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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 29, 2009 No. 09-020 SECOND WEATHER-RELATED DEATH REPORTED; SEARCH AND RESCUE CONTINUESA second weather-related death occurred in this morning. Reno County officials say a 72-year-old man in Hutchinson was shoveling show and died of an apparent heart attack. Friday, a 58-year-old woman was killed in a car accident on icy roadways in Marion County. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims of this storm,” said Gov. Kathleen Sebelius. “Many roads in our state are still treacherous, so please be careful as you travel and take extra precautions when walking or working in the current conditions.” Kansas National Guard Helicopters Join Search and Rescue Efforts Three UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters from the 1st Battalion, 108th Aviation, Salina, left early this afternoon to join in search and rescue operations in Southwest and South Central Kansas. The helicopters flew out of Salina toward Great Bend. From there, two helicopters are flying west along Hwy 156 and the other Black Hawk is patrolling westward along Hwy 96. Their mission is to look for any possible motorists stranded by the heavy snow and ice that blanketed large portions of the state. “Weather conditions are making it difficult for ground troops to go out and conduct search operations,” said Maj. Gen. Tod Bunting, the adjutant general. “From the air, our Black Hawk crews will be better positioned to spot anyone who may still be stranded and radio their position to rescue teams on the ground.” Guard Rescues and Medical Personnel Transports A Kansas National Guard search and rescue team in Pratt County reported it has rescued two stranded motorists near Pratt. The Guard is using Humvees to reach individuals law enforcement can’t reach. In addition, Guard Humvees are being used in Reno and Seward County to transport medical personnel to and from medical facilities. Five partially building collapses Emergency crews in Hutchinson responded to a reported a partially collapsed building at Marland Research, 3311 E 4th Street. No injuries were reported. There was also a partial collapse at Mega Manufacturing, 401 S. Washington, in Hutchinson. There were no injuries were reported. Another partial building collapse has been reported at 301 N. Bonebrake in Hutchinson. Harvey County emergency management also reports the partial collapse of the Ag-Co Corporation building, 420 W. Lincoln Blvd, in Hesston containing farm equipment. The collapse was termed as “minor” at one end of a building where new construction was taking place. No injuries were reported and everyone has been accounted for. Snow also caused the partial collapse of an oil field business building at 100 Road and 90th Avenue in Harper County. There were no injuries. Armories activated Kansas National Guard armories in the following locations have been activated: Dodge City, Larned, Great Bend, Pratt, Kingman, Hutchinson, and Wichita (West armory). With the exception of the Larned armory, these armories have been activated to serve as staging area for heavy equipment to be used in search and rescue missions. They will also serve as drop off locations for rescued citizens and provide warming shelter capabilities. Because the Larned armory is currently undergoing renovations, it will only serve as a staging area for search and rescue operations. Rescued citizens in the Larned area will be taken to the Great Bend armory instead. Highway update The Kansas Department Transportation has re-opened US-83 from Garden City to Liberal. US-83 remains closed at the Kansas/Oklahoma state line. US-160 is now open west of Johnson City. The road closed list in southwest Kansas (and extending into south central Kansas) is as follows:
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