Hurricane Irene Claims Over 20 Lives as of Sunday Night
- Posted on August 28, 2011 at 9:36pm by
Christopher Santarelli
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Hurricane Irene had led to the deaths of at least 24 people in eight states as of Sunday evening:
CONNECTICUT:
- In Prospect, 89-year-old Charlotte Levine was killed early Sunday when a falling tree limb pulled power lines onto her house and started a fire.
- In Bristol, 46-year-old Shane Seaver died after he and another man went canoeing down a flooded street and the canoe capsized. Seaver’s body washed ashore late Sunday night in Plainville. The other man survived.
FLORIDA:
- In Volusia County, 55-year-old Frederick Fernandez died Saturday off New Smyrna Beach after he was tossed off his board by massive waves caused by Irene. The Orlando Sentinel reports the high school teacher had a large cut on his head, apparently from hitting the sea floor.
- In Flagler County, 55-year-old tourist James Palmer of New Jersey died Saturday in rough surf. Family members say they lost sight of him after he waded into the surf in North Florida. He was pulled to shore and his wife attempted CPR, but he was pronounced dead at the hospital.
MARYLAND:
- In Queen Anne’s County, Md., 85-year-old Anne Bell was killed when a tree knocked a chimney through the glass roof of the sunroom where she and her son were sitting. They’d gone out into the sunroom after the power went out in her Queenstown home. Bell was struck by debris, causing severe trauma.
NEW JERSEY
- Celena Sylvestri, 20, of Quinton, called her boyfriend and then 911 early Sunday seeking help getting out of her flooded car in Pilesgrove, police said. Her body was found eight hours later in the vehicle, which was about 150 feet off the road, police said.
NEW YORK
- A man in his 50s was electrocuted in Spring Valley when he tried to help a child who had gone into a flooded street with downed wires. The child was in very serious condition at Westchester Medical Center’s burn unit, said a spokesman for the Rockland County Emergency Operations Center.
- State police said they recovered the body of a woman who apparently drowned after she fell into Onesquethaw Creek in New Scotland, near Albany.
- Police in Suffolk County say 68-year-old Joseph Rocco of East Islip drowned while windsurfing in Bellport Bay.
- Two men were swept down the Croton River on Sunday evening after their inflatable boat capsized, and one of them died after being pulled down river by heavy currents, Croton police said.
NORTH CAROLINA:
- In Nash County, a man was killed after a tree limb fell on him outside his home Saturday morning as outer bands from the storm brought near hurricane-force gusts inland.
- Goldsboro police say a 15-year-old girl died Saturday afternoon after the SUV carrying her and family members collided with another SUV at an intersection where Irene had knocked out power to traffic lights. She was one of four family members thrown from the vehicle; the family was returning to northern Virginia from Myrtle Beach, S.C.
- Authorities in Pitt County say a man was found dead in his home after Irene’s winds toppled a tree onto his house.
- Another man in Pitt County drove through standing water, went off a road and died after striking a tree on Saturday.
- A mother in Sampson County died Saturday morning when a tree fell on a car carrying her and two family members.
- New Hanover County deputies on Sunday afternoon recovered the body of Melton Robinson, Jr., who had been missing since falling or jumping into the Cape Fear River as storms from Irene reached North Carolina on Friday night.
PENNSYLVANIA
- Michael Scerarko, 44, was killed Sunday when a tree fell on him in his yard. Scerarko, of Stroudsburg, pushed his son out of the way, but could not get out of the way himself, police said.
- A 58-year-old Harrisburg man was killed Sunday morning when a tree toppled onto his tent, state police said. The man was one of about 20 people at a party on private property in East Hanover Township, Dauphin County, some of whom who decided to sleep outside.
- A man in a camper was crushed by a tree in northeastern Pennsylvania’s Luzerne County, state emergency management officials said. Police found his body shortly before 11 a.m. Sunday.
- A motorist was killed when he lost control of his car on the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Carbon County, skidded over an embankment and hit a tree. State officials attributed the accident to the storm.
VIRGINIA:
- Newport News authorities report that 11-year-old Zahir Robinson was killed when a large tree crashed through his apartment shortly after noon.
- In Brunswick County, a tree fell across a car Saturday afternoon, killing 67-year-old James Blackwell of Brodnax. The driver was taken to the hospital with minor injuries.
- Chesterfield County police say a man died at a Hopewell hospital Saturday after a tree fell on a house that he was in.
- A King William County man, 57-year-old William P. Washington, was killed when a tree fell on him as he was cutting another tree on Saturday night. Washington was trying to get home at the height of the storm when a fallen tree blocked his path on a road, about four miles from his home, and he and another motorist tried to clear the way.
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Comments (73)
Seeds
Posted on August 29, 2011 at 2:18amLol. Pls don’t give potus any ideas …..his mind is on overload as it is…
Report Post »chazman
Posted on August 29, 2011 at 6:20am… hurricanes are caused by global warming. Al gore ‘The Whore’ said so … oh, and lightning is also caused by global warming. If you doubt me then you are a racist!
Report Post »HippoNips
Posted on August 29, 2011 at 8:59amThere are 4categories of deaths.
1. those in their home that FOLLOWED the advice but got killed by a tree anyway
Report Post »2,, those who died in the panic caused by Obama, Bloomberg, Christie and the media
3 those who didnt actually die during the hurricane, like the 2 senior surfers in florida
4, and the.largest category, the very very very stupid, Yes, the ones on or near the water., stnding or walking in the bad weather ……..an idea they no doubt got from the journalists doing it.
fastfacts
Posted on August 29, 2011 at 9:32amTHIS IS ONE PLACE I AGREE WITH RON PAUL…
He has attacked FEMA on the dependency that it has created: http://www.americanparchment.com/video/2011/aug/paul_blasts_fema.html
Each state needs to create a raiy day fund of over a few billion dollars and let it accrue interest. Kudos to Mitt Romney for being one of the few governors to create one of these funds, of over $2 billion.
Report Post »coryf076
Posted on August 29, 2011 at 2:06amwhat constitutes a hurricane related death?
Report Post »SCHEXbp
Posted on August 29, 2011 at 4:06amTHAT is the Question!
Report Post »Katrina is tolled at just over 1000. But as I lived thru it, I swear it was less than half that for several days after the storm. How did it get that high? Weird attributions. If someone was moved to Colorado & died months later, the trauma from the trip’s displacement made it a Katrina death & that continued to add to the number of Katrina dead for months. There were many old people that died en route (or shortly thereafter) moving from N.O. to places like Shreveport; there is some reasonableness in that – but I believe the common sense death toll was NOT 1000.
There was a lot of irrational conjecture about the expected dead. One of the first numbers tossed out was 10,000 dead. Since N.O. is only 16 square miles, that would mean over 600 bodies per square mile & the dead would have been seen EVERYWHERE, instead of the 1-2 dead bodies that the cameras dwelt on luridly & incessantly. No one reached any conclusion that the number was absurd.
loriann12
Posted on August 29, 2011 at 5:47amSome of those can be attributed to idiocy. Who sits in a glass roofed room during a hurricane? Who surfs during a hurricane? They shouldn’t be attributed to the hurricane, but human stupidity. Who is out driving during a hurricane? Use some common sense people. You’d think they never heard of a hurricane.
Report Post »GETLIFE
Posted on August 29, 2011 at 9:44amIf a surfer dies in huge waves not caused by a hurricane– whose fault is that?
When a windsurfer goes out in too much wind on a sunny day, is it the winds fault if he has an accident?
If traffic lights are out for any reason there is an established protocal to follow.
While all of these deaths are tragic, they cannot all be blamed on Irene.
Report Post »semidisk
Posted on August 29, 2011 at 2:04amIs it too much to put away the sarcasm and show some sympathy for a single story?
Report Post »TeaParty_InTheSky
Posted on August 29, 2011 at 12:51amtrees are evil!!!!!
Report Post »jabdesigns
Posted on August 29, 2011 at 12:45amYou folks might find this interesting…..here is a link to a video on CNN about Irene. About 1 minute into this 2 minute clip, a CNN reporter is shown bracing himself against the wind and rain, finally getting some kind of relief cuddling next to a wall that protects him from the wind. BUT…..the whole while, you see a guy in shorts in the background, right out in the open, next to the shoreline, strolling along without any detrimental affect by any wind! A hoot! HA!
Report Post »http://www.cnn.com/video/?/video/weather/2011/08/28/natpkg.irene.sunday.cnn
mlcblog
Posted on August 29, 2011 at 2:10amSerious idiocy. funny to watch!!
The other shot reminds me of kids playing in the waves and running from them as they come in. Big surprise. Did you see how she threw the mike to her guy and said Le’ts get out of here?
Duh.
Report Post »Skee
Posted on August 29, 2011 at 12:45amWhy is this storm historical? This isn’t the first time a minor hurricane hit the eastern seaboard.
Report Post »In Florida we’re out mowing our yards and going about our busines in a cat 1. I’ve been surfing in a cat 1. The rain hitting you at 75 mph, stings alittle but no big deal. I can see if a tourists or a novice goes out, better have their water wings on. Once again media hype trying to spike those ratings. When you call a storm historical it better be at least cat 3. When you have two major hurricanes (Charlie & Frances) cris cross thirty miles from your house only few weeks apart, then you can start using the term historical. I’m sure our blunder in chief is taking advantage of this crisis. Oh how he loves a crisis.
Kaizer Bill
Posted on August 28, 2011 at 11:42pmHow does she do that? Looking down to notes then looking up as she continues to speak without the use of teleprompters. Amazing!!!!!!!!! As Obama looks on in awe…………………..
Report Post »Pontiac
Posted on August 29, 2011 at 12:36amXD
Thats good.
Report Post »Mr. Oshawott
Posted on August 28, 2011 at 11:39pm(sarcastically) After having found out that many of the deaths claimed by Hurricane Irene has been linked to trees, maybe the Obama Administration might want to pass a federal law saying that all trees exceeding 15 feet must be cut down to lower the death rate due to fallen trees.
Report Post »Charb
Posted on August 29, 2011 at 12:22amTrees kill.
Report Post »MODEL82A1
Posted on August 28, 2011 at 11:36pmIt is preposterous for anyone dying in Florida to be counted as an Irene casualty.
Report Post »Skee
Posted on August 29, 2011 at 12:52amI know a guy, that knows a guy, that lives in Utah, that had a heart attack because he was stressed out because he knew someone in in North Carolina. Does that count. They’re grasping for straws to try and make this thing Armagedon.
Report Post »Brian Paasch
Posted on August 28, 2011 at 11:36pmAT LEAST three of those deaths were NOT “claimed” by Irene but were the direct result of personal stupidity. Surf boarding in Irene’s waves? No, No, NO!! That was NOT an “Irene” death! That was an act of personal stupidity death! Wading into the surf? Not Irene’s fault. Jumping into a river during a hurricane? Not Irene’s fault. Couple of others there seem to also be dancing on the edge of stupidity too.
Report Post »MODEL82A1
Posted on August 28, 2011 at 11:41pmProfessional surfers travel all around the world specifically to surf storm-surge waves. Now, if you contend that professional surfers are mostly “stupid”, I’d have a tough time arguing.
Report Post »Charb
Posted on August 29, 2011 at 12:25amIf the surf-boards were made of wood, this may be yet another tree-associated death.
Report Post »FORLORNHOPE
Posted on August 28, 2011 at 11:14pmnumber 22, A man in Oklahoma died while watching CNN hurricane news coverage after a woman named Irene had drove her car into his house while drunk on hurricane mix drinks.
Report Post »Charb
Posted on August 29, 2011 at 12:26amThe car she was driving was made from trees.
Report Post »ChiefGeorge
Posted on August 28, 2011 at 11:04pmHow many ppl died unrelated to Irene?
Report Post »LOLReally
Posted on August 28, 2011 at 10:40pmI have alot of experience being from south florida and by far the worst headache is the stop lights going out and nobody cares to stop or even slow down, then when they do go they attempt to cross 20 cars as one cycle as if it were a working stoplight instead of a 4 way stop. Alot of people crashed because they did not listen to the news and radio repeatedly telling them to treat them as 4 way stops.
Report Post »loriann12
Posted on August 29, 2011 at 5:59amThen they shouldn‘t even have driver’s license. What idiot who has ever taken a driver‘s test doesn’t know if the power is off, a traffic light becomes a 4-way stop? I’m from MISSOURI, not threat of hurricanes, and the first one I went through in Bermuda, I just followed common sense. Don’t surf (unless MAYBE you‘re a professional which I’ve never even surfed once), don’t be out driving so you can “see” what’s going on, etc.
Report Post »DisgustedWithSociety
Posted on August 29, 2011 at 1:30pmTO LOLReally
Alot of people crashed because they did not listen to the news and radio repeatedly telling them to treat them as 4 way stops.
These are people that 1) obtained a license from the ******* Jacks Box 2) are the same people that will try to get the police / insurance to believe “it wasn’t them” 3) are the people that want action NOW !! We see these idiots everytime we get in our car.. Why are the insurance rates SO HIGH ?? Because of these IDIOTS that each state licenses.
Report Post »georgeisn6
Posted on August 28, 2011 at 10:37pmThis must be a case of mass suicide by tree.
Report Post »valettie
Posted on August 29, 2011 at 1:02amDoes seem like too many deaths were from TREES falling.
Report Post »crackerone
Posted on August 28, 2011 at 10:34pmAt the start of World War 2, insurance companies were looking at getting out of paying life policies because of the start of the war. Actuary’s quickly realised that more young men died after a weekend of mis-adventure here in the States, than died fighting oversea’s. All policy’s were honoured.
Report Post »georgeisn6
Posted on August 28, 2011 at 10:28pmI would sure like to se some enterprizeing young reporter get out there and find out why these deaths are being attributed to this little breeze
Report Post »dscon
Posted on August 28, 2011 at 10:26pm21 from the storm……..how many were killed by normal non-storm stuff like,
Report Post »gunfire, other violence, work accidents…..i’ll bet alot more lives were lost in a
similar regular non-storm period.
what i am saying is when people are hunkered down there is no social mingling.
less paths crossed.
?
Marylou7
Posted on August 28, 2011 at 10:08pmEven weak hurricanes can be killers when people don’t respect them. Sure some of these deaths were people trying to do the right thing but others were people not staying home and out of the water. Their families are in my prayers.
Report Post »lancevd
Posted on August 28, 2011 at 10:06pmI just couldn’t watch the video. I figure it would feature Maobama adding Irene to his arsenal of excuses for the continued woes of the economy. Dose this j@ckass own any short sleeve shirts? Always the “rolled sleeves” for his impression of “serious tough guy”. The metro sexual little worm is a wuss! ;)
Report Post »Bodysnatcher
Posted on August 28, 2011 at 10:00pmThank Godfor stupid people.
Report Post »GEORGEORGEORGEORGEORGE
Posted on August 28, 2011 at 9:58pmIt would be great to know how many trees were knocked over by the winds. Mother Nature can be a beeAtch.
Report Post »markussan
Posted on August 28, 2011 at 9:58pmMe thinks Obama needs to create a new Federal Agency to make sure killer trees are not allowed to grow above 10 feet preventing 1000′s of deaths per year.
/Sarc Off
Report Post »loriann12
Posted on August 29, 2011 at 6:02amStorms don’t kill people, trees kill people.
Likewise, sarcasm off now.
My prayers are with the familes of these.
Report Post »Psychosis
Posted on August 28, 2011 at 9:56pmhalf of these deaths can be attributed to the largest cause of death…………………….stupidity for the others , i feel sorry for ya
compared to other storms, this one was a tiny storm , but you can be assured the msm and the media will continue to hype this one up, praying it will help odumbos ratings and the politicization of this storm is blatantly obvious
give it a rest already dems , your guy sucks, and will continue to suck no matter what tricks you use
Report Post »Cat
Posted on August 28, 2011 at 9:53pmThere certainly is a considerable loss of life due to fallen trees.
Report Post »Isn’t there stupid laws in some of these states that prohibit cutting down certain tress?
Utahcatholic
Posted on August 28, 2011 at 11:45pmYou’re absolutely right Cat. There are many states and communities throughout the country that make it illegal to cut down any trees at all …….on your own property.
Thank the local, state and federal lawmakers who bow at the altar of the enviro-wacko tree hugger activists.
Report Post »Cat
Posted on August 29, 2011 at 5:47amIn my own words (tress = braids)
Report Post »It would make little sense to cut down braids.
Bad spell check, bad!
poverty.sucks
Posted on August 28, 2011 at 9:52pmWith all these trees killing people, do we begin eliminating trees?
Report Post »ddg7
Posted on August 28, 2011 at 10:00pmCongress plans to open a formal investigation to determine what kind of trees did the killings and why they hate us so much.
Report Post »Marylou7
Posted on August 28, 2011 at 10:03pmUnless the trees kill animals there are safe. Human life means nothing to this administration.
Report Post »lancevd
Posted on August 28, 2011 at 10:11pmNO! Trees are good!….People are evil! ( Everybody sing! “I’d like to plant the world a tree, and teach it how to kill!”)
Report Post »loriann12
Posted on August 29, 2011 at 8:05amHey, if they eliminate trees, there will be nothing to absorb all that extra carbon monoxide, and we can prove global warming. I‘m surprised Al isn’t all over that.
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