1 dead, 2 unaccounted for, dozens hurt from explosion at Pennsylvania steel plant: Officials
ABC News
(PITTSBURGH) — One person has died, two are believed to be unaccounted for and dozens are hurt following an explosion at a Pennsylvania steel plant on Monday, Allegheny County police said.
The blast at the U.S. Steel Clairton Coke Works plant in Clairton, about 15 miles outside of Pittsburgh, trapped people under rubble, prompting a rescue operation, according to Allegheny County officials.
The exact number of victims was not clear but many of the injuries are non-life-threatening, Allegheny County Emergency Services spokesperson Kasey Reigner said.
Allegheny County Director of Communications Abigail Gardner said the Health Department is on site monitoring air quality and Gov. Josh Shapiro said his administration is in touch with officials.
“The scene is still active, and folks nearby should follow the direction of local authorities,” the governor said on social media. “Please join Lori and me in praying for the Clairton community.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is also responding, according to a spokesman.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
ABC News’ Michael Pappano contributed to this report.
(NEW YORK) — A tropical threat on the Gulf Coast has a 40% chance for development into a tropical depression in the next 48 hours, according to the National Hurricane Center.
The system, which could currently be considered a “tropical rainstorm” or “tropical disturbance,” is likely to bring heavy rain to the central Gulf Coast for days — especially to the state of Louisiana.
The disturbance is expected to move along the coast, but the closer it stays to shore, the less chance it will have to grow into a tropical depression or storm since these weather patterns need time over water to develop, though a change to a more southerly track would give it a chance to gain steam.
A flood watch will go into effect at 1 p.m. this afternoon for portions of Louisiana and Mississippi and is expected to last at least through Friday night, with the eastern part of the watch in effect until at least Saturday evening.
This tropical disturbance is expected to produce long duration heavy rainfall and, if it develops into a tropical storm, it would be designated by the name Dexter.
Rainfall totals are generally expected to be between 2 and 6 inches, but the National Weather Service is highlighting some localized areas expected to receive as many as 15 inches in the region.
Elsewhere, heavy showers and thunderstorms are expected today for Ohio, West Virginia all of Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maryland and New Jersey with rainfall rates of potentially more than 2 inches per hour on Wednesday and Thursday.
Storms are expected to begin around 2 p.m. in Ohio and then move east in a very scattered fashion through the afternoon, evening and overnight.
A flood watch is already in place for central and northern New Jersey where 1 to 2 inches of rain could fall in a 1-to-3-hour period, likely in the evening or overnight hours for this location.
A severe risk for damaging wind and tornadoes, along with flash flooding, is in place for portions of Illinois, Wisconsin and Michigan on Wednesday, including Chicago, Milwaukee, Green Bay and Peoria.
A flood watch is already in place for Green Bay where they are expecting 2 to 3 inches of rain over a short time span, with locally higher amounts possible, and storms may reach Chicago, Milwaukee and Green Bay around 4 p.m. local time.
Heavy thunderstorms are also possible late tonight from Kansas to northern Missouri, with rainfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour possible.
Meanwhile, 70 million Americans are under heat advisories coast-to-coast, with dangerously hot conditions expected today for people in the Northwest, South and Northeast.
For the Northwest, a heat advisory is in place from northern California to northern Washington as Portland, Oregon, could reach near 100 degrees and Seattle, Washington, could hit the low to mid 90s — temperatures that are 10 to 15 degrees above average.
A heat advisory is in effect for parts of the South from Louisiana to Illinois, with a heat index up to 105 to 109 possible, including New Orleans, Memphis, Little Rock and Shreveport — temperatures that are 5 to 10 degrees above average.
The United States is now heading into the hottest part of the year, climatologically, and this weekend looks seasonally hot across the nation, with above average heat possible next week, especially for the Midwest, South and East, meaning temperatures in the upper 90s and lower 100s, with humidity making things worst for these regions.
Sevier County Sheriff’s Office released a photo of David Wright from Washington Utah who went missing in September, 1997. Sevier County Sheriff’s Office
(SEVIER COUNTY, Utah) — Remains of a human foot found inside a hiking shoe on the shores of a lake in Utah belong to a man who went missing in 1997, according to officials.
The remains were found on the shores of Fishlake Utah in May, according to the Sevier County Sheriff’s Office.
Investigators determined the hiking boot was made in 1996 for only one year. Investigators were able to tie the boot to a cold case disappearance from September 1997.
David White intended to go fishing with some friends and had rented a hotel room nearby. When the plans with friends fell through, White went fishing anyway, according to the sheriff’s office.
His boat was later found trolling across Fishlake with no one onboard, according to officials.
“A shoe and hat were found floating in the water giving a possible indication where White was believed to have fallen in. There were no witnesses at the time. All of this was a mystery until now,” the sheriff’s office said in a press release.
The original search for White lasted five days and no further evidence was found at the time.
“This case has been on the mind of every one of the SAR members who were involved in the search 28 years ago. It is good to finally have some closure for the family and the searchers,” Sheriff Nathan Curtis said in a statement.
The medical examiner’s office directed investigators to collect DNA from the foot and DNA from a daughter and sent to Bode Cellmark Forensics.
Testing revealed a parental match with 99.9994% certainty.
“We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the Sevier County Sheriff’s Office, SAR’s, Detective Sgt Pearson, Detective Sgt Larsen, Sheriff Curtis, and Gary (Moulton) from Fishlake Lodge for their incredible support and tireless efforts. We are also deeply grateful to the individual and his dog who found the shoe – without them, we would not be where we are today,” Stefanie Bennett, the daughter of White, said in a statement released by officials.
(WASHINGTON) — A decade of planning and complex deception tactics made last weekend’s historic B-2 bomber strike on Iran possible, according to retired Gen. Robert Spalding, who said he helped develop the original mission plans.
The operation, named “Operation Midnight Hammer,” marked the U.S. military’s largest-ever deployment of B-2 stealth bombers and first use of 30,000 pound bunker-buster bombs in combat, Pentagon officials said. The 30-hour precision strike targeted three Iranian nuclear facilities, making it the longest B-2 mission since 2001, according to officials.
“Everything worked perfectly,” Spalding, a former B-2 pilot and senior director at the National Security Council, told ABC News.
Spalding, who said he helped develop the mission plan years ago, told ABC News the operation required more than a decade of preparation, including extensive work on weapons systems and planning.
The mission’s success relied heavily on keeping Iran in the dark about the incoming attack. The U.S. military used decoy bombers sent to Guam to throw off potential tracking. Spalding said that hiding such an operation has become more challenging in today’s connected world.
“With smartphones and flight tracking nowadays, we have to account for all kinds of data that could tip off the enemy,” Spalding said.
The B-2’s unique flying wing design makes it ideal for this mission. Its lack of a conventional fuselage and tail allows for a low radar cross-section, making the aircraft difficult for radar to detect.
“The B-2 has two bomb bays that can carry very large weapons, and these bunker-buster bombs were specifically made to fit them,” Spalding said.
He added that while Israeli forces had already weakened Iran’s air defenses, the B-2’s stealth capabilities were crucial to the mission’s success.
The extended flight time presented its own challenges. Pilots had to conduct six to seven midair refuelings, each taking about 30 minutes.
“There’s a strict schedule of sleep and diet before and during the flight to keep pilots alert during critical moments,” Spalding said.
The strikes were aimed at preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons, U.S. officials said. President Donald Trump called the operation “very successful” in a Truth Social post on Saturday evening.
