Texas Death Toll From Rita Rises to 100

By JAMIE STENGLE
Associated Press Writer

September 30, 2005, 3:09 AM EDT

DALLAS -- The death toll from Hurricane Rita's assault on Texas has risen to about 100, but most of the victims died before the hurricane struck, either while preparing for the storm or fleeing from it, authorities said Thursday.

The evacuation of millions of people from coastal counties killed about 60 people, according to preliminary estimates, including 23 residents of a Houston-area nursing home who were killed when their bus caught fire and exploded outside Dallas.

Getting an accurate tally of deaths related to Rita may take weeks. "A lot of the areas that are still without power, water. They're keeping notes on napkins," said Robert Black, a spokesman for Gov. Rick Perry.

For instance, in Walker County, north of Houston, five people over age 65 died while residents fled the city. All had pre-existing medical problems.

"They were all on the freeway, all in stalled traffic. Most of them were running their cars without air conditioning," Justice of the Peace Amy Bradley said. "Who's to say whether they would have died at home?"

At least one person died as he readied his home for the storm, a man in his 60s who fell and broke his leg in Texas City, between Galveston and Houston. He was a large man, could not get up and suffocated.

Some also perished in the hurricane's immediate aftermath, which claimed the lives of people who tried to run generators inside their homes and died of carbon monoxide poisoning. Power outages and falling trees were blamed for at least 10 deaths.

Link Here