# Crane collapse in Seattle **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 28, 2019, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crane-collapse-in-seattle/833152 "2019-04-28T00:30:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2019, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crane-collapse-in-seattle/833152/1 "2019-04-28T00:30:22Z")
[4 dead, 4 injured after crane collapsed on several cars in South Lake Union](https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/crane-collapsed-on-several-cars-in-downtown-seattle/944093673) > [@](#): > > Two of the people killed were crane operators and two others were in vehicles struck by the crane. > > A woman, a child and a 27-year-old man were taken to Harborview Medical Center with injuries. All were conscious when they arrived. A fourth person was injured and treated at the scene. > > The accident occurred at the corner of Mercer Street and Fairview Avenue. > > SFD reported that six cars were crushed when the crane fell. ---
**Author:** ![dasmoocher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dbc845/32.png) [@dasmoocher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dasmoocher)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2019, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crane-collapse-in-seattle/833152/2 "2019-04-28T01:55:40Z")
I just saw this in my news feed. I used to stay at the Marriott Residence Inn next door when I traveled to Seattle for business and would drive through that intersection coming and going. In some pics of the scene, the marina restaurant I used to get dinner at is in the background. From the report I read, it seems wind may have been a factor. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2019, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crane-collapse-in-seattle/833152/3 "2019-04-28T01:58:16Z")
> [@dasmoocher](#): > > From the report I read, it seems wind may have been a factor. All I’ve seen is the KIRO7 article. Up here, 115 miles north, it was rather windy today. ---
**Author:** ![dasmoocher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dbc845/32.png) [@dasmoocher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dasmoocher)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2019, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crane-collapse-in-seattle/833152/4 "2019-04-28T02:09:17Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > All I’ve seen is the KIRO7 article. Up here, 115 miles north, it was rather windy today. [Fallen crane kills four in South Lake Union: ‘It was terrifying’](https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/fallen-crane-kills-four-in-south-lake-union-it-was-terrifying/) > [@](#): > > “It was terrifying,” said Esther Nelson, a biotech research assistant who was working in a building nearby and saw the crane fall from a break-room window. > > “I looked up. The wind was blowing really strong,” she recalled. She saw boats struggling on Lake Union. Then the crane — maybe eight or nine stories high, she estimated — broke in half. > > “Half of it was flying down sideways on the building,” she said. “The other half fell down on the street, crossing both lanes of traffic.” ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2019, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crane-collapse-in-seattle/833152/5 "2019-04-28T14:15:01Z")
It happened at the site of a new **Google** building: > **[Four killed in Seattle after crane collapses from new Google building](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/apr/28/crane-collapse-four-killed-in-seattle-as-cars-are-crushed)** > > Two crane operators dead along with two people in cars after machine falls from top of downtown building under construction ---
**Author:** ![Hopeful\_Crow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/da6949/32.png) [@Hopeful\_Crow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hopeful_Crow)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2019, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crane-collapse-in-seattle/833152/6 "2019-04-28T23:07:50Z")
I used to work at a warehouse across the street from here back before Paul Allen started transforming the area. Debris from the crane or part of the crane itself would have landed in our parking lot, if it were still there. The Lincoln Towing lot was directly across from us at the time, below where the crane stood. And next to it, on Fairview, was a little dive where we used to eat lunch at sometimes. On Wednesdays, they used to have baked potatoes covered with slivered beef and a homemade barbecue sauce that I still long for, lo, these three decades later. Checking out [Google maps,](https://www.google.com/maps/@47.6248843,-122.3340192,3a,75y,266.46h,111.29t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sGO7Ytl_n2o61gMRNjEfxDA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192) the area is unrecognizable to me now. It also looks much, much better. Google has updated the view recently enough that you can see the crane that fell. Sure feel sorry for the people who were injured or died. And their families and loved ones, too. Sigh. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2019, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crane-collapse-in-seattle/833152/7 "2019-04-29T05:01:19Z")
There is a video of the collapse: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/KVaKXnziPC4/hqdefault.jpg "Video shows deadly crane collapse in downtown Seattle") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVaKXnziPC4) ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2019, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crane-collapse-in-seattle/833152/8 "2019-04-29T17:00:06Z")
“Several witnesses reported experiencing high winds in the area at the time of the collapse. Observation sites near the incident also reported wind gusts of 18 to 23 mph.” They are calling that “high winds”? :eek: That’s extremely common in the spring. ---
**Author:** ![Disheavel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@Disheavel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Disheavel)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2019, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crane-collapse-in-seattle/833152/9 "2019-04-29T19:07:40Z")
It was far windier earlier in the day too, and most of the crane had been removed already. It is really bizarre. I presume that the ironworkers were prepping the next section (presumably the control “cabin”) for removal. Complete conjecture on my part- I have to imagine that something got damaged or bent during the removal of the boom or weights. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2019, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crane-collapse-in-seattle/833152/10 "2019-04-29T19:30:38Z")
> [@wguy123](#): > > “Several witnesses reported experiencing high winds in the area at the time of the collapse. Observation sites near the incident also reported wind gusts of 18 to 23 mph.” > > They are calling that “high winds”? :eek: > > That’s extremely common in the spring. I always have to remind myself, when I see something like that, that I live in a very windy part of the country. Around here that’s “gentle breeze”. Even so, when you have something that tall and massive you have to take into consideration even the gentlest of air motions. ---
**Author:** ![RaftPeople](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@RaftPeople](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RaftPeople)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2019, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crane-collapse-in-seattle/833152/11 "2019-04-30T00:15:29Z")
> [@wguy123](#): > > “Several witnesses reported experiencing high winds in the area at the time of the collapse. Observation sites near the incident also reported wind gusts of 18 to 23 mph.” > > They are calling that “high winds”? :eek: > > That’s extremely common in the spring. Komo news is reporting 35mph from a sensor a few blocks away at the Center for Wooden Boats. It says the other weather gauges aren’t as near to the site. > **[Seattle News, Weather, Sports, Breaking News](https://komonews.com/error)** > > KOMO 4 TV provides news, sports, weather and local event coverage in the Seattle, Washington area including Bellevue, Redmond, Renton, Kent, Tacoma, Bremerton, SeaTac, Auburn, Mercer Island, Bothell, Shoreline, Lynnwood, Mill Creek and Everett. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2019, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crane-collapse-in-seattle/833152/12 "2019-04-30T13:30:01Z")
> [@RaftPeople](#): > > Komo news is reporting 35mph from a sensor a few blocks away at the Center for Wooden Boats. It says the other weather gauges aren’t as near to the site. > > [https://komonews.com/weather/scotts-weather-blog/uw-prof-35-mph-wind-gust-recorded-at-time-of-seattle-crane-collapse](https://komonews.com/weather/scotts-weather-blog/uw-prof-35-mph-wind-gust-recorded-at-time-of-seattle-crane-collapse) That still isn’t totally unusual. Just looking at historical weather from today: > **[Seattle, Washington Travel Weather Averages (Weatherbase)](https://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weatherdaily.php3?s=139727&month=4&theday=30&cityname=Seattle%2C%2BWashington%2C%2BUnited%2BStates%2Bof%2BAmerica&units=)** > > Seattle, Washington - Travel and vacation weather averages, current conditions and forecasts. The wind might have been a slight factor, but I’m guessing it was disassembly errors: [https://www.ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/ap-top-news/2019/04/30/experts-missing-pins-possibly-caused-seattle-crane-collapse](https://www.ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/ap-top-news/2019/04/30/experts-missing-pins-possibly-caused-seattle-crane-collapse)