Cross Country
A Storm Felt From Maine to Virginia
Wind gusts topping 80 mph blew down trees, and 7 inches of rain caused flash flooding in York County, Maine, last week, part of a powerful nor'easter storm system that battered states from Maine to Virginia. Residents in some parts of Maine-which suffered an estimated $20 million in damages-had to be evacuated by boats, and power was knocked out to more than 130,000 homes and businesses. The storm also was blamed for at least two deaths-a woman and her 4-year-old granddaughter who died as they were swept away by floodwaters. "There's just nowhere for the water to go," says Steve Harding of the York County Emergency Management Agency. "It's a mess everywhere."
It was a sentiment repeated up and down the East Coast. Flooding in New Jersey killed at least three people. Warren, Vt., got 17 inches of wet, heavy snow. New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer petitioned for at least 12 counties to be declared federal disaster areas. Things were so bad in Massachusetts that the Internal Revenue Service and the state Department of Revenue gave residents an additional week to file their taxes.
More than 1,000 New Jersey residents were still living in emergency shelters, and 40 communities remained in a state of emergency late last week. "The water is receding, but it's going to be a long process," says State Police Sgt. Stephen Jones.
A High-Speed Crash With No Seat Belt
As Gov. Jon Corzine of New Jersey lay in the hospital on a respirator recovering from a car accident, the state police in Trenton last week revealed another shocking detail about the crash that left him with injuries including a broken thighbone and collarbone plus 11 broken ribs.
Before it slammed into a guardrail on the Garden State Parkway just north of Atlantic City, his SUV-which was driven by a state trooper-was traveling about 91 mph in a 65-mph zone. Even before the speed was announced, frustration was mounting statewide over the fact that Corzine-who was in the front passenger seat-was not wearing a seat belt, as is legally required. He was thrown within the vehicle during the collision.
State Police Superintendent Rick Fuentes says the driver of the vehicle, Trooper Robert Rasinski, could face charges if investigators decide the crash was preventable. Rasinski, who was wearing a seat belt, and a Corzine aide, who was in the back seat and not wearing a seat belt, received minor injuries. Corzine was in critical condition late last week.
Fit to Guard Weapons?
Protesting new federal regulations that require some workers at nuclear weapons plants to be fit enough to fight off terrorist attacks, more than 500 security guards at the BWXT Pantex assembly plant in Carson County, Texas, went on strike last week. Among its requirements, the new policy-formulated in 2005-demands that guards be able to run a mile in 8.5 minutes. They also must wear bulletproof vests and carry rifles throughout their 12-hour shifts. The guard's union believes these standards would be too rigorous for some of them, who overall earn an average of $72,000 per year, according to Pantex.
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