Tropical storm Claudette walked across the United States: 13 people died, including 10 children

Eight children traveling in a van from an abused or unattended child home died in a multi-vehicle fire accident on the interstate. As a result of the same accident, a man and his child were killed in another car. The cause of the accident was tropical storm Claudette, which claimed the lives of at least 13 people. Writes about it Yahoo!.

Photo: Shutterstock

The crash occurred on Saturday, June 19, about 35 miles (55 km) south of Montgomery on Highway 65 after cars likely slipped on a wet road, according to Butler County Coroner Wayne Garlock.

The van, with children ages 4 to 17, belonged to the Tallupus County Maiden Ranch, a youth home run by the Alabama Sheriffs Association. Michael Smith, CEO of the youth ranch, said the van was returning to the ranch near Camp Hill, northeast of Montgomery, after a week at the beach in Gulf Shores. It caught fire after the crash, and Candice Gully, the ranch director, was the only survivor. She was pulled out of the fire by a stranger.

On the subject: Hurricane season has begun in the USA: step-by-step instructions on how to prepare for storms

Gally remains in hospital in serious but stable condition. “She will survive her physical injuries,” Smith said. Two of those killed in the van were Gulley's children, ages 4 and 16, Smith said. Four others were residents of the ranch and two were guests.

"This is the worst tragedy I've seen in my life," Smith said.

“Words can’t express what I saw,” Smith said. “We love these girls like our own children.”

The accident also claimed the lives of two other people, who were traveling in a separate vehicle. Garlock identified them as 29-year-old Cody Fox and his 9-month-old daughter Ariana from Marion County, Tennessee.

"He was a great guy and we're really going to miss him," said Aaron Sanders, who worked with Fox at the Marion County Emergency Management Agency. He said Fox ran a hot tub business with his father and loved his daughter very much.

“He just loved her to death, she was the meaning of his life,” he said.

Several people were also injured.

The National Transportation Safety Board tweeted that it sent 10 investigators to the area on Sunday to investigate the accident, and photographs of the scene show at least four burned-out vehicles, including two large trucks.

Other victims of the storm were a 24-year-old man and a 3-year-old boy. They were killed by a tree that fell on their home near the Tuscaloosa city limits, said Captain Jack Kennedy of the Tuscaloosa Crime Department.

Makayla Ross, a 23-year-old woman from Fort Payne, died Saturday, June 19, after her car drove off the road into an overflowing river, DeCalb County Deputy Coroner Chris Tucker said.

Because of Claudette, 30 centimeters of rain fell on the Gulf Coast.

The search is also under way for a person who allegedly fell into the water during the floods in Birmingham.

Garlock said the crash site of several vehicles is "notorious" for flooding as the highway heading north descends the hill towards a small stream. Traffic on this section of I-65 is usually packed with vacationers traveling to and from the beaches of the Gulf of Mexico on summer weekends.

“Butler County experienced one of the worst traffic accidents ever,” County Sheriff Danny Bond wrote on Facebook.

The GoFundMe page was created for the Tallupus County Girls Ranch to help offset funeral costs, medical expenses for injured people, and counseling for victims.

You may be interested in: top New York news, stories of our immigrants and helpful tips about life in the Big Apple - read it all on ForumDaily New York.

Gally has worked with the children for many years, starting when she and her husband were home parents on the ranch for seven years.

NEW VIDEO: East Brewton, AL was hit hard this morning. We are being told at least one trailer park received significant damage. Viewer said he had to dog people from rubble. @WKRG #alwx #tornado #claudette
Courtesy: Brewer Murphy pic.twitter.com/PQawroBOlB

- Ed Bloodsworth (@WKRGEd) June 19, 2021

“Over the years, 74 girls have come through our house and called us mom and dad,” she said in an August 2019 interview. She said she was also a support parent before becoming a ranch manager.

“My heart goes out to the loved ones of all those killed,” Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey said in a statement.

Screenshot: NHC

Claudette's Tropical Depression began to recuperate late Sunday night, June 20, and regained storm status on Monday June 21. The storm was over the eastern part of North Carolina, and had already entered the Atlantic Ocean.

Aside from rainy weather, North Carolina was uneventful.

Read also on ForumDaily:

Hurricane season has begun in the USA: step-by-step instructions on how to prepare for storms

Rescue Tips: How to Survive a Tornado

Personal experience: how an immigrant to rent a house in the USA and not become a victim of fraudsters

Meteorologists decide to change long-standing rules for naming hurricanes: the 2020 season is to blame

US may hit hundreds of tornadoes this year: meteorologists alarmed

A catastrophe like in The Day After Tomorrow: the currents of the world's oceans are slowing down, and this threatens with strong hurricanes

11 things that you absolutely cannot save on in the US

Life without fear: which states are least affected by natural disasters

Do you want more important and interesting news about life in the USA and immigration to America? — support us donate! Also subscribe to our page Facebook. Select the “Priority in display” option and read us first. Also, don't forget to subscribe to our РєР ° РЅР ° Р »РІ Telegram  and Instagram- there is a lot of interesting things there. And join thousands of readers ForumDaily New York — there you will find a lot of interesting and positive information about life in the metropolis.