10/31/2012

Who are the victims?

Olga Raymond, 90, was killed by this oak tree that crashed into her front yard on Monday night.
Olga Raymond, 90, was killed by this oak tree that crashed into her front yard on Monday night.
  • Sandy battered the coast with 90-mph winds, leaving more than 115 dead
  • At least 50 were killed in the United States, and the toll is rising
  • Victims include teen friends in New York, firefighter in Connecticut

(CNN) -- Roots ripped out of the ground as the large oak tree fell toward Olga Raymond's front door. With it came a power line.

Raymond had just left her one-story home in Mansfield, Connecticut. Neighbors told CNN affiliate CTNOW that a smaller pine tree had already snapped off onto Raymond's roof, startling her. She had a flashlight in hand and was on her way to a neighbor's house when the bigger tree crashed down.

The 90-year-old woman -- a "spirited" bowler and grandmother of four -- was killed instantly.

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Across the Northeast, stories just like Raymond's were reported again and again. Another tree, another town, another broken home.

And the death toll from Superstorm Sandy climbed.

Sandy battered the coast with 90-mph winds, leaving more than 115 dead from Haiti to Canada. At least 50 were killed in the United States. Many were believed to be safely holed up in their homes.

"When Mother Nature sends her wrath your way, we're at her mercy, and so all we can do is stay prayerful and do the best that we can," Atlantic City Mayor Lorenzo Langford told CNN.

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'All-star' angels

Shortly before her younger brother was killed, Ashley Robson was weathering Superstorm Sandy like many others in New York.

"Collecting rain that is coming through the roof #thankssady (sic) #couldbedoingsomethingsomuchbetter," the teen tweeted on Monday night at 5:52 p.m.

Less than two hours later, Michael Robson, 13, and his friend Jack Baumler, 11, were killed by a 100-foot oak tree that crashed into the family room where they were seeking shelter.

The small suburban town of North Salem is now in mourning.

"Waking up this morning and realizing it wasn't just a bad dream... My love prayers go out to both families #ripjackandmichael," Camilla Fay tweeted Tuesday.

"My heart is breaking a thousand times over," Talyah Fae posted.

Baumler and Robson used to play basketball near their homes on Bonnieview Street. Neighbors and friends told The Journal News that they were good kids and good friends.

"Heaven got two all-stars too soon," Baumler's uncle, Daniel Seymour, said.

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#LODD

#LODD. It stands for line of duty death. It's used to describe the brave men and women who fall while serving their communities -- working to save others in times of need.

Russell Neary, 55, a lieutenant with the volunteer fire department in Easton, Connecticut, was killed on Monday night while responding to a call, according to CNN affiliate CTNOW.com. Debris blocked his truck's route on Judd Road; he was working to clear a path when a tree limb struck him.

"It was a line of duty death," Easton Fire Chief James Girardi told NewsTimes.com. "It's the first one we've ever had. And we're not over the shock of it. His death is a tremendous loss to his family, our department and the community."

NYPD officer Artur Kasprzak may have been off-duty on Monday night, but he was hard at work saving the lives of those in a house on Doty Avenue in Breezy Point, New York.

With flood water "surging" into his house, Kasprzak was able to shepherd six adults and a 1-year-old child into the attic, according to the NYPD spokesman James Duffy.

Around 7:30 p.m., he told one of the adults he was going back down to check the basement. When he didn't return, someone called 911.

"NYPD personnel from the Emergency Service and SCUBA units immediately responded to the residence using Zodiac boats and Jet Skis," the spokesman said, "but could not access the home due to down, electrified power lines in the water."

Officers discovered Kasprzak's body "unconscious and unresponsive" the next morning.

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Trapped

At 7:38 p.m. on Monday night, Mendham Township police received a 911 call about a car accident on North Gate Road.

Richard Everett was driving with his wife Elizabeth and two of their children when a 100-foot tall, 3-foot wide tree fell on the hood of his pickup truck.

By the time officers arrived, the children, aged 11 and 14, had managed to free themselves from the wreck. Their parents were still trapped inside.

Two passersby stopped to help police officers as they worked to free the Everetts from the crushed cab. Soon after the fire department and first aid squad arrived to help.

Despite rescuers best efforts, the couple died at the scene.

"My thoughts and prayers to the Everett family," @CoreyJett tweeted. "Horrible tragedy no one should ever go through. We're all with you in this terrible time RIP."

Have you lost a loved one to Superstorm Sandy? Share your story on iReport.

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CNN's Matthew Mochow contributed to this story.

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