Cleanup continues across parts of New England after a powerful storm caused major damage and knocked out power to thousands on Monday.

Cleanup Continues Across New England After Powerful Storm
By Staff and Wire Reports
Published at 5:05 AM EDT on Jun 19, 2018 | Updated 3 hours ago


Cleanup continues across parts of New England after a powerful storm caused major damage and knocked out power to thousands on Monday.

Tornado warnings were issued on three separate occasions for parts of Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Hundreds of lightning strikes were reported across the region, and what looked like funnel clouds were spotted in several areas.

Trees and wires were reported down in many areas across Massachusetts, from the western part of the state to the North Shore.

One tree came crashing down in Haverhill while a couple was in front of their home, creating a scary moment for the elderly couple. While they are OK, their home is not.

Cleanup Begins Across New England After Powerful Storm
Cleanup is underway across parts of New England after a powerful storm caused major damage and knocked out power to thousands on Monday.(Published Tuesday, June 19, 2018)

The tree caused extensive damage, crashing through the ceiling and down to the kitchen floor.

George Brown, a friend of the couple's, shot cell phone video from the couple's roof showing the large tree inside the house. Brown said the couple has been there 80 years and they don't want to leave their home.

The couple was too upset to go on camera.


Powerful Storm Prompts Tornado Warnings, Causes Major Damage

Haverhill firefighters inspected the damage, walking around with flashlights on Monday night.

The American Red Cross was on scene to assist the couple. They planned to stay with neighbors while they figured out what to do next.

There were also a number of trees and wires down in Westford, where Old Lowell Road was blocked to traffic late Monday night. Crews said they will be working around the clock to clear the roadway.

Severe Weather Damage Across New England
Jonathan Wilk

Tree branches also littered Roberts Road, where a tree limb could be seen lying on power lines. Police blocked the area and many other roads throughout Westford that were similarly damaged.

A falling tree nearly split a home on South Chelmsford in half. Crews said fortunately no one was hurt.

About 100 people were displaced when the roof of their apartment building in Springfield partially collapsed during a heavy thunderstorm. The city's code enforcement division condemned the buildign and cut the power. The landlord and Red Cross were workign to find the residents temporary shelter.

In Methuen, heavy rain and strong winds knocked down a tree, leaving a messy tangle of branches, leaves and power lines. Police said the tree came crashing down onto a car while a woman was inside. Luckily, the woman was able to get herself out and wasn't badly hurt.

The heavy winds and rains also knocked down trees and power lines in Manchester and Keene, New Hampshire and in western and southern Maine.

Keene's city manager said about six to eight homes were damaged.

Goffstown, New Hampshire saw a good amount of damage as well. Police were forced to shut down Saint Anselm Street after a power pole began leaning and got too close to a home.

On Interstate 89 north, a large downed tree blocked two lanes, causing a traffic backup.

The strong winds also ripped down a barn in Waitsfield, Vermont.

By Tuesday morning, there were still some scattered outages, with more than 11,000 customers without power in New Hampshire and about 1,100 customers in Massachusetts. Those numbers were down from the more than 100,000 people who had reported power outages in the two states on Monday night.

Lava currently flowing from Kilauea is as hot as it gets at the surface of Earth at greater than 2,100 degrees Fahrenheit

At a Glance

• Scientists say the lava flowing from fissure 8 in the lower east rift zone is about as hot as it gets.
• The hottest lava, which can reach temperatures of more than 2,100 degrees Fahrenheit, is yellow.
• The upside of the hot, fluid lava flowing from Kilauea now is the natural levees that form, which helps make the flow more predictable.

It's been more than a month since Hawaii's Kilauea volcano began spewing out thick, heavy lava from two dozen fissures that opened up on the Big Island.

In the ensuing weeks, the lava began to transform, taking on the appearance of a steady-flowing river that flowed for miles toward the ocean.

Scientists say this transformation is a result of 2,100-degree magma flowing out of the depths of the earth from fissure 8 in the lower east rift zone near Leilani Estates. For more than 9 miles, the lava is moving toward the ocean at a rapid 200 yards per hour.

Charles Mandeville, program coordinator for volcano hazards program at United States Geological Survey, told USA Today that the magma under the surface in this area is less crystallized and runs hotter and more fluid.

"The whole lower east rift zone has a plumbing system two miles below the surface, and it is delivering hotter magma at fissure 8, which is giving runnier lava that's flowing to the ocean," Mandeville told USA Today.

Lava currently flowing from Kilauea is as hot as it gets at the surface of Earth, USGS scientist Wendy Stovall told reporters earlier this month.

The hottest temperatures on Earth occur at the core of the planet, but nothing from the core ever makes it to the surface. What rises from the depths of the earth during a volcanic eruption is molten rock originating from the mantle, the 1,800-mile thick layer of rock beneath the Earth's crust that has the consistency of Silly Putty®.

Stovall noted that the lava flowing from Kilauea "is the hottest lava that we’ve seen in this eruption."

"Even just a matter of 50 degrees centigrade makes a big difference in how quickly lava flows can move and how they behave once the magma exits the vent,” Stovall said.

"It can’t get hotter than where we are," she added. "We are pretty much tapping mantle temperatures right now."

Scientists can tell how hot lava is by its color. Red lava is considered “cool” at about 1,472 degrees Fahrenheit. Orange lava is typically between 1,472 and 1,832 degrees Fahrenheit. Yellow lava is the hottest at 1,832–2,192 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the USGS.

The upside of the hot, fluid lava flowing from Kilauea is the natural levees that form, which helps contain the lava and makes its flow more predictable.

The Cloverdale Road overpass will remain shut down "indefinitely" after a fiery seven-vehicle crash that killed four people and shut down Interstate 84 in Boise for hours on Sunday

Three Mountain Home airmen believed to be among those killed in fiery Idaho crash

By: Charlsy Panzino

Three airmen are believed to be involved in a multiple vehicle accident in Idaho over the weekend, but it might take days to identify the victims of the crash.

Four people were killed on Saturday on eastbound Interstate 84 in Boise, according to the Ada County Coroner’s Office.

Idaho State Police said the crash involved seven vehicles in a construction zone, according to KBOI-TV, the CBS-affiliated TV station in Boise.

Mountain Home Air Force Base told Air Force Times they won’t be able to confirm the airmen were among the four dead until their identities are verified.

“We believe some airmen stationed at Mountain Home Air Force Base were involved in the accident,” according to the 366th Fighter Wing public affairs.

The coroner’s office said the indentification process will occur over the next several days because of the condition of the bodies.


According to police, a semi-truck and SUV slowed down in a construction zone when a second commercial truck hit the two vehicles from behind. Four other vehicles were involved.

The incident is under investigation, and more information will be released when it’s available.

============================
Four confirmed dead after fiery I-84 crash, could include Mtn. Home airmen


By Nicole Blanchard

nblanchard@idahostatesman.com


Updated June 18, 2018 03:22 PM

The Ada County Coroner's Office confirmed Monday morning that four people were killed in a fiery car crash that involved seven vehicles on Saturday.

Police are working to notify next of kin of "multiple fatalities" following the crash on Interstate 84 that involved multiple passenger and commercial vehicles, Idaho State Police said.

ISP initially reported that two people were hospitalized at Saint Alphonsus in Boise after the crash. Mountain Home Air Force Base on Monday issued a release that said the crash involved three airmen stationed at the base.


"The forensic identification process will be taking place over the next several days due to the conditions of the decedents," a press release from the coroner's office stated. "Once forensic identification is made and proper next of kin notifications are complete, identification will be released."

The press release stated it may take several days to release the identification of all involved.

According to an ISP press release, the crash occurred around 11:30 p.m. on eastbound I-84 at milepost 47, near the Cloverdale Road overpass. A semi truck and SUV slowed for construction traffic while eastbound on the interstate. A second commercial truck struck the SUV and semi truck from behind. Four other vehicles were also involved.


Flames shot from the crash, which shut down I-84 overnight and into Sunday morning. The interstate reopened shortly after noon, but the Idaho Transportation Department said the Cloverdale overpass, which was damaged by fire, will remain closed indefinitely as crews survey the extent of the damage.

"Before opening up the interestate, we did have crews inspect the bridge — above and beneath it — to ensure there was no danger of debris falling off the underside of it," ITD spokesman Jake Melder said Monday. "There wasn't a danger there, so that's what allowed us to open the interstate."

Inspectors determined the overpass itself is unsafe, however, for vehicles. It will remain closed — possibly for several months — until repairs can be made.

Initial plans call for the damaged section to be removed and replaced.

Read more here: http://www.idahostatesman.com/news/local/article213345519.html#storylink=cpy

======================
Cloverdale overpass will be closed 'indefinitely' after deadly I-84 wreck
The seven-vehicle crash sent two people to the hospital and caused damage to the Cloverdale overpass, which remains closed.


Author: KTVB

Updated: 4:18 PM MDT June 18, 2018

BOISE, ID -- The Cloverdale Road overpass will remain shut down "indefinitely" after a fiery seven-vehicle crash that killed four people and shut down Interstate 84 in Boise for hours on Sunday.

According to the Idaho Department of Transportation, the overpass was damaged by the fire and will remain closed until full repairs can be made. ITD says it is safe to drive on the interstate under the overpass.


The department expects to remove and replace the damaged section, which could take months to complete. ITD will develop an emergency contract to make repairs as quickly as possible, officials said.

The Ada County coroner has not yet released the names of the people who died in the crash. Forensic identification is scheduled to take place over the next several days.

"I ask for your patience during this process as it may take several days before identification can be released," Coroner Dotti Owens wrote in a release.

Mountain Home Air Force Base said in a release Monday that three of the people involved were airmen stationed in Mountain Home. The 366th Fighter Wing will release more information as it becomes available, officials said.

Officials have not said whether the airmen are among the dead, or were merely injured in the wreck.

The stretch of interstate - between Eagle and Cole roads - reopened Sunday afternoon, 13 hours after the crash sent two people to the hospital and caused damage to the Cloverdale overpass.

Idaho State Police say a commercial vehicle and an SUV had slowed down near the Cloverdale overpass due to construction when a second commercial vehicle hit them from behind.

Four other vehicles were also involved the chain-reaction crash, which caused at least one vehicle to catch fire.

Ginger Bradburn was on the road at that time and says she narrowly missed colliding with one of the commercial trucks involved.

"The headlights were staring at me in my passenger side," Bradburn said. "I don't know how it didn't hit me. I don't know how it should have."

Fortunately, Bradburn was able to quickly move out of the truck's path.

"Then all of the sudden I hear crashes," she said. "I looked in my rearview mirror and I saw flames. There were car parts all over the road."

Police say they are working with the Ada County Coroner's Office to notify family members of those killed in the crash.

A fiery crash on Interstate 84 in Boise Saturday night caused damage to the Cloverdale overpass, and prompted a long closure of eastbound lanes of the freeway.

Both eastbound and westbound lanes were blocked for several hours as police investigated the crash.

The westbound lanes reopened by about 5 a.m., but the eastbound lanes remained closed from Eagle Road to Cole Road until almost 1 p.m. Sunday. The closure caused major backups on I-84 between the Meridian and Eagle exits. Adjacent streets, like Overland Road were also backed up due to the diverted traffic.

Due to the destruction, we may never know what was the cause of the massive house fire that killed a female occupant in Leyden, Mass.

By DIANE BRONCACCIO
Recorder Staff
Tuesday, June 12, 2018


LEYDEN, Mass — 

The cause of the fire that resulted in a death Monday afternoon remains under investigation by the State Fire Marshal’s Office. But investigators “may not be able to determine the origin and cause of the fire, given the lack of witness accounts and the total destruction of the home,” said Jennifer Meith, spokeswoman for the state fire marshal.

She said the hilltop home at 178 Frizzell Hill Road, about three-quarters of a mile from the main roadway, did not have a sprinkler system.

Also, given the remote location, it is not known how long the fire had been burning before firefighters were called.

The name of the woman who died in the fire has not yet been released by the Northwestern District Attorney’s Office, because of its policy to wait 24 hours until relatives of the deceased have been notified.

Leyden Fire Chief Matthew Muka said the fire was called in by a passerby, who spotted the plume of smoke rising over the horizon.


When the Fire Department arrived, said Muka, “the whole house was involved and had partially collapsed.”

Also the fire spread to a parked car; it also ignited a propane tank on the house, causing an explosion.

Muka confirmed the lengthy driveway and said many fire departments were providing mutual aid from the main road, shuttling water up to the scene.

Besides the Leyden Fire Department, departments providing mutual aid included: Bernardston, Colrain, Deerfield, Greenfield, Northfield, Shelburne Falls, and Turners Falls. From Vermont, the Brattleboro, Guilford and Vernon departments responded.

Also a wildfire crew from the state Department of Conservation and Recreation’s Bureau of Forest Fire Control (District 9) provided mutual aid, combating a brush fire.

Muka said firefighters were at the scene until about 9:30 p.m. Then Muka returned at midnight, and firefighters made a third check around 7:30 a.m. Tuesday, finding and extinguishing hot spots in the brush.

He did not know the value of the home, but said it had last been purchased in 2015.

Coroner: Postal Service worker Daniel Christian Rosenbach, 42, dies in Scott County, KY from heart attack while delivering mail

GEORGETOWN, Ky. (WKYT) - 

The United States Postal Service confirms one of its employees died while on the job in Scott County.

In a statement, the USPS says, "The Postal Service, particularly the Georgetown, Kentucky postal family, mourns the loss of City Carrier Assistant Daniel Christian Rosenbach, 42, and extend our deepest condolences to his family."

Scott County Coroner John Goble tells WKYT Rosenbach was delivering mail on Friday afternoon in Georgetown when he suddenly passed out. He was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Goble says an autopsy was performed in Frankfort on Saturday and it was determined he died from a heart attack.

The USPS confirms Rosenbach just recently started as an employee, with his first day being on May 12.

Goble says Rosenbach was 42 years old and leaves behind a wife and a seven-year-old daughter.

Goble says the Occupational Safety and Health Administration will further investigate the death starting on Monday.



==================



Daniel Christian Rosenbach, 42, husband of Katie Lawrence Rosenbach, passed away suddenly at work Friday, June 8, 2018 in Georgetown, Kentucky.

A native of Saint Helens, Oregon born April 14, 1976, he was a recently retired Chief Petty Officer (AEC) with the U.S. Navy and currently worked as a letter carrier for the U.S. Postal Service. Along with being an Aviation Electrician, Dan had also been a Naval Instructor in Pensacola, Florida. An avid fan, he enjoyed participating in and watching all kinds of sports, but especially his Oregon Ducks and the UK Wildcats. His hobbies also included photography and woodworking. Dan passed on his eclectic musical tastes and love of everything historical to his 7 year-old daughter, Mattelyn.

Also surviving are his father, Harold "Skip" Rosenbach, of Oceanside, California; his mother, Anne Rosenbach, of Saint Helens, Oregon; his in-laws, Rusty & Brenda Lawrence, of Carlisle; his sister-in-law, Mary Ann Lawrence and her husband, Henry Mau, of Louisville; and his brother-in-law, Matthew Lawrence, of Lexington; as well as a nephew and niece, Hank & Davis Mau.

Dan was preceded in death by his brother, Erik Rosenbach.

The Kentucky Labor Cabinet fined Louisville Metro government $7,000 after 52-year-old Trent P. Haines was killed while loading road salt on a conveyer at a city facility on Outer Loop

52-year-old Trent P. Haines was killed while loading road salt on a conveyor at a city facility on Outer Loop

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) – 

State regulators have fined Louisville Metro government $7,000 in connection with the death of a worker in the city’s public works department last winter.



The Kentucky Labor Cabinet, which enforces workplace safety standards, issued the penalty in late April, about five months after 52-year-old Trent P. Haines was killed while loading road salt on a conveyor at a city facility on Outer Loop.



Metro government has not contested the fine, according to online U.S. Occupational and Safety Health Administration records. A spokesman for the city’s public works department hasn’t yet responded to a request for comment left Monday afternoon.



As it now stands, the penalty is the highest levied against the city since 2011, the online records show.



The state inspection found one serious violation involving a “mechanical power-transmission apparatus.” The Labor Cabinet denied a WDRB News request under the Kentucky Open Records Act for investigative documents because the probe is ongoing.



Haines died of blunt force trauma in the incident, which occurred as he and another worker were loading the conveyor on December 27, 2017, WDRB previously reported.

WRONG: No fall protection while setting pre-stressed concrete at a height of more than six feet

Minnesota OSHA issued eight citations and $366,150 in penalties to Gateway Building Systems, Inc., after a worker suffered a fatal fall from a grain elevator.

Minnesota Cites Construction Company after Fatal Fall

Minnesota OSHA issued eight citations and $366,150 in penalties to Gateway Building Systems, Inc., after a worker suffered a fatal fall from a grain elevator. Inspectors determined that the company failed to: ensure workers were using correct anchorage points; install proper decking and guarding over an expanded platform; and provide overhead protection for workers.

California OSHA issued six citations and $48,095 in penalties to Tobin Steel Company, Inc., after a worker sustained serious injuries while operating an unguarded press brake machine

California Fines Manufacturer for Exposing Workers to Amputation Hazards

 California OSHA issued six citations and $48,095 in penalties to Tobin Steel Company, Inc., after a worker sustained serious injuries while operating an unguarded press brake machine. Inspectors concluded that the company failed to: conduct and document required inspections; test and maintain power-operated presses; train workers on amputation hazards; and provide adequate machine guarding.

U.S. 1st Circuit Court of Appeals Orders Maine Roofer operated as Lessard Roofing & Siding Inc. and Lessard Brothers Construction Inc. to Correct Violations, Implement Safety Measures, and Address $389,685 in Fines

June 1, 2018

U.S. 1st Circuit Court of Appeals Orders Maine Roofer to Correct Violations,
Implement Safety Measures, and Address $389,685 in Fines

BOSTON, MA – After multiple investigations by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit ordered a Maine roofing contractor who has operated as Lessard Roofing & Siding Inc. and Lessard Brothers Construction Inc. to implement a comprehensive safety and training program after receiving repeated citations for exposing workers to falls. The owner, Stephen Lessard, was also ordered to produce substantial documentation that will demonstrate the extent to which he is able to pay $389,685 in outstanding fines issued by OSHA.

OSHA cited Lessard Roofing & Siding Inc. and Lessard Brothers Construction Inc. for safety violations at 11 different work sites in Maine between 2000 and 2011. Stephen Lessard failed to correct the cited violations, implement appropriate safety measures, and pay accumulated fines and interest, despite being ordered to do so by the 1st Circuit in December 2011. The Court held the owner in civil contempt for defying the 2011 order.

“The 1st Circuit’s order requires Lessard to ensure that all workers at his worksites, whether his employees, employees of his subcontractors, or actual or putative independent contractors, are operating safely, after a long history of his failing to provide adequate protective measures,” said Michael Felsen, Regional Solicitor of Labor in Boston. “When necessary, as in this case, the U.S. Department of Labor will pursue appropriate measures so that employers do not flout the law or gain an unfair advantage over law-abiding employers.”

“An employer that refuses to provide effective fall safety programs, training, and safety equipment needlessly exposes its employees to deadly or disabling injuries,” said Maryann Medeiros, OSHA’s Maine Area Director.

The Court also ordered Lessard to ensure that employees and contractors use required safety equipment and fall protection; conduct worksite safety analyses and meetings; employ a “competent person” to ensure work is performed according to OSHA regulations; notify OSHA about each worksite, and allow inspectors to enter these sites; and provide financial documentation to enable the Department to determine the owner’s ability to pay the fines; submit certification of abatement of the previously cited hazards, and comply with OSHA standards.

In particular, the safety program must include recognition and acceptance of responsibility as an employer, general contractor or supervisory contractor to ensure that all their employees, independent contractors or subcontractors use all appropriate safety equipment and fall protection apparatus and follow appropriate procedures.

If the owner fails to comply with the order, the court will consider additional sanctions up to and including incarceration.

Senior Trial Attorney Maureen Canavan of the Department’s Regional Office of the Solicitor in Boston and Senior Attorney Lisa Wilson of the Department’s Occupational Safety and Health Division in Washington, D.C., litigated on behalf of OSHA.

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA’s role is to ensure these conditions for America’s working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education, and assistance. For more information, visit http://www.osha.gov.