Tag Archives: disaster

Three Dead, Dozens Hurt In MT Amtrak Derailment

The Associated Press reports: At least three people were killed Saturday afternoon when an Amtrak train that runs between Seattle and Chicago derailed in north-central Montana, toppling several cars onto their sides, authorities said. The westbound Empire Builder train derailed about 4 p.m. near Joplin, a town of about 200, Amtrak spokesman Jason Abrams said in a statement. The accident …

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Overtopped Levee Sends LA Residents Into Attics

USA Today reports: Mayor Tim Kerner said much of the Town of Jean Lafitte, a community of 2,000 people just outside Jefferson Parish levee protection system, was underwater. Kerner told WGNO the levees were overtopped by rapidly rising water. Parish President Cynthia Lee Sheng told the station that “people are in attics in Lower Lafitte.” “Total devastation, catastrophic” Kerner said. …

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Dixie Wildfire Now Largest In California History [VIDEO]

Politico reports: The Dixie Fire burning in two Northern California counties is now the largest single wildfire in recorded state history, exploding in size overnight as drought-stricken lands continue to fuel the flames. The fire, which has burned for 23 days and forced mass evacuations, razed the Gold Rush town of Greenville on Thursday, destroying 91 buildings and damaging five …

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Last Of 98 Surfside Collapse Victims Identified [VIDEO]

Miami’s NBC News affiliate reports: Officials in Miami-Dade County said Monday the last remaining missing person has been accounted for and identified in the Surfside condominium tragedy. Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said all 98 families have been notified regarding the deaths of their loved ones. A total of 242 people are accounted for, the mayor said. Levine Cava said 97 …

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Surfside Collapse Search Ends After Gruesome 29 Days

Miami’s ABC News affiliate reports: After 29 emotionally and physically difficult days of search, rescue, and recovery efforts at the site of the Champlain Towers South condominium collapse, members of two task forces were saluted as they demobilized Friday at noon. “Providing closure to families was the ultimate test of everybody here, and I think we did our best to …

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Oregon Wildfire Produces “Pyrocumulus Clouds”

Changing America reports: The intense smoke and heat from an Oregon wildfire is producing “fire clouds,” also known as pyrocumulus clouds, above the far-ranging fire — creating plumes of smoke and ash that have reached a height of over a mile into the sky. Fire clouds can spew ash and embers, sometimes even lightning, to other areas and further increase …

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Mayor: Hacker Stole Identities Of Some Surfside Victims

Miami’s ABC News affiliate reports: Disturbing reports are emerging of a hacker taking advantage of those who were killed in the partial collapse of the Champlain Towers South condominium building in Surfside. Officials said the criminal is seeing the victims’ names in the news and then stealing their identities. Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett told Local 10 News that he is …

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Florida Judge Orders Sale Of Surfside Collapse Site

The Associated Press reports: At a hearing, Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Michael Hanzman ordered that the process begin to sell the site of Champlain Towers South, which could fetch $100 million to $110 million according to court records. The court-appointed receiver handling finances related to the condo, attorney Michael Goldberg, said the judge wants the sale to move quickly. Goldberg said …

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Surfside Search Nears End With 95 Bodies Recovered

Miami’s CBS News affiliate reports: Exhausted crews are on day 21, and nearing the end, of their search for victims as the site of the Champlain Towers South collapse in Surfside. The death toll stands at 95. The county’s medical examiner’s office said every individual that was found in the building collapse will have the same cause of death – …

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Surfside Toll Rises To 90, Israeli Search Team Departs

Miami’s CBS News affiliate reports: Search-and-recovery efforts continued uninterrupted at the site of the Champlain Towers South collapse in Surfside into the night and Sunday morning. “Our teams worked tirelessly, as ever, to make progress on the collapse site. Truly, it is a remarkable operation,” Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava Mayor Cava said. “Our team continues to make incredible progress …

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Surfside Deaths Rise To 78, Rubble Mostly Removed

Reuters reports: The confirmed death toll in the collapse of a Miami-area condominium tower increased to 78 on Friday after workers recovered an additional 14 bodies and whittled the rubble down close to ground level, officials said. A total of 62 people remain missing and feared dead in the concrete and steel ruins of the 12-story building in the oceanfront …

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Debate Begins Over Future Of Surfside Collapse Site

Reuters reports: Should the prime beach property in Surfside be turned into a memorial? Or should it be sold for hundreds of millions of dollars to raise money for victims and their kin? Experts in trauma stemming from disasters said it’s crucial that there be some type of physical place where the families of those killed in the June 24 …

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Search For Survivors Ends In Surfside Tower Collapse

The Miami Herald reports: As the 14th day of searching came to a close, families and loved ones were informed during a private briefing that the search and rescue effort for live victims in the rubble that was once Champlain Towers South is coming to an end. Fire authorities said Wednesday there is no longer hope that there are any …

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NYT Finds Lax Enforcement Of FL Building Regulations

The New York Times reports: Florida’s high-rise building regulations have long been among the strictest in the nation. But after parts of Champlain Towers South tumbled down on June 24, killing at least 24 people and leaving 121 unaccounted for, evidence has mounted that those rules have been enforced unevenly by local governments, and sometimes not at all. Miami-Dade County …

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Demolition Brings Down Remaining Part Of FL Tower

Miami’s NBC News affiliate reports: The remaining portion of the Champlain Towers South condo building in Surfside was demolished Sunday night. The structure came down at about 10:30 p.m., and before 11:30 p.m., rescuers were given an all-clear to resume their search, according to Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava. Officials had given a window of the demolition occurring between 10 …

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Tower Demolition Team Readies For Monday Implosion

Yesterday it was announced that demolishing the still standing portion of the Surfside tower would take place today. Now they’re saying “Monday at the earliest.” The Miami Herald reports: The demolition company was identified as CDI Controlled Demolition Inc., of Phoenix, Maryland. It is being sub-contracted through BG Group, the Delray Beach demolition company hired by the Florida Department of …

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Surfside Tower Demolition To Take Place Tomorrow

The Associated Press reports: A top Miami-Dade fire official on Saturday told family members of people missing in the rubble of a collapsed condo building that demolition workers planned to bring down the remainder of the building on Sunday. Worries have intensified over the past week that the damaged structure could come tumbling down on its own, endangering the crews …

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Mayor Signs Order To Demolish Rest Of Florida Tower

USA Today reports: Engineers were evaluating options Friday for demolishing the remaining portion of a condo building that partially collapsed outside Miami last week, leaving 22 people dead and 126 unaccounted for. Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said Friday officials have had “a couple of meetings” with engineers, who are “meeting regularly” to determine what the process would look …

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737 Cargo Plane Crashes Off Hawaii, Crew Rescued

Honolulu’s CBS News affiliate reports: A cargo plane crashed off Hawaii on Friday morning with two people on board. The state Department of Transportation confirmed the crash happened 2 miles off the coast near Kalaeloa Airport. According to CNBC, both crew members were rescued after making a belly landing in the ocean after attempting to return to the airport due …

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Surfside Search Halted Amid Fear Of Further Collapse

The Miami Herald reports: Exactly one week after the Champlain Towers South building collapsed, rescue crews early Thursday stopped work amid concerns that the remaining structure could topple. Also, South Florida is bracing for the possible arrival of a tropical storm later in the week that could affect the site. The new challenges arose Thursday as President Joe Biden prepares …

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