(NEW YORK) — A final batch of documents pertaining to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was unsealed Tuesday.
At least seven documents were released. Over 215 documents have been released since last week.
The records unsealed Monday included photos from Sarah Ransome, an alleged adult victim of Epstein, as well as an exhibit that mentions discredited allegations Ransome made about former President Bill Clinton, former President Donald Trump, Britain’s Prince Andrew and Virgin Group founder Richard Branson. She later admitted the claims were false.
The records are part of a defamation lawsuit brought by Virginia Giuffre, an alleged victim of Epstein, against his longtime companion Ghislaine Maxwell that the two settled in 2017. Epstein died by suicide in a Manhattan jail while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges.
Neither Clinton, nor Trump, nor Branson was accused by Giuffre, or anyone else besides Ransome, of any wrongdoing in the course of Giuffre’s defamation lawsuit against Maxwell. Clinton has denied any knowledge of Epstein’s crimes. Trump has said he cut-off contact with Epstein many years ago.
In a statement to ABC News on Tuesday, the Virgin Group, on behalf of Branson, said Ransome’s allegations against him are “false, baseless, and unfounded.”
Prince Andrew has long denied allegations that he had sex with Giuffre on three occasions, as she has claimed in court records and interviews. In 2022, Andrew settled a case Giuffre brought against him.
Maxwell is serving a 20-year prison sentence after she was convicted in 2021 of aiding Epstein’s sex trafficking of young women and girls. Her appeal will be heard in March.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
(NEW YORK) — Last year proved to be one of the costliest in the United States due to extreme weather disasters, according to a new report by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The U.S. was hit with more billion-dollar disasters in 2023 than any other year on record, highlighting the increased risk stemming from a changing climate, NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information announced Tuesday.
There were 28 separate billion-dollar weather and climate disasters last year, smashing the previous record set in 2020 of 22 billion-dollar disasters, according to the report.
These disasters included 17 severe storms, four flooding events, two tropical cyclones, two tornado outbreaks, one winter storm, one wildfire, and one drought and heat wave event. The firestorm that caused the Maui wildfires on Aug. 8, 2023, and Hurricane Idalia, which struck Florida’s Gulf Coast at the end of August, were included in those expensive disasters.
The U.S. disaster costs for 2023 were $92.9 billion, but this total annual cost may rise by several billion dollars as additional costs from identified events are reported. There were at least 492 fatalities associated with these events, according to the report.
The costliest events in 2023 were the southern/midwestern drought and heat wave that occurred during spring to fall of 2023, totaling $14.5 billion, and the southern and eastern severe weather event that occurred in early March, which tallied $6 billion.
Over the last seven years, from 2017 to 2023, 137 separate billion-dollar disasters have killed at least 5,500 people and cost greater than $1 trillion in damage, according to NOAA’s report.
Last year was also a record 13th consecutive year where the U.S. experienced 10 or more billion-dollar disasters and the fourth consecutive year (from 2020 to 2023) where 18 or more billion-dollar disasters impacted the U.S.
Since records began in 1980, the U.S. has sustained 376 separate weather and climate disasters where overall damages or costs reached or exceeded $1 billion (based on the consumer price index adjustment to 2023) per event, the report stated. The total cost of these 376 events exceeds $2.66 trillion.
The U.S. also experienced several climate and weather anomalies in 2023.
The Atlantic basin saw 20 named tropical cyclones during 2023 — ranking fourth for the most named tropical systems in a year since 1950, according to NOAA.
The preliminary tornado count for 2023 was above average, with 1,197 tornadoes reported and an additional 97 preliminary tornadoes still under verification for the Oct. 1 to Dec. 31 period.
Drought coverage across the contiguous U.S. ranged from a maximum extent of 46% occurring on Jan. 3, 2023, and a minimum coverage of 19% on May 30, the lowest contiguous U.S. footprint since the drought of mid-2020, according to the report.
Flash drought impacted much of the Lower Mississippi Valley during the latter half of 2023, resulting in the greatest coverage of exceptional drought in Louisiana with 74.2% of the state measuring at exceptional drought on Nov. 14.
Annual precipitation for the contiguous U.S. was 29.46 inches, 0.48 inches below average, ranking in the driest third of the historical record, according to the report.
Record heat in 2023 likely exacerbated drought conditions.
The average annual temperature of the contiguous U.S. in 2023 was 54.4 degrees Fahrenheit, 2.4 degrees above average and ranking fifth-warmest on record. Globally, 2023 was the hottest year on record, Copernicus, the European Union’s climate change service, announced Tuesday.
(NEW YORK) — Multiple people have been injured and significant damage has been reported in Florida due to a possible tornado as part of a major storm system expected to bring severe weather to parts of the East Coast on Tuesday.
At least 10 tornadoes have been reported in Texas, Florida and Alabama since Monday, most occurring overnight and Tuesday morning in Florida’s Panhandle, as the major storm crosses the country.
A tornado hit the Panama City area in Bay County early Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service.
At least five people in the county were transported to hospitals with injuries, Bay County spokesperson Valerie Sale told ABC News. There are also reports of significant damage throughout the county due to the storm, Sale said.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has issued a state of emergency for northern Florida due to the severe weather threat. The order covers 49 counties in north and central Florida.
The storm system is expected to swing north and bring flooding and damaging winds to the Northeast later Tuesday.
There are currently 13 states on flood watch from Georgia to Maine as the storm approaches the East Coast, with severe weather for the Carolinas, Florida and Georgia with tornadoes and flash flooding possible Tuesday.
Heavy rain will arrive in the Mid-Atlantic by around noon on Tuesday and will gradually move up the Interstate 95 corridor through the afternoon as heavy rain is expected to begin in Philadelphia and New York City with a chance of flooding possible.
Additionally, New England is predicting heavy rain on Tuesday night into Wednesday with possible flooding. An estimated 2 to 4 inches of rain is forecast in the Northeast on top of all the melting snow.
Strong damaging winds are expected to accompany the heavy rain as, locally, 50 to 65 mph gusts are possible from the Virginia coast all the way up to Maine. Power outages are possible in swathes of the Northeast.
On the back side of this storm, heavy snow is forecast from Missouri to Iowa and into Wisconsin and Michigan where, locally, up to 10 inches of snow could be possible.
Chicago will be right on the line of rain and snow with only a few inches of sloppy snow possible in the city and up to 5 to 10 inches west and north of the city.
2nd storm moving into West
A second storm is also moving into the Pacific Northwest and the northern Rockies with more heavy snow, strong winds and heavy rain for the coast.
A rare blizzard warning is in place for Oregon and Washington, just outside of Seattle and Portland, where some areas have not seen a blizzard warning issued in more than 10 years.
The storm will follow in the current storm’s footsteps and will bring more severe weather to the South with tornado and flood threats Friday and more heavy snow for the Midwest and the Great Lakes.
By Friday night into Saturday, the storm will move into the Northeast with more heavy rain, strong winds and flooding.
(NEW YORK) — Shares of Boeing have plunged nearly 10% this week after a door plug blew out of the company’s 737 Max 9 aircraft during an Alaska Airlines flight.
The incident, which took place on Friday night, prompted the Federal Aviation Administration to ground the aircraft.
The stock price of Spirit Aerosystems, the manufacturer of the door plug, has fallen by more than 11% since trading began on Monday.
The National Transportation Safety Board has opened an investigation into the incident. The Alaska Airlines flight, which carried 171 passengers, had taken off from the Portland International Airport and climbed to 16,000 feet when the door plug fell off the aircraft, according to the NTSB.
None of the passengers or crew members experienced serious injuries.
In a note to investors, Bank of America said the incident does not alter the firm’s previous recommendation that individuals buy shares of the stock. The bank, however, warned of a potential negative effect on public perception of Boeing.
“We do not expect this current issue to have a material impact to our 2024 financial forecast,” Bank of America said, adding, “We do see the latest incident as eroding the fragile confidence that has been built around the 737 Max franchise. In our view, Boeing needs to tread carefully and cautiously through this potential reputational minefield.”
On Monday, United Airlines said it had found loose bolts on its 737 Max 9 fleet during inspections ordered after Friday’s incident.
The NTSB investigation could expand to additional aircraft as the agency learns more, NTSB chief Jennifer Homendy told ABC News’ “Good Morning America” on Tuesday.
“At some point we may need to go broader,” Homendy said. “But right now we have to figure out how this occurred with this aircraft.”
In a statement on Saturday, Boeing backed the decision to ground its 737 Max 9 aircraft and investigate the incident.
“Safety is our top priority and we deeply regret the impact this event has had on our customers and their passengers,” the company said. “We agree with and fully support the FAA’s decision to require immediate inspections of 737-9 airplanes with the same configuration as the affected airplane.”
“We will remain in close contact with our regulator and customers,” the company added.
The renewed scrutiny arrives roughly five years after Boeing 737 Max aircraft were grounded worldwide following a pair of crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia that killed a combined 346 people.
In 2021, after a two-year ban, Boeing 737 Max aircraft were permitted to fly.
In addition to the safety concerns, the company faced a pandemic-related decline in demand as well as a recent supply chain slowdown tied to flaws identified in the 737 Max.
Speaking on an earnings call in October, Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun acknowledged difficulties encountered by the company in recent months as it aims to reach full production.
“We have more work to do. But overall, we’re making progress in our recovery,” Calhoun said. “We knew 2023 would be a bumpy ride.”
Calhoun addressed scrutiny of the company’s culture as it tried to restore trust over the years following the deadly crashes.
“I’ve heard from a few of you wondering if we’ve lost a step in this recovery,” he said. “You might not be surprised to hear that I view it as exactly the opposite.”
“Over the last several years, we’ve added rigor around our quality processes,” he added. “We’ve worked hard to instill a culture of speaking up and transparently bringing forward any issue, no matter the size, so that we can get things right for a bright future.”
(NEW YORK) — The defective door plug on an Alaska Airlines plane that forced an emergency landing as a door-sized hole opened up in the plane mid-flight is just the latest dangerous incident to occur with this type of aircraft.
The Boeing 737 Max has been under public scrutiny for several years following multiple crashes and malfunctions.
The occurrences include a Lion Air Flight 610 that killed 189 people when it crashed in Indonesia in October 2018 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 that killed 157 people when it crashed in waters northeast of Jakarta — both Boeing 737 Max 8 planes, a previous version of the aircraft.
Black box data from the Lion Air jet revealed the pilots struggled to fight the plane’s malfunctioning safety system from takeoff to the moment it nose-dived into the Java Sea. A report by Indonesia’s National Transportation Safety Committee found that there were detrimental problems with the left angle of attack (AOA) sensor.
Following the Ethiopian Airlines crash, the entire fleet was grounded worldwide for more than 600 days. The 737 Max started flying again in January 2023.
The door plug for the fuselage of a Boeing 737 Max 9 fell off during a flight’s ascent on Friday, depressurizing the cabin and exposing passengers to open air thousands of feet above ground.
In statements released since Friday, Boeing has said it is aware of the incident and fully supports the FAA’s decision to require immediate inspections of certain 737 Max 9 planes.
Here is how the most recent incident unfolded: Friday, Jan. 5
5:07 p.m.: Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 takes off from Portland International Airport for Ontario, California, with 171 passengers and six crew members on board.
A few minutes after takeoff, as the plane reaches an altitude of 16,000 feet above sea level, a hole opens up next to seat 26A, prompting the pilot to declare an emergency.
Flight 1282 then initiates an emergency landing at Portland Airport. During the descent, terrified passengers captured footage showing the hole where the door plug came loose from.
The Boeing 737 MAX 9 plane has only been in operation since October 2023, FAA records show.
5:26 p.m.: Flight 1282 lands, less than 20 minutes after taking off.
5:34 p.m.: The plane arrives at the gate. Flight attendants instruct those who are injured to remain seated, and firefighters board the plane.
7:47 p.m. The NTSB posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, that it has started investigating the incident.
Saturday, Jan. 6
Midnight: Alaska Airlines temporarily grounds its Boeing 737 Max 9 fleet, totaling 65 planes, stating the aircraft will return to service “only after completion of full maintenance and safety inspections.”
9 a.m.: Alaska Airlines returns the 737-9 aircraft to service after inspections on more than a quarter of its 737 Max 9 fleet is complete “with no concerning findings.”
11 a.m.: United Airlines temporarily suspends service on select Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft to conduct an inspection required by the FAA, it announces. The airline has 79 of the aircraft in operation.
3 p.m.: Alaska Airlines removes 18 planes from service until details about possible additional maintenance work are confirmed with the FAA, the airline announces.
4 p.m.: The FAA issues an emergency airworthiness directive, temporarily grounding certain Boeing 737 MAX 9’s while operators conduct specific inspections before returning the aircraft to service — more than 170 planes worldwide.
6 p.m.: All of the passengers who sustained injuries aboard Flight 1282 are medically cleared, according to Alaskan Airlines.
7 p.m.: United temporarily suspends service on all 79 of its Boeing 737 Max 9 planes, the airline announces.
8 p.m.: During a press conference, the NTSB announced that no one was sitting in 26A or 26B — the two seats closest to the door — when the door plug fell out. The search for the door plug continues.
Sunday, Jan. 7
6:30 a.m.: Nearly 700 flights are canceled nationwide due to the Boeing 737 Max 9 groundings, according to data from FlightAware.
MORE: Passenger phone found on ground after Alaska Airlines emergency
11:30 a.m.: “Affected” planes will remain grounded until the FAA determines they are safe, the FAA said in a statement. Turkish Airlines, Copa Airlines and Aeroméxico all temporarily suspend service on their 737 Max 9s while doing inspections.
3:30 p.m.: A man finds a cellphone from a passenger on board Flight 1282 while on a walk in Portland.
9 p.m.: During a press conference, the NTSB announces that the door plug that fell out the fuselage has been found in a backyard in Portland.
Monday, Jan. 8
6:30 a.m.: Shares of Boeing Co. tumble 9% at the opening bell of the New York Stock Exchange as the Boeing Max 9 remains grounded.
4 p.m.: United announces it has found loose bolts during its inspection of its 737 Max 9 fleet. The airline did not disclose how many planes the malfunction was found on.
ABC News’ Clara McMichael, Amanda Maile and Sam Sweeney contributed to this report.
Former U.S. President and Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump arrives for a “Commit to Caucus” rally in Clinton, Iowa, on Jan.6, 2024. (TANNEN MAURY/AFP via Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — The Washington, D.C., Court of Appeals will hear arguments today over former President Donald Trump’s efforts to dismiss his federal election interference case based on his claim of presidential immunity.
Trump, who in August pleaded not guilty to charges of undertaking a “criminal scheme” to overturn the results of the 2020 election, is seeking the dismissal of the case on the grounds that he has “absolute immunity” from prosecution for actions taken while serving in the nation’s highest office.
The former president has denied all wrongdoing and denounced the charges as “a persecution of a political opponent.”
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Jan 09, 9:54 AM EST
Prosecuting a president opens ‘Pandora’s box,’ Trump lawyer says
Echoing the words of Donald Trump, his lawyer D. John Sauer told the court that allowing the prosecution of a former president would open a “Pandora’s box.”
“To authorize the prosecution of a president for its official acts would open a Pandora’s box from which this nation may never recover,” Sauer said at the start of his prepared remarks.
“Could George W. Bush be prosecuted for obstruction of an official proceeding for allegedly giving false information to Congress to induce the nation to go to war in Iraq under false pretenses?” Sauer asked. “Can President Obama be potentially charged with murder for allegedly authorizing drone strikes targeting U.S. citizens located abroad?”
In response, Judge Florence Pan asked Sauer if presidential immunity could provide unlimited powers for actions outside a president’s official acts.
“You’re saying a president could sell pardons, could sell military secrets, could order SEAL Team Six to assassinate a political rival?” Pan said, suggesting actions that would not be official acts.
Jan 09, 9:36 AM EST
Hearing is underway
With all participants in place, the hearing has begun.
D. John Sauer, an attorney for Trump, is set to begin arguments on behalf of the former president.
Jan 09, 9:23 AM EST
Trump arrives in court
Donald Trump’s motorcade arrived at the courthouse at 9:15 a.m. ET.
He entered the building through an underground garage and did not make remarks.
Jan 09, 9:08 AM EST
Jack Smith and his legal team arrive in court
Special counsel Jack Smith and his legal team have entered the courtroom for today’s arguments before the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals.
Smith is with his top prosecutor in the case, Thomas Windom, as well as Michael Dreeben, a former deputy solicitor general who recently joined Smith’s team to assist in arguing through the appeals process.
Former President Trump has not yet entered the courtroom ahead of the 9:30 a.m. ET hearing.
Jan 09, 6:09 AM EST
Trump plans to attend today’s hearing
Donald Trump plans to attend today’s arguments on his efforts to dismiss his federal election interference case, the former president said in a social media post early Monday.
It will be the first time that Trump appears at the federal courthouse in Washington, D.C., since his arraignment on federal election subversion charges in August, when he pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Trump, who is seeking the dismissal of the case based on presidential immunity, wrote on social media, “Of course I was entitled, as President of the United States and Commander in Chief, to Immunity. I wasn’t campaigning, the Election was long over. I was looking for voter fraud.”
Bob Sauer appears on “Good Morning America,” on Jan. 9, 2024. (ABC News)
(PORTLAND, Ore.) — A teacher in Portland, Oregon, who found the door plug that was blown out of an Alaska Airlines plane says it has not been easy “to get to sleep” since his discovery.
Bob Sauer, a science teacher in Portland, Oregon, who teaches physics, chemistry, astronomy, biology and general science, spoke to ABC News’ Good Morning America on Tuesday about the surreal experience of finding the door plug when “all of Portland was looking for it.”
“I had heard about the incident on Friday when it happened, and I’ve been listening to the news all weekend, but I hadn’t realized…that the debris was in this neighborhood, so I hadn’t been paying much attention to that at all,” Sauer told GMA. “A friend of mine called me and said you should probably check your backyard because they’re still looking for the door. And so I thought about that for a while. And once I’d finished my work for the day, I came out to look for it, and that’s when I found it.”
The part fell off the plane, a Boeing 737 Max 9, around 5:11 p.m. local time Friday as the aircraft with 171 passengers, including three babies and four unaccompanied minors, had climbed to 16,000 feet after taking off from Portland International Airport, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.
The plug, measuring 26-by-46 inches and weighing 63 pounds, was discovered intact Sunday evening in Sauer’s backyard.
“When I encountered it, it was really just disbelief,” Sauer said. “It was very hard to to understand that what everybody was looking for in Portland was actually in my backyard, and I was the first one to actually see it.”
Sauer said he then contacted the NTSB to inform them of his discovery.
“We were very careful not to touch anything during that time because I figured the NTSB would want to see it in the condition that had fallen in,” Sauer said.
It didn’t take long for word to get around town about what happened to Sauer, who said school was a “madhouse” after people heard.
“There wasn’t a lot of teaching going on,” Sauer joked. “I didn’t get much schoolwork done because so many people wanted to come in to interview me. My students wanted to know the story so I taught them during part of our classes together. It was pretty incredible to find it in my backyard when all of Portland was looking for it.”
Sauer also said he was out when the door plug landed in his yard.
“I think I wasn’t here when it fell because I was out Friday night and so I didn’t hear anything at all,” Sauer said. “It was sitting here quietly in my backyard until I actually came back here on Sunday.”
“It’s been rather surprising to me how much interest there is in this event and I’ve been contacted by people from all over the world, by media, but also friends, colleagues, relatives — all interested to know if I was the one and indeed I was,” he added.
(NEW YORK) — Five months after the massive wildfires destroyed Maui and displaced thousands of residents, many are still facing hurdles when it comes to housing and rebuilding their homes.
Thousands of insurance claims are still being processed, leaving many policyholders with unanswered questions about their claims and not enough funds to cover their growing expenses, according to experts.
Mahealani Strong, a Lahaina native and insurance executive who is overseeing over 1,000 home and auto claims, told ABC News Live that, on average, policyholders need 40% more than what they were insured for “in order to cover the cost to rebuild.”
“Nobody bought their home thinking it would be completely toasted by a fire,” she said. “There are a lot of people that under-bought insurance because they didn’t plan for something like this to happen.”
As the wait continues, some displaced residents said they are feeling desperate as they are running out of options for temporary housing.
“Everything here is so expensive. So I’m just hoping and praying for the best,” Nelan Ceser, a displaced resident who has been living in a hotel shelter since August, told ABC News Live.
As of last October, more than 3,700 homeowners have filed insurance claims in the Maui fire, with nearly 1,500 of those properties suffering a total loss, according to Hawaii’s state insurance division. The agency’s data shows roughly 40% of claim money has not been paid, totaling more than $440 Million.
Strong said she and her team of six have been trying to help policyholders since the day of the fire and trying their best to quell their exasperation with the complicated process.
“I think some of my biggest frustrations are fighting for what I believe they should be getting and getting a kickback or having to wait until it goes through a process,” she said.
Strong said there are some cases where a current policyholder inherited their generational home from a family member and all of the insurance information wasn’t reviewed.
Another roadblock for some was homeowners who moved off the island and rented the home to tenants, but didn’t have the correct policy for rental properties.
Ceser said she has only received some money from her insurance company but is still waiting for when more money can be delivered.
“There’s no answer to that question we asked. We don’t know. We don’t know. So that’s the big problem and issue for me and for everyone,” she said.
The state stepped in to assist homeowners with insurance claims. Shortly after the fire, state insurance commissioner Gordon I. Ito urged insurers not to cancel policies or refuse renewals.
Rep. Jill Tokuda, D-Hawaii, told ABC News Live that that she and other elected officials are asking insurance companies to be more supportive.
“I think a message that we have to all the insurance companies, the carriers out there – we need your help. We need you to be a part of taking care of our people now in the disaster they have experienced,” she said.
However, carriers are making changes, according to Strong.
“The way that they are protecting themselves moving forward is by putting stipulations and conditions on the policy when it’s time for renewal,” she said of insurance companies.
As some homeowners wait for the money to rebuild, others are stuck in legal roadblocks when it comes to plans for emergency housing.
Alfy Basurto, a Maui businessman, plans to build 11 more mobile homes on the land he owns in an upscale gated community in Lahaina.
The mobile homes would be operated through his nonprofit organization, Rebuild Maui.
Basurto told ABC News Live before the fires he was planning on building five small homes on his land but changed his proposal after the fire.
“I want to share my land with people that would provide housing. Waiting for the government is not going to come in and make us whole. It is truly not. So I think our responsibility to help each other out, I believe in that so strongly,” he said.
However, the Pu’unoa Homeowners Association sued Basurto contending he doesn’t have the right to build on his property.
“The Maui County Code requires permits for the construction of residential building or structures,” the suit contended. “Defendants have failed to properly obtain such permits as are required.”
Basurto claimed he spoke with county executives about his mobile home proposal and was told “because it’s an RV and because it’s got registration for the DMV and it’s got a safety certificate, it doesn’t require permitting.”
A court hearing is scheduled for Jan. 11 about the matter.
Housing experts stressed that solutions need to be made soon, as more than 2,400 households remain displaced, with the governor pushing for 1,500 short-term rentals on Maui to convert to long-term housing by March 1.
Ceser said she is in forbearance on her mortgage until she gets more details and hopes that this year can bring closure to her tragedy.
“I want to rebuild our house. So I’ve been there for, like, seven years, and it’s so hard for me to leave Lahaina. My heart belongs to Lahaina,” she said.
(NEW YORK) — Two major storms are moving across the United States from west to east with blizzard conditions, flooding, tornadoes, strong winds and heavy snow.
There are currently 13 states on flood watch from Georgia to Maine as the storm is expected to reach the East Coast with severe weather for the Carolinas, Florida and Georgia with tornadoes and flash flooding possible.
Heavy rain will arrive in the Mid-Atlantic by around noon on Tuesday and will gradually move up the I-95 corridor through the afternoon as heavy rain is expected to begin in Philadelphia and New York City with a chance of flooding possible.
Additionally, New England is predicting heavy rain on Tuesday night into Wednesday with possible flooding as an estimated 2 to 4 inches of rain is forecast in the Northeast on top of all the melting snow.
Strong damaging winds are expected to accompany the heavy rain as, locally, 50 to 65 mph gusts are possible from the Virginia coast all the way up to Maine with power outages possible in swathes of the Northeast.
On the back side of this storm, heavy snow is also forecast from Missouri to Iowa and into Wisconsin and Michigan where, locally, up to 10 inches of snow could be possible.
The city of Chicago will be right on the line of rain and snow with only a few inches of sloppy snow possible in the city and up to 5 to 10 inches can be expected just west and north of the Windy City.
(FORT WORTH, Texas) — An explosion at a downtown Fort Worth, Texas, hotel possibly caused by a gas leak injured 21 people, sent heavy debris across a block and forced nearby employees to evacuate Monday afternoon.
Fort Worth Fire Department officials said one person is in critical condition following the explosion at the Sandman Signature Hotel, which occurred around 3:30 p.m. local time.
Fire department officials said a gas leak was part of the incident, but they couldn’t immediately determine if it caused the explosion.
“We do know that there was some construction that was being done down at the restaurant. We’re not 100% sure that that’s where it actually started at this point in time,” Forth Worth Fire Department spokesman Craig Trojacek told reporters at a news conference.
It was not known how many of the injured were guests at the hotel or pedestrians. Fourteen people were transported to area hospitals, according to officials.
One person who was initially unaccounted for was found during a sweep by firefighters, according to officials
Trojacek said that firefighters rescued people who were inside the hotel’s basement.
Shortly after the explosion, firefighters were seen going through debris from the incident spread throughout the street, including window pieces and parts of the exterior.
The investigation into the cause is ongoing.
“We’ll talk about the structural integrity … after that, and we’re just trying to make sure that when we walk out of that building, we can definitively say that we’ve got everybody removed from that structure,” Trojacek said.
The Sandman Signature Fort Worth Hotel communications team confirmed in a statement that the hotel was “impacted by an explosion.”
“Emergency responders are onsite and we are working closely with the authorities to understand the origin of the event and the extent of the harm caused,” the company’s statement read. “The safety and well-being of our team members and guests is our priority. We are working with those who have been injured to fully support them at this time.”
The hotel, located near the Fort Worth Convention Center, opened last May following an extensive reconversion of the Waggoner Building, a Fort Worth historical building.
The building was originally built in 1920, and “many of the original features” were retained during the conversion, according to the hotel’s website.
Gov. Greg Abbott said in a statement that he was monitoring the situation and ready to deploy additional resources if needed.
