Death Toll Continues To Rise As Winter Storm Ravages Continent

[Webster]

(BBC News) At least three deaths reported in Kentucky and Tennessee
At least two people are confirmed to have been killed in Kentucky, a state in the heart of the Appalachian mountains in the US east.

One person died in a car accident in the western part of the state, Governor Andy Beshear said on Friday. Another person, who the governor described as "housing insecure" died in Louisville, the state's largest city.

Shortly after his news conference, the governor tweeted that there have been reports of "a third fatality on our roads". "Please stay home and stay safe," Beshear added.

Police on Friday also confirmed a death due to weather-related causes in Memphis, Tennessee, a state in the southern US. Police said they found the man dead at around 08:00 local time.

 

[Webster]

(CNN) At least nine people have died across the United States during severe winter weather
At least nine people have died across the United States as severe winter weather continues to impact millions of Americans.

Here is the latest from officials in each state reporting storm-related deaths:
--Ohio: Four people have died as a result of weather-related car crashes, according to Gov. Mike DeWine. Ohio State Highway Patrol said multiple people were injured Friday in a series of crashes involving about 50 cars on the Ohio Turnpike.
--Kentucky: Three people have died in the state. Gov. Andy Beshear announced two deaths Friday morning, saying one person had been "housing insecure" and the other killed in a crash. An additional death was confirmed in Montgomery County due to a vehicle accident.
--Missouri: One person died after they apparently lost control on icy roads, the Kansas City Police Department said Friday. The vehicle landed upside down in a creek and sunk into the frozen water, officials said.
--Kansas: One person died in a crash, the Kansas Highway Patrol told CNN on Friday.

 

[Webster]

(Sky News) Four dead in 46-vehicle pile-up on icy Ohio road
Four people have been confirmed dead and many others injured in the massive car crash on the Ohio Turnpike in Erie County.

Earlier it was reported that one person had died but in the last few minutes, Ohio State Highway Patrol has increased this to four.

Both directions of the roads remained closed seven hours after the crash, but have recently been reopened. Buses are being used to take people from the crash site to a local facility so they can stay warm, highway patrol said.

Conditions on the road are still very dangerous. Highway patrol officers said: "White out conditions persist. Travel is not recommended."

 

[PGen98]

Hope everyone in these areas stay safe! Scary, scary storm!

 

[Webster]

(Sky News) At least 17 people killed as deadly bomb cyclone continues to hit US
At least 17 people have now been confirmed dead, as a horrific storm continues to hit the United States.

Earlier, the death toll sat at 13, but authorities have since announced four additional fatalities in the last few moments, according to NBC News. The four deaths occurred in Kansas and Nebraska, and all were due to road traffic collisions, officials have said.

Nebraska State Patrol confirmed one weather-related death. Additional details have not been released.

A spokesperson for the agency said it has responded to over 600 weather-related incidents. In Republic County, a man died after his car was struck by another vehicle that lost control and jackknifed. His car was pushed off the road and into a tree. He was identified as 60-year-old Fred Mikesell of Scandia, Kansas, officials said.

Zachary Bealer, 33, of Kansas City, Missouri, died after he lost control of his truck and spun across the median of Interstate 70 in Geary County. His truck was then hit by two other vehicles and came to rest 80 feet down an embankment, Highway Patrol said.

Grant Lysell-Alkire, 21, of Lindsborg, Kansas, died after the SUV he was a passenger in went into a ditch on Interstate 135 in Saline County and overturned. The 16-year-old driver had a minor injury, according to Highway Patrol.

Deaths have also been reported in Oklahoma, Kentucky, Missouri, Tennessee, Wisconsin and Ohio.

 

[PGen98]

So sad that so many are dealing with the effects of this massive storm!

 

[Webster]

So sad that so many are dealing with the effects of this massive storm!

And that includes "emergency load shedding" on the power grid (a/k/a "rolling blackouts").

Woke up this morning to one; got the woodstove cranked up, went on to church for Christmas Eve Sabbath services and came home to a nice, toasty...and power-back-on! home. 🎄

 

[Webster]

(Sky News) Death toll in the US rises to 21
At least 21 people have died in the US, as a result of the extreme weather, NBC News reports.

--Three deaths as a result of car crashes in Kentucky
--Three deaths in New York
--A homeless person died in the city of Louisville
--Three crashes in Oklahoma killed three people - two of the crashes happened as winds blew the drifting snow, while details of the third crash were not yet available
--The driver of a car in Missouri died after losing control on an icy road, going down an embankment, over a cement wall and landing upside down in a creek
--One person died in Wisconsin after a pick-up truck drove into the back of another vehicle before leaving the road and hitting a tractor-trailer unit parked on the hard shoulder
--A man was found dead on Friday morning in Memphis and, although there are no details, authorities have said it appears the death is weather-related
--Four deaths in car accidents in Ohio - these were confirmed by the state's governor but no more information was given
--Nebraska State Patrol confirmed one weather-related death
--In Republic County, a man died after his car was struck by another vehicle that lost control and jackknifed
--A 33-year-old man died after he lost control of his truck and spun across the median of Interstate 70 in Geary County
--A 21-year-old man died after the SUV he was a passenger in went into a ditch on Interstate 135 in Saline County and overturned

 

[PGen98]

And that includes "emergency load shedding" on the power grid (a/k/a "rolling blackouts").

Woke up this morning to one; got the woodstove cranked up, went on to church for Christmas Eve Sabbath services and came home to a nice, toasty...and power-back-on! home. 🎄

Eek! Glad you're back on, though

 

[Webster]

Eek! Glad you're back on, though

Its' the second morning in a row!

...maybe its' a sign of the Apocalypse....

 

[PGen98]

Its' the second morning in a row!

...maybe its' a sign of the Apocalypse....

Hopefully it doesn't happen again!!

 

[fuzzems]

I think if people would calm down and use commonsense, a lot of tragedies could be avoided. Sorry but you might have to close your coffee shop for a day when the weather is awful and stop threatening to fire your employees if they won't risk their lives get there. Yeah hospitals need to keep running but most other things do not.

And stay HOME. IF it's bad, don't get in your car. I told my kids do NOT come home for the holidays if if there is a bad weather forecast. I will see you in the spring. So glad my younger son did not try to fly home as the airports were a disaster.

 

[Nebulous's iconNebulous]

RIP to all the storm victims.