Claudette returned to tropical storm status on Monday morning — approaching the Carolina coast less than two days after 13 people died due to the effects of the storm in Alabama. Tragic incidents included a multi-vehicle crash in Butler County that claimed the lives of 9 children.
According to authorities, eight of the children, aged 4 to 17, were traveling in a Tallapoosa County Girls Ranch vehicle. The Youth Ranch provides a home for abandoned or abused school-age children, according to Alabama Sheriffs Youth Ranches, a non-profit organization that operates the ranch and other organizations statewide.
According to Michael Smith, CEO of Tallapoosa County Girls Ranch, the only survivor of the ranch's vehicle was its director, who was driving.
According to Smith, the director lost two of her own children in the accident and is currently hospitalized in a serious but stable condition. She was probably saved by passers-by who pulled the woman out of the car when she was unconscious and locked inside.
“We lost eight young people who could change our world, we lost eight young people who could not had the opportunity to have children of our own, we lost eight young people who did not get the chance to break the circle in which they lived and give another life to their own children,” said Smith.
“This is a sad day.”
“This is a sad day.”
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The accident also claimed the lives of two people who were traveling in another car. They were identified as 29-year-old Cody Fox and his 9-month-old daughter, Ariana; both from Marion County, Tennessee.
Several more people were injured.
In addition, a 24-year-old man and a 3-year-old boy died Saturday when a tree fell on their home nearby from Tuscaloosa,» said Capt. Jack Kennedy of the Tuscaloosa Violent Crime Squad. Another victim, 23-year-old Makayla Ross from Fort Payne, died Saturday after her car went off the road into a creek. , is believed to have fallen into the water during a flash flood.
Claudette's peak strength was 40 mph Monday morning, the National Hurricane Center said in a statement. Forecasters said the storm was recorded 65 miles east-southeast of Raleigh, North Carolina, and was moving east-northeast at 25 miles per hour.
