Search on for survivors after killer Kansas tornado
Pastor Dale Morgan
Monday May 7, 12:55 AM Reuters
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Search on for survivors after killer Kansas tornado*
By Carey Gillam
OVERLAND PARK, Kansas (Reuters) - Rescue crews used dogs and flashlights
to comb piles of debris that once were homes and businesses in
Greensburg, Kansas, on Sunday, in a meticulous search for survivors of a
killer tornado.
At least eight people died when the twister hit the farming community on
Friday night and another was killed in nearby Stafford County. At least
50 people were injured, some critically, authorities said.
Thirty people were rescued from Greensburg's crumbled hospital and
authorities believed it was likely that more survivors, and possibly
more victims, would be discovered.
"There is the potential of others still being buried in the rubble,
people being trapped in basements," Kansas Emergency Management
spokeswoman Sharon Watson said. "The focus is on covering a large area
as fast as possible."
Some 90 percent of the businesses and homes in Greensburg, a town of
about 1,800 people, were damaged or destroyed when the mile-wide tornado
and winds of 165 mph roared through.
Watson said assessment teams were to start trying to gauge the cost of
the damage during the day.
President George W. Bush declared the community a major disaster area
and ordered federal aid to supplement state and local recovery in Kiowa
County, which includes Greensburg.
"Our hearts are heavy for the loss of life in Greensburg, Kansas," Bush
said after attending church in Washington. "I'm confident this community
will be rebuilt."
Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius also declared a state of disaster
emergency for Kiowa County.
In southwestern Kansas, where at least three more tornadoes touched down
on Saturday night, residents still struggled to comprehend the losses.
'JUST GONE'
"They're still going through a little bit of shell shock," said Red
Cross worker Ralph Rojas, who helped operate a shelter where about 50
Greensburg residents spent the night.
"There are still people looking for family and friends," Rojas said.
"There is a major portion of the community just gone."
Greensburg's hospital and schools were among the buildings destroyed.
The water tower next to the town's main tourist attraction -- the
world's largest hand-dug well -- was knocked down. The town nursing home
was nearly levelled.
About 30 survivors were found in the remains of the hospital, according
to Watson.
"There was a warning in time for people to take cover so that helped,"
she said.
In addition to the tornado that touched down Friday night, about 9:45
p.m. CDT (3:45 a.m. British time on Saturday), at least three more hit
the region Saturday night, to the National Weather Service said. Damage
teams on Sunday were assessing the impact of those storms as well.
The storms left power out throughout Kiowa and surrounding counties
along with a near shutdown in telephone communications. Outside the
county, farm sheds, house windows and shingles were reported blown out
and major damage was reported to a field mill.
An oil pumping station was also blown over and oil tanks blown up to
one-half mile (0.85 km) away.
The peak U.S. tornado season runs from March through early July; the
twisters kill an average of 70 people in the United States each year.
The worst cluster came April 3-4 in 1974 when 307 people died as 148
tornadoes touched down in 13 states.
The most violent single tornado appeared on March 18, 1925, killing 689
people as it ran from Missouri across southern Illinois into Indiana.
(Additional reporting by Eric Beech in Washington)