deaths, Florida, 1979-1999”) is a chart which shows heat deaths in one color and cold deaths in another on the same horizontal bar for each year. The fatality range shown on the left of the chart is in increments of five, going up to thirty. The bars for each year are shown diagonally and do not show any numbers. This does not make them readily readable. Thus one has to measure with a ruler the bar showing the lowest combined deaths (1979), which appears to show one cold death and one heat death. With the unit of measurement of one death then measured against the heat portion of all the other bars, one can get an approximation of the heat deaths for each year. I say “approximate” in that by this method we counted 133 heat deaths over the 21-year period included in the graph, whereas the text of the article notes that there were 125. Repetitious measurement attempts gave us the same result. The article notes that the data came from death certificates collected by the Public Health Statistics Section, Office of Vital Statistics, Florida Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services.

[5] OSHA. Fatality and Catastrophe Investigation Summaries. “Inspection: 110108586 – Traylor Brothers, Inc.”

[6][6] OSHA. Fatality and Catastrophe Investigation Summaries. “Inspection: 108764853 – F. C. Barron Construction, Inc.” Notes that the humidity was at 95% and that the employee collapsed on the job and suffered a seizure on the way to the hospital where his rectal temperature was measured as 108°F on a thermometer which only read to 108.

[7] From Figure 1. “Heat-Related Deaths by Year, Oklahoma, 1990-2001.” Deaths in Figure 1 are denoted by a horizontal bar, against backdrop of horizontal lines in increments of five. The precise number of deaths is not given, thus one has to make an educated guess in looking at the Figure and contrasting one bar against others.

[8] NCDC, NOAA. Storm Data, Vol. 33, No. 6, June 1991, p. 159.

[9] Cites city officials in general before citing Health Commissioner on use of “Buddy System” to reduce heat deaths.

[10] The date range is our guesstimate of the time-frame based on date of article, noting the report the day before (Sunday, 28^th) of Dr. Robert K. Ross, Deputy Health Commissioner, that at least 25 people were known to have died over a “nine-day stretch of oppressive heat” last week. If one considers Sunday the last day of the week, then July 28 was the last day of the week. The death-toll range has to do with statement that there were 25 known heat-related deaths, and that, according to the paper, “another five deaths could be related to the 90-plus temperatures and high humidity,” citing Dr. Ross. Notes “Most of the victims lived alone, and many had their windows shut tight, despite having no air conditioning or electric fans.” (cites Dr. Ross)

[11] NCDC, NOAA. Storm Data, Vol. 33, No. 7, July 1991, p. 151.

[12] OSHA. Fatality and Catastrophe Investigation Summaries. “Inspection: 110499175 – Sweetman Construction.”

[13] OSHA. Fatality and Catastrophe Investigation Summaries. “Inspection: 110375169 – Harbert Construction Co.”

[14] OSHA. Fatality and Catastrophe Investigation Summaries. “Inspection: 107370413 – FWA Drilling Co., Inc.”

[15] OSHA. Fatality and Catastrophe Investigation Summaries. “Inspection: 112385828–ABC Disposal Service, Inc.”

— 22  Blanchard tally (21 direct deaths and one indirect in Kay County Oklahoma).

— 21  KS and OK. NCDC, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Tornado. Search Results all States.

 

Kansas                        (18)

— 18  Statewide. Grazulis, Thomas P. Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991. 1993, pp. 1310 & 1314.

— 13  Butler County, F5, 17:40 CST. All in mobile home park. NCDC Storm Data, 33/4, p. 90.[1]

—   1  Elk County, F3, 18:26 CST. Female in mobile home. NCDC Storm Data, 33/4, p. 91.[2]

—   4  Sedgwick County, F5, 16:55-16:57 CST. Two adults and two children; housing develop.[3]

 

Oklahoma                  (  4)

—   4  Blanchard tally of locality breakouts below (three direct and one indirect deaths).

— >3  Statewide.[4]

—   1  Kay County, Tonkawa. Male, 60s, killed between tornadoes clearing downed limbs.[5]

—   1  Pawnee County, west of Tulsa. Female, when car was swept off U.S. 64.[6]

—   1  Pawnee County, Cimarron Turnpike near Westport, F1-F2. Male, when car turned over.[7]

—   1  Washington Co., Copan. F2, 20:05-20:20 CST. NCDC. Storm Data, 33/4, 1991, p. 167.[8]

 

Narrative Information

 

Grazulis: “KS  APR 26, 1991 1655 17k 225inj 500y 45m F5. SEDGWICK/BUTLER — Moved NE from 5m S Clearwater, quickly becoming a multiple vortex tornado. Damage was extensive in the northern part of Haysville, south, and southeast of Wichita, and across McConnell Air Force Base. In Butler County, the tornadoes did F5 damage across the southern part of Andover. Large frame homes were leveled to the ground and a trailer park was “annihilated.” The funnel lifted north of El Dorado. Four people were killed in Sedgwick County, as the tornado ripped apart a housing development east of Wichita. Thirteen people were killed in the trailer park, while 200 other people survived untouched in the park’s underground shelter. The tornado destroyed 233 of 241 mobile homes. Eighty-four frame homes and 14 businesses were destroyed….

 

Grazulis: “KS  APR 26, 1991 1730 lk O inj 500y 25m F4. COWLEY– Moved NE from 5m W of Arkansas City, passing 2m SE of Winfield and ending 3m NW of Burden. Homes were leveled south of Hackney. Near Tisdale,[9] a woman was killed when she stayed in her mobile home, even though other residents had warned her of the tornado. Property losses totaled over $5,000,000.” (Grazulis. Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991. 1993, pp. 1310 & 1314.)

 

NCDC on Butler County 17:40 CST F5 Tornado: “A violent tornado moved out of Sedgwick County and slammed into the southern part of Andover. Eighty-four frame houses and fourteen businesses were destroyed or severely damaged. A 241-unit mobile home park was hit hardest and 223 mobile homes were destroyed. All 13 deaths occurred in the park. The park had a tornado shelter which 200 people utilized. The tornado reached the F5 strength just west of the mobile home park. Moving northeast where it finally weakened north of El Dorado. Another tornado formed northeast of El Dorado Lake.” (NCDC. Storm Data, 33/4, April 1991, p. 90.)

 

NCDC on Elk County 18:26 CST F3 Tornado: “A funnel cloud moved into Elk County and touched down 7 miles west of Howard damaging a home and some outbuildings. It moved northeast leveling a mobile home 2 miles west and 6 miles north of Howard. A woman was killed and her husband seriously injured while they were in the mobile home. The tornado continued northeast into Greenwood County.” (NCDC. Storm Data, 33/4, April 1991, p. 91.)

 

NCDC on Sedgwick County 16:55-16:57 CST F4 Tornado: “A tornado touched down south of Clearwater and quickly grew to F3 strength as it moved toward Haysville. Spotters indicated a multiple vortex structure with three vortices revolving around each other. It moved northeast across northern Haysville and produced major damage to homes. It crossed K-15 just south of 47^th Street in southeastern Wichita and into the Boeing Aircraft Plant damaging one building. It moved across McConnell Air Force Base runway and heavily damaged buildings on the base. It crossed a field and destroyed two apartments and several homes in the base housing complex. It severely damaged an elementary school and caused 16 injuries. The tornado moved to near Pawnee and Greenwich Road where it grew to F4 strength. Four people were killed, two children and two adults, in the housing development just northeast of that intersection. The deaths occurred when they were outside trying to reach shelter. Damage in the county was $100 million plus $62 million at McConnell Air Force Base.” (NCDC. Storm Data, 33/4, April 1991, p. 90.)

 

Sources

 

Associated Press, Andover, KS. “Tornadoes slam Midwest leaving at least 28 dead.” Leader-Times, Kittanning, PA, 4-27-1991, p. 2. Accessed 4-28-2016 at: http://newspaperarchive.com/us/pennsylvania/kittanning/kittanning-leader-times/1991/04-27/page-2?tag

 

Grazulis, Thomas P. Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991: A Chronology and Analysis of Events. St. Johnsbury, VE: Environmental Films, 1993.

 

Joplin Globe, MO (compiled from AP reports). “Kansas twisters kill three.” 4-27-1991, p. B-1. Accessed 4-28-2016 at: http://newspaperarchive.com/us/missouri/joplin/joplin-globe/1991/04-27/page-43?tag

 

KSN TV, Wichita, KS. “April 26, 1991 tornado outbreak deadly in Andover.” 3-2-2015, updated 4-25-2016. Accessed 4-28-2016 at: http://ksn.com/2015/03/02/april-26-1991-tornado-outbreak-deadly-in-andover/

 

National Climatic Data Center. Storm Data, Vol. 33, No. 4, April 1991. Asheville, NC: NCDC, NOAA, U.S. Dept. of Commerce. Accessed 4-28-2016 at: http://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/swdi/stormevents/pub-pdf/storm_1991_04.pdf

 

National Climatic Data Center, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Tornado. Search Results for all U.S. States and Areas, 04/26/1991. Accessed 4-28-2016 at: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/listevents.jsp?eventType=%28C%29+Tornado&beginDate_mm=04&beginDate_dd=26&beginDate_yyyy=1991&endDate_mm=04&endDate_dd=26&endDate_yyyy=1991&hailfilter=0.00&tornfilter=0&windfilter=000&sort=DT&submitbutton=Search&statefips=-999%2CALL

 

 

[1] This was the Golden Spur Mobile Home Park in Andover. A news article notes that “Of the 38 residents who were not sheltered, 13 were killed.” Also notes that “…149 people heeded the warning and took shelter before the storm hit.” (KSN TV, Wichita, KS. “April 26, 1991 tornado outbreak deadly in Andover.” 3-2-2015, updated 4-25-2016.)

[2] This appears to be the death Grazulis refers to as occurring near Tisdale in Cowley County.

[3] NCDC. Storm Data, Vol. 33, No. 4, April 1991, p. 90.

[4] AP, Andover, KS. “Tornadoes slam Midwest leaving at least 28 dead.” Leader-Times, Kittanning, PA, 4-27-1991. Writes “Oklahoma authorities blamed tornadoes for at least three deaths in the northeastern part of that state.”

[5] Joplin Globe, MO (compiled from AP reports). “Kansas twisters kill three.” 4-27-1991, p. B-1. Writes that the victim, Jack Barnes, “was helping clear downed limbs from another family’s roof when a branch snapped back in his face…” Cites Tonkawa Police Chief.

[6] AP, Andover, KS. “Tornadoes slam Midwest leaving at least 28 dead.” Leader-Times, Kittanning, PA, 4-27-1991.

[7] NCDC. Storm Data, 33/4, April 1991, p. 169. Notes this was the sixth OK tornado that day, going 32-miles. Also, AP, Andover, KS. “Tornadoes slam Midwest leaving at least 28 dead.” Leader-Times, Kittanning, PA, 4-27-1991.

[8] On p. 169 of Storm Data notes: “The fourth tornado occurred 1 mile south-southeast of Copan in Washington County at 2005 CST and destroyed a convenience store and bait shop, along with damage to other buildings and trees. Two women were waiting in their car for the storm to pass, when the tornado picked the car up and tossed it into a field 250 yards to the northeast. The passenger was killed and the driver was critically injured. Nine other people were also injured in Copan.” See, also, AP, Andover, KS. “Tornadoes slam Midwest leaving at least 28 dead.” Leader-Times, Kittanning, PA, 4-27-1991.

[9] Tisdale is in Cowley County. (Google maps.)