Figures

72

By mid-October, Oklahoma had seen 72 fewer traffic deaths so far in 2007 than it did during the same period in 2006. The Oklahoma Department of Public Safety reported 517 deaths on the state’s roadways this year, compared to 589 at the same time last year.

120

The perimeter foundation, load-bearing walls and insulation of Mark Stanley’s new house in Bentonville, Ark., consist of 120 stacked tire bales with rebar, dirt, sprayed Gunite, concrete and plastics inside the bales. The walls are about 5 feet deep. The design of the 1,837-square-foot home — the first tire-bale house in Arkansas — had to be approved by the state’s environmental protection agency. The north-facing wall is entirely earth bermed with dirt pushed up against the tire-bale wall, and the house is expected to be extremely energy-efficient. No word on how the unique construction method will affect insurance costs. AP

100

The number of accidents at American scientific laboratories handling the world’s deadliest germs and toxins since 2003, according to The Associated Press, which also reports that and the number is increasing steadily as more labs across the country are approved to do the work. AP

2

The number of full-fledged hurricanes the U.S. can expect in the final months of the 2007 Atlantic hurricane season, according to forecasters at Colorado State University. Overall, the two-month period of October to November is expected to experience a total of four named storms, four of which are expected to become hurricanes with becoming a major hurricane with sustained winds of 111 mph or greater (Category 3-4-5). As of Oct. 1, a total of 13 named storms, four hurricanes and two major hurricanes had developed this season.

Topics Hurricane