kong
02-29-2012, 07:13 PM
Death Toll Grows in Midwest Tornado Aftermath
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Damage is seen Feb. 29, 2012 in the town of Harveyville in Wabaunsee County Kansas after an apparent tornado passed through the town
By KATIE KINDELAN, CATHERINE COLE and ASHLEY JENNINGS
Feb. 29, 2012
The death toll left by 15 tornadoes that blew through the Midwest overnight is at 7, according to authorities, and is expected to rise. The extensive damage caused by the storms in at least five states is only beginning to become clear, meanwhile, more tornado watches are in effect in Kentucky and Tennessee, according to the National Weather Service. The tornadoes touched down across Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Kentucky and Indiana last night, the National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center said. At least six people were killed in the town of Harrisburg, Ill., according to Lt. Tracy Felty of the Saline County Sherriff's Office, the AP reported. The twister hit Harrisburg, 50 miles southwest of Evansville, Ind., around 5:00 a.m., leveling a wide swath of homes and other buildings. Sheriff's officials had earlier estimated the number of people killed in the 9,000-resident town to be as high as 10 but later said that number was incorrect. An estimated 100 people were injured in the storm, officials said. Vince Ashley, CEO of the town's medical center, told The Associated Press that some of the victims were pronounced dead on arrival at the 78-bed hospital, which also sustained damage. "It's been quite a rush. They're still coming in, but we've been able to keep up with the flow of injured coming in," Ashley told The Associated Press. "Helicopters have been coming in and out here all morning." The physical damage in Harrisburg was said to be extensive, with power lines down and as many as 300 homes and 25 businesses damaged or destroyed, according to officials at the sheriff's office. Schools in Harrisburg have been cancelled and officials are asking non-residents to stay away, according to local affiliate WSIL. Another confirmed death came in Missouri, where the entertainment destination of Branson, Mo., was hit hard by the storms. A tornado also blew through a mobile home park outside of Buffalo, Mo., killing one person and injuring 13 others, according to officials with the Dallas County Sheriff's Office. The final casualty count in Branson, a tourist destination, still remains to be seen as sheriff officers there move from house to house to search for victims. At least a dozen injuries have already been confirmed and the storms caused heavy damage to the city's famous theaters, National Weather Service meteorologist Mike Griffin told The Associated Press. Local affiliate KMBC reports windows were blown out of the Hilton Convention Center in Branson and 32 people were treated for injuries in at least one local hospital. Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon issued a state of emergency order Wednesday morning and shelters for displaced residents were opened throughout the state. In Kansas, the small town of Harveyville, just south of Topeka, was hit especially hard by a tornado that touched down just after 9 p.m. last night. "The town was taken out by about 40 percent of the buildings in the community," Sharon Watson, director of public affairs for the Kansas Adjutant General's Office told ABC News. "A significant amount of it has been destroyed. A lot of homes damaged, a lot of buildings down including a church and an apartment complex." Officials also say that one person who was trapped in a building had to be extricated from underneath debris and was taken to the hospital in critical condition.
"Just like a shotgun went off," is how one man in Harveyville described the storm to ABC News. Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback also declared a state of emergency after the storm hit and caused highway closings and downed power lines throughout the area. The National Weather Service also reported lesser force tornadoes occurred elsewhere in the state, touching down southwest of the town of Hutchinson.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
link to slideshow
http://abcnews.go.com/US/slideshow/extreme-leap-year-weather-15818161
http://img26.imageshack.us/img26/1356/apkansasstorytornadodm1.jpg
Damage is seen Feb. 29, 2012 in the town of Harveyville in Wabaunsee County Kansas after an apparent tornado passed through the town
By KATIE KINDELAN, CATHERINE COLE and ASHLEY JENNINGS
Feb. 29, 2012
The death toll left by 15 tornadoes that blew through the Midwest overnight is at 7, according to authorities, and is expected to rise. The extensive damage caused by the storms in at least five states is only beginning to become clear, meanwhile, more tornado watches are in effect in Kentucky and Tennessee, according to the National Weather Service. The tornadoes touched down across Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Kentucky and Indiana last night, the National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center said. At least six people were killed in the town of Harrisburg, Ill., according to Lt. Tracy Felty of the Saline County Sherriff's Office, the AP reported. The twister hit Harrisburg, 50 miles southwest of Evansville, Ind., around 5:00 a.m., leveling a wide swath of homes and other buildings. Sheriff's officials had earlier estimated the number of people killed in the 9,000-resident town to be as high as 10 but later said that number was incorrect. An estimated 100 people were injured in the storm, officials said. Vince Ashley, CEO of the town's medical center, told The Associated Press that some of the victims were pronounced dead on arrival at the 78-bed hospital, which also sustained damage. "It's been quite a rush. They're still coming in, but we've been able to keep up with the flow of injured coming in," Ashley told The Associated Press. "Helicopters have been coming in and out here all morning." The physical damage in Harrisburg was said to be extensive, with power lines down and as many as 300 homes and 25 businesses damaged or destroyed, according to officials at the sheriff's office. Schools in Harrisburg have been cancelled and officials are asking non-residents to stay away, according to local affiliate WSIL. Another confirmed death came in Missouri, where the entertainment destination of Branson, Mo., was hit hard by the storms. A tornado also blew through a mobile home park outside of Buffalo, Mo., killing one person and injuring 13 others, according to officials with the Dallas County Sheriff's Office. The final casualty count in Branson, a tourist destination, still remains to be seen as sheriff officers there move from house to house to search for victims. At least a dozen injuries have already been confirmed and the storms caused heavy damage to the city's famous theaters, National Weather Service meteorologist Mike Griffin told The Associated Press. Local affiliate KMBC reports windows were blown out of the Hilton Convention Center in Branson and 32 people were treated for injuries in at least one local hospital. Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon issued a state of emergency order Wednesday morning and shelters for displaced residents were opened throughout the state. In Kansas, the small town of Harveyville, just south of Topeka, was hit especially hard by a tornado that touched down just after 9 p.m. last night. "The town was taken out by about 40 percent of the buildings in the community," Sharon Watson, director of public affairs for the Kansas Adjutant General's Office told ABC News. "A significant amount of it has been destroyed. A lot of homes damaged, a lot of buildings down including a church and an apartment complex." Officials also say that one person who was trapped in a building had to be extricated from underneath debris and was taken to the hospital in critical condition.
"Just like a shotgun went off," is how one man in Harveyville described the storm to ABC News. Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback also declared a state of emergency after the storm hit and caused highway closings and downed power lines throughout the area. The National Weather Service also reported lesser force tornadoes occurred elsewhere in the state, touching down southwest of the town of Hutchinson.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
link to slideshow
http://abcnews.go.com/US/slideshow/extreme-leap-year-weather-15818161