Young nurse Anndel Taylor found dead in car in Buffalo blizzard

[MechAg94]

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mrgunsngearchannel
Anndel Taylor, a 22 year old nurse, died in her car after being trapped by Buffalo blizzard while driving home from work.

She sent her family this video from inside the car and was found frozen dead 18 hours later...

https://www.instagram.com/p/CmsG_KlBqPV/

https://nypost.com/2022/12/27/anndel-taylor-22-dies-after-getting-stuck-in-buffalo-snowstorm/

Mrgunsngear posted this.  Story highlights a young nurse who froze to death in her car after getting stuck in the snowstorm.  It sounds like a number of people have been found dead.  I don't know how common the number is.  Sounds like the storm was pretty bad. 

For someone down on the Gulf Coast who doesn't mess around up North, what are the minimum supplies to keep in your car for getting stuck in cold weather?

[Nick1911]

  RIP to those folks who died.

I traveled for the holiday across Kansas into Colorado, against the advice of the national weather service.  They cited life threatening travel conditions with the potential for very poor viability, winds at 30mph gusting to 50mph and below zero temperatures.  Frostbite on exposed skin in 10 minutes.

I preformed maintenance checks on the car prior to travel and did one service item I had been putting off.  Packed in a snack bag with food and brought additional cold weather and high viz clothing.  I intended to keep at least half a tank in the car, but that didn't really pan in out in practice.

I did encounter strong winds from the north, and saw -17F in western Kansas.

[bedlamite]

The bare minimum is fuel in a reliable vehicle, warm clothes, cellphone, meds if you need them, and some food.

I keep a couple hats, gloves, sweatshirts, and wool socks wrapped in a blanket with an MRE. And a shovel.

[230RN]

I wonder how many of these folks were actually frozen to death, as opposed to asphyxiated or suffocated  by their own car exhaust in trying to keep warm.

It's easy to assume "frozen" in those conditions, but somewhere a long time ago I read of the dangers of exhaust not being fully dissipated in those conditions.

[HankB]

. . . For someone down on the Gulf Coast who doesn't mess around up North, what are the minimum supplies to keep in your car for getting stuck in cold weather?

In the late '80s I had to drive from Minnesota down to Chicago in February. My trip began in a snowstorm, and I'd heard about I-94 being covered in "back ice" in large parts of Wisconsin, which I experienced myself. I had a 4x4 Bronco and drove carefully so I got through without incident - of course, I didn't let the four wheel drive lull me into a false sense of confidence on black ice!!! A lot of other vehicles - including 4x4s and semis - were in the ditch. (At least 2 semis were upside down.)

Before leaving I added some items to my regular emergency kit so the whole thing included candles, matches and lighters, coffee can, water and Gatorade, T.P., extra hats, gloves, socks, pants, boots, paper towels, warm blankets, a shovel, sand, high-calorie food that required minimal prep, duct tape, flashlights & extra batteries, extra antifreeze, HEET gasline deicer, motor oil, windshield washer, extra cash, first aid supplies, and of course a CB radio. (Had no cell phone back then.) This was a bit more than the "minimum supplies" mentioned in the O.P. since having driven this route many times before, I knew that large stretches of I-94 went through rural areas and should I get in trouble, I might be on my own for a while and would appreciate having more than the bare minimum.

For those with medical conditions, any prescription meds they may need ought to be included.

[bedlamite]

I wonder how many of these folks were actually frozen to death, as opposed to asphyxiated or suffocated  by their own car exhaust in trying to keep warm.

It's easy to assume "frozen" in those conditions, but somewhere a long time ago I read of the dangers of exhaust not being fully dissipated in those conditions.

You have to keep the exhaust and grill clear. It's pretty easy for drifts to form and keep the exhaust under and in the car.

[Ben]

I can't even remember the full list of all my "all season" crap, and there's probably stuff that I could improve on the Winter side, but most of my stuff is in a small ruck with all the basic "get home" stuff - Coast Guard rations, bottled water (also bottles in various door nooks), water purification, fire, IFAK, emergency bivy and blankets, spare socks, wool cap, TP, big trash bags, flashlight (also multiple flashlights in vehicle and my pocket). Anyway, that stuff and a bunch of other stuff.

Otherwise, Winter specific, a sleeping bag, gloves, and boots. In the Winter (and most of the Summer) I actually wear boots anyway, but in the 4Runner I also keep an old pair of Oakleys just for "keep the feet dry" emergencies. jumper cables and jumper battery, a couple of those plastic folding "traction tracks" (probably not good for more than one or two uses, but that's likely all you need). Kitty litter in the 4Runner, a couple of ($4 a pop at the farm store) 70lb tubes of sand in the truck. A small, I guess they call them "forester's shovels". I used to keep one of the expensive tacticool folding entrenching tools in the vehicle, then I decided to actually test it, and man, those folding handles are crap. You're likely to need your IFAK before you're done digging with it.

Speaking of IFAKs, I started using one of these to keep my vehicle IFAK (separate from the ruck IFAK) and stop the bleed kit, and several other things, quickly handy via velcro:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KTL87PX

I'm sure there's stuff I could improve on, but I know what I have will keep me alive and relatively comfortable until help arrives. Which, I can't wait until Elon makes Starlink phones. I find myself in a lot of "no cell signal" areas, but would feel a little foolish activating a personal EPIRB to call for help.

[MechAg94]

You have to keep the exhaust and grill clear. It's pretty easy for drifts to form and keep the exhaust under and in the car.

That was the consensus for her cause of death from the comments I saw.  Supposedly she messaged that she was going to get some sleep waiting for emergency services.  I saw a number of people stress that a shovel was needed keep the exhaust pipe clear. 

I have heard people say that a few candles can do a decent job of keeping the car interior a little warmer if you have warm clothes and blanket already.  Might have been here in past threads.

[MechAg94]

In the late '80s I had to drive from Minnesota down to Chicago in February. My trip began in a snowstorm, and I'd heard about I-94 being covered in "back ice" in large parts of Wisconsin, which I experienced myself. I had a 4x4 Bronco and drove carefully so I got through without incident - of course, I didn't let the four wheel drive lull me into a false sense of confidence on black ice!!! A lot of other vehicles - including 4x4s and semis - were in the ditch. (At least 2 semis were upside down.)

Before leaving I added some items to my regular emergency kit so the whole thing included candles, matches and lighters, coffee can, water and Gatorade, T.P., extra hats, gloves, socks, pants, boots, paper towels, warm blankets, a shovel, sand, high-calorie food that required minimal prep, duct tape, flashlights & extra batteries, extra antifreeze, HEET gasline deicer, motor oil, windshield washer, extra cash, first aid supplies, and of course a CB radio. (Had no cell phone back then.) This was a bit more than the "minimum supplies" mentioned in the O.P. since having driven this route many times before, I knew that large stretches of I-94 went through rural areas and should I get in trouble, I might be on my own for a while and would appreciate having more than the bare minimum.

For those with medical conditions, any prescription meds they may need ought to be included.

thanks for the list.

I got some cheap backpacks this year.  I need to pull one out and fill it with stuff.  I have room behind the back seats in my Tacoma and have a few things already.  I need to make sure my tools and such get in there.  I might add a few maps also. 

[zahc]

Anyone else wonder why these people are driving in the blizzard, instead of delaying their trip or pulling off etc.?

I'd like to know more details about how this happens.

Does the state or city bear any responsibility to close the roads? Here in Idaho they close highways all the time if the weather is too bad, they can't plow them, avalanche risk, etc. Were they driving on a road that was closed to traffic? If it wasn't closed but conditions so bad you can get stuck and die, why not?

[Ben]

Anyone else wonder why these people are driving in the blizzard, instead of delaying their trip or pulling off etc.?

I'd like to know more details about how this happens.

Does the state or city bear any responsibility to close the roads? Here in Idaho they close highways all the time if the weather is too bad, they can't plow them, avalanche risk, etc. Were they driving on a road that was closed to traffic? If it wasn't closed but conditions so bad you can get stuck and die, why not?

I'm right there with you on not driving in a blizzard. I can't think of a reason not to check weather and 511 reports before setting out to avoid severe weather this time of the year when all the info is right on your phone. Also heeding the weather reports and not saying, "I can make it."

That said, with Idaho as an example, while sure, they close the "usual" highways and state roads when things get bad, a lot are not closed, and can get you in a bad situation even after the weather has cleared. A couple of days this last week after the snow blew through, I couldn't get in and out of my own road without 4WD, and needed it almost all the way to the state highway because all our practically unmaintained rural roads in my AO were nearly solid ice (they dropped sand at intersections, but that was it).

So besides checking conditions and making a call not to go during active weather, there is still the chance in many areas of getting in a sticky wicket even when the weather looks good. Hence still a good idea to keep at least basic 'get out of a jam" supplies in the vehicle.

[MechAg94]

From what I heard, the woman in the OP was not from Buffalo.  She had recently moved up there to help out her Dad or a close relative.  She may not have been familiar with what to do in that situation.  From the video she posted, I got the impression she was in the city or a suburb, not out in the countryside.  I have no idea there were stores or other buildings open nearby.  Most people assumed it was an asphyxiation death as she thought she could hang tight until someone helped her out. 

[Cliffh]

Along with a lot of what's already been mentioned, I carry a couple/three ropes of various sizes and a couple tow straps.

[BobR]

Along with a lot of what's already been mentioned, I carry a couple/three ropes of various sizes and a couple tow straps.

I carry ropes, a tow strap or two and I also carry a couple of axle straps. Some of the newer cars if they even have a recovery point will be behind a panel and the screw in recovery points in the trunk somewhere. I alleviate that with the axle straps, wrap it around a convenient point and hook the tow strap to it. I have yanked more than one car out of a ditch that way.

To the girl that died in her car, she was video calling her family in North Carolina. If she had lived there for a good portion of her life I would expect her knowledge of blizzards and how to deal with them was never covered in her upbringing.

bob

[cordex]

[HankB]

I carry ropes. toe straps and also a tow strap or two . . .

Ouch.

[BobR]

Ouch.

You want to keep your feet together when muscling a car out of a ditch, it is much easier if they are anchored together.

All fixed now, I think.... :)


bob

[gunsmith]

I wonder how many of these folks were actually frozen to death, as opposed to asphyxiated or suffocated  by their own car exhaust in trying to keep warm.

It's easy to assume "frozen" in those conditions, but somewhere a long time ago I read of the dangers of exhaust not being fully dissipated in those conditions.

THIS

RIGHT NOW in my bazer i got a "warm up bag" even tho i have not been out of walking distance - it would take me three or four hours ( i guess ) to walk home - more in a blizzard - but i have a wool blanket hat/gloves/handwarmers/down vest and always wear boots.
I learned in the BSA to make sure the muffler is not blocked if stuck in a snow storm.
I "lived" in my truck for two yrs and found out that if your car is covered in snow that it is a pretty good insulator - kept the inside around 40 degrees - fine if you have a sleeping bag - i bet the dead were running their car/snow blocked exhaust/carbon monoxide poisoning.
this woman survived days in a car buried by snow https://www.rgj.com/story/news/2019/02/26/snowplow-hits-buried-car-south-lake-tahoe-woman-found-alive-inside/2993210002/

[zahc]

This story is going around about a guy who broke into a school for shelter. I'm kinda disappointed if what he says is true that he knocked on people's houses and they turned him away to potentially die in the middle of a blizzard in progress. I'm not sure if I should believe this story as presented, but once again, I'm trying to figure out why people decide to go for a drive in the middle of blizzards.

https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/30/us/blizzard-new-york-rescue-school-break-in/index.html

[WLJ]

but once again, I'm trying to figure out why people decide to go for a drive in the middle of blizzards.

A) His job required it.
B) He's just a victim of circumstance
C) He doesn't have the common sense of a thumb tack.

[MechAg94]

A) His job required it.
B) He's just a victim of circumstance
C) He doesn't have the common sense of a thumb tack.

I will take C as a assumption for most things.  We might consider referring to it as uncommon sense.

[WLJ]

I will take C as a assumption for most things.  We might consider referring to it as uncommon sense.

Uncommon Sense would mean better than normal common sense.