Twisters death toll rises to 32
 

NBC, MSNBC AND NEWS SERVICES

May 5 — The death toll from dozens of twisters and severe storms that ripped through the Midwest and South continued to climb Monday, with the number at 32 by midday. Eleven of the deaths occurred overnight in and around Jackson, Tenn. As homeless families combed through rubble and sought shelter, officials warned of the possibility of more severe weather in the region.

THE DEATH TOLL had been 19 until Monday morning, when the Jackson-Madison County General Hospital in Tennessee confirmed 11 fatalities from a tornado that hit shortly before midnight. Sixty-six people were treated for injuries and the hospital was expecting more victims from and around the city of 85,000.
Much of Jackson had no power Monday and the hospital was operating off a generator.
“It’s like downtown Baghdad,” resident Joe Byrd said of the damage.
With winds of at least 100 mph, the tornado tore a 65-mile path across west Tennessee.
The series of tornadoes that began midday Sunday knocked hundreds of homes off their foundations, uprooted trees, downed power lines and forced travelers at Kansas City’s main airport to huddle in underground tunnels.


ARMORY LEVELED


In Pierce City, Mo., there was not a home or business in the town of nearly 1,400 residents untouched by a tornado that struck around 6:30 p.m. Sunday. Trees were twisted and brick, glass and other debris made it impossible to walk the streets.
“It’s devastating,” said Michael Spencer, a Red Cross worker in Pierce City. Commercial buildings around the town square were hard hit and “there are homes behind them that are just flattened,” he said. State Rep. Jack Goodman, a town native, told NBC’s “Today” show that “there’s not one downtown building that wasn’t seriously damaged.” Among them was the National Guard Armory, where two bodies were pulled from the rubble and where police had said they feared up to nine were trapped after seeking shelter there.
By midmorning, however, rescuers found no bodies and regional emergency official Glenn Dittmar said he was “99 1/2 percent” sure that no one else would be found at the armory, which was the town’s designated tornado shelter.

May 5 — Missouri state Rep. Jack Goodman and emergency management official Rick Jordan talk to “Today” about the devastation.
Mayor Mark Peters, who took shelter in the armory along with 40 or so other residents, told “Today” that when he emerged, “I didn’t see the town.”
Peters said the town wasn’t expected to get power back for at least 36 hours and that residents were being told to boil water for the time being.

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Mother nature is a beatiful thing, ain't it?

I live in the Midwest, and while my area wasnt hit nearly as hard as others it seems, last night was pretty nasty.

It really is, oh well, least this one was a trailor park......* Knocks on screen door*

A little gloating I sense? :D

by now it was 38 on the radio =/

and you'd think that they'd be smart enough to move.....



...especially since HALF THEIR F***ING HOUSES HAVE WHEELS!!!!!! :D:D

Yes, I bet they'd be very successful moving their trailer homes from a tornado.

here in iowa, it was a semi-mild one very strong winds up to 60mph and non-stop rain, it was raining and lighting so bad outside it looked like fog, we were warned to take cover, but the storm blew over in about an hour or so.

I saw some footage of the storms and twisters that have rocked the central states. It makes me happy that I just have to worry about the ground shaking.

:P

sometimes id rather be in a tornado situation then an earthguake because you can be warned about tornadoes and as for earthguakes, sometimes they just happen without any warning and some could be deadily.

Yes, let's have the entire midwest move into other states, each one with its own kind of natural disaster I'm sure. Yep, that's a great idea.

I live in Oklahoma. Fortunately, we haven't been hit nearly as bad as people farther east. We've had actually quite a few nights with tornadoes, but they were pretty weak ones and were off in the eastern section of the state, nowhere near where I live.

I don't think I've even had a severe storm yet this year... Guess I'm lucky...

*shrugs and walks away*

Has anybody here who lives in tornado territory ever seen a person or animal in one? I've never seen a live tornado, just on TV. :(

;)

Well screw that, a tornado (around F3 according to the news) just ripped right to the south of me. And when I say right to the south, I mean right to the south. Less than a mile away.

I wasn't hit of course. The tornado's still going but its moved past me so I'm okay (like anyone cared :p).

This sucks.

*shrugs and walks away*

I live in Iowa and it's fun to watch a tornado.

Are you talking about the first tornado or the second one? Either way, OKC has been hit badly the past few days. I feel sorry for them. But hey, at least the weather looks better.
*Damn, I want to see a twister pass right by me*