TORNADO's HIT CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI

MISSISSIPPI HIT WITH SEVERAL TORNADO'S.

Two tornadoes touched down in Mississippi before dawn Thursday, damaging about 70 homes and flattening a church, emergency officials said. The tornadoes damaged at least 70 homes, but no fatalities were reported.

At about 4 a.m., a tornado damaged about 60 homes near Magee, about 40 miles southeast of Jackson in central Mississippi, said Katherine Gunby, spokeswoman for the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency. Earlier, another tornado damaged nine homes and businesses in Lauderdale County, about 90 miles east of Jackson, near the Alabama border, CNN affiliate WAPT reported.

The tornadoes destroyed Corinth Baptist church in Magee, leaving only its doors standing. "The church means so much to this community," Pastor Wes Brooks told WAPT. Two people were airlifted to the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, Gunby said. No fatalities were reported, she said.

The Mississippi Department of Transportation and power companies are working to restore power to the state, she said.

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Severe weather across the South unleashed tornadoes in rural Mississippi, including one that shattered dozens of homes, flattened a church and injured at least 17 people, authorities said Thursday.

There were no immediate reports of fatalities, Magee Mayor Jimmy Clyde said. The most seriously injured were hospitalized, but most others had minor injuries.

The twister was reported around 1:30 a.m., and swept through Mississippi's pine-covered hill country as severe thunderstorms rumbled across several Southeast states. Power blackouts affected tens of thousands of Louisiana residents, and authorities reported damage to some Alabama homes. Georgia residents also braced for potentially heavy rains.

"This is like reliving Hurricane Katrina all over again and that's no fun," Clyde told The Associated Press. "We're getting a lot of help in here. That's the thing about Mississippi, everybody just helps each other in times like this."

Clyde said authorities were attempting to restore power after utility lines toppled on roads littered with tree branches and metal scrap. Magee's 16-member police force fanned out before dawn and kept up the work after daylight. He said homes in some areas were "basically leveled" and there was extensive damage just outside the city limits.

Jeff Giachelli, 48, said he and his wife Cappy were asleep when the storm hit. He said he called to his wife when the windows of their red-brick home shattered. His roof also had been sheared off.

"We got in the closet and it just collapsed," he said.

Giachelli, his black Harley Davidson cap at an angle as he picked up tree limbs from his yard, said one of his neighbors was taken by helicopter to a hospital. He said it took rescuers nearly an hour to dig the neighbor out of the rubble.

In a nearby neighborhood, several brick duplex apartments were smashed, and cars were flipped upside down.

Stephanie Malley, 35, cried as she looked at what was left of her home. The red brick structure was nothing but a shell with its roof gone. She awoke when something flew through her window and hit her in the back. She grabbed her 11- and 13-year-old sons and pulled them into the bathroom.

"We stayed in the bathroom for a long time until everything started coming down," Malley said.

Her 11-year-old needed nine stitches for a cut on his leg, but otherwise the family was fine. Nearby houses were marked with red spray paint to show that emergency workers who dug through the rubble didn't find any injured or dead residents.

"I lost everything," she said, wiping away tears.

At least 60 homes suffered damage, said Katherine Gunby, spokeswoman for the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency. The nearby Corinth Baptist Church was so shattered that "only the doors to its sanctuary were left standing," she said.

Members of the 100-year-old church stepped around the rubble of the red brick building perched on a hilltop overlooking pine forests, consoling one another. Others walked through a nearby cemetery littered with broken tree limbs and tombstones knocked to the ground. Pieces of artificial flowers from the graves were strewn all about and a white church van was overturned.

A tearful Maegan Errington, 23, said Thursday was her birthday and she was to be married in the church on Saturday. Church member Charlene Loyd, 58, hugged her and patted her on the back.

"Our church is still here, because our church is the people, but the building is gone," Loyd said.

Another reported tornado touched down in Mississippi's Lauderdale County around midday Wednesday, heavily damaging nine homes and a business, but no injuries were reported, emergency officials said.

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National Weather Service officials say at least five tornadoes struck Mississippi before early Thursday morning.

Mississippi Emergency Management officials say at least 60 homes were damaged and 17 people were injured in tornadoes that touched down in Simpson County, with two people needing to be airlifted to a hospital for treatment while the others were treated at local hospitals.

The Simpson County tornado struck in Magee, which is about 40 miles south of Jackson.

Meanwhile, a twister that touched down in Lauderdale County reportedly damaged fewer than a dozen homes and businesses. And in Madison County a tornado blew roofs off homes in at least two subdivisions.

No fatalities were reported, but plenty of power lines were downed by high winds. Workers are busy trying to restore power to residents in several counties across the state.

Search and rescue is ongoing, but many homes were destroyed down to their foundations in Magee.

Severe thunderstorm warnings are in effect eastward into the Florida panhandle.

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OKLAHOMA TORNADO DEATH TOLL RISES

ARDMORE OKLAHOMA — Three people have been found alive but trapped in a Lone Grove home this morning, hours after a tornado killed eight people and injured 14 in this community of about 5,000 people.

As of 10:30 a.m., the trapped victims had not been freed, said City Manager Marianne Elfert, but the news that they are alive is a bright spot after a long, dark night of fear.

Last night, distraught Carter County Sheriff Ken Grace reported 15 dead in Lone Grove. That total dropped to eight this morning, as officials were able to get a more accurate tally.

“We know we have lost many lives in Lone Grove, and we pray the losses do not rise any higher,” Gov. Brad Henry said this morning. “We are doing everything we can to help the victims of yesterday’s tornadoes. We have dispatched state emergency management personnel and additional law enforcement officers to the hardest-hit areas ... to assist with response efforts there.

“We are coordinating resources with local first responders and emergency management officials to make sure our response and rescue efforts are as effective as possible. We will do everything we can to get Oklahomans the assistance they need.”

Sheriff’s officials said Lone Grove was devastated when a tornado estimated to be a half-mile wide tore through the middle of town, ripping buildings from slabs, demolishing dozens of mobile homes and snapping trees and power lines in its path.

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“It looks just like any tornado footage you see on TV,” said Oklahoma Highway Patrol Trooper Bryant Harris, who lives in Lone Grove. “There’s nothing left ... twisted metal, cars turned upside down, cars in trees.”

Harris and his family rode out the storm in a tornado shelter.

The search for survivors was suspended about 1 a.m. and resumed today at daybreak. Last night, Carter County officials freed people from debris and wrecked cars and marked each area that had been searched with a bright orange X, but Grace said they ran out of light and manpower.

As many as 60 mobile homes in a single park were damaged by the tornado, according to Lone Grove Emergency Management.

The town lost its only furniture store on U.S. 70, and all that was left of the chamber of commerce, next door to John’s Furniture, was a slab and scattered debris. The UPS building, also on U.S. 70, lost part of its roof. Much of Lone Grove was without power through the night.

The neighboring community of Ardmore, which has a higher population, was largely spared. Sheriff’s officials said an area north of Ardmore was hit and a private school, Beavers Academy, was damaged.

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The highway patrol is assisting the search in Lone Grove today, and National Guard troops are being mobilized to help with security, according to the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management. Baptist Disaster Relief is offering food and counseling to people in Lone Grove.

In addition to Lone Grove, confirmed tornadoes caused damage in Edmond and Pawnee, the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management said. In Edmond, six homes were destroyed near W Sorghum Mill Road and N Kelly Avenue. Additional damage was reported in near Northwest Expressway and Rockwell Avenue.

Lone Grove survivors recall tornado

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Cook says the county's storm-water plant also lost power, causing it to overfill and stop working. Until it is fixed, water will bypass the plant and flow directly into the river.

Cook says they've had a few reports of minor injuries at a mid-Omaha concert, mostly bruises and injuries from falling. Hundreds of people ignored warnings to leave and were still outside when the winds and hail hit. The concert and fireworks were canceled.

2 People Killed and Hundreds of homes Destroyed in Chapman Kansas Tornado

Two people were killed in tornadoes in Northern Kansas Wednesday night. One victim was found in Chapman, east of Abilene. She was 21 years old. Several people were also hurt and homes were destroyed when the small Dickinson County town took a direct hit from the tornado. The other victim was found in Soldier, in Jackson County.

Officials tell us at least three people are critically hurt. They say several homes collapsed, trapping the people inside when the tornado hit about 10:22 Wednesday night. Crews were going block-by-block looking for people who needed help. About 85 percent of the southwest corner of Chapman is heavily damaged. Officials say around 100 homes are damaged or destroyed.

A shelter has been set-up in Abilene for tornado victims. It's at Sterl Hall at the fairgrounds, 619 N. Rogers Street. Another shelter has been set up in Salina. It's at the Webster Conference Center. Officials say they believe everyone is accounted for, but they are conducting secondary checks to make sure. If you are concerned about a loved one from that area you haven't heard from, a hotline has been set-up at 1-888-800-0417.

After hitting Chapman, the storm made its way into Riley County and hit several areas including the city of Manhattan and the campus of Kansas State University. University officials report damage to Cardwell Hall, Burt Hall, Ward Hall and the Engineering Complex. The Wind Erosion Laboratory near Weber Hall was also destroyed. We're told the research nuclear reactor on campus is safe and does not pose any danger.

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The tornado did not hit any of the school's residence halls and the university says all students are safe and accounted for. Class has been canceled at Kansas State University today, however the Freshman orientation and enrollment will go on, it will just be moved to Bramlage Coliseum. For more information, click on the link above for K-State's website.

Before the storm hit Chapman, it made its way through other Kansas counties. Saline County Emergency Manager Bryan Armstrong says an apparent tornado hit Crestwood, Inc., a cabinet manufacturer on the south side of Salina. The storm also toppled some trailer homes and lightning struck other homes, catching them on fire.

In Ellsworth County up to 1,000 people in two towns spent their night in the dark. Power went out in Lorraine and Hollyrood, but the county's emergency manager says crews have fixed similar damage in a matter of hours in times past.

The storms also downed power lines and trees in Ellsworth County, but so far there are no reports of damage to homes or other structures.

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UPDATE - 4 Boyscouts Killed by Tornado

Boy Scouts dived under picnic tables and were buried under a collapsed chimney when a deadly tornado hit their camp in western Iowa, survivors said Thursday morning.

1 of 2 The tornado at the Little Sioux Scout Ranch killed Scouts Josh Fennen, 13; Sam Thomsen, 13, and Ben Petrzilka, 14, all of Omaha, Nebraska; and Aaron Eilerts, 14, of Eagle Grove, Iowa, who was a Scout and camp staff member, said Gene Meyer, Iowa public safety commissioner.

Forty-eight Scouts and staff members were injured.

Possible tornadoes also struck northeastern Kansas, killing at least two people, injuring many others and damaging buildings at Kansas State University.

Rob Logsdon, a 15-year-old staff member at the camp, said although he was injured, he rescued some of his fellow Boy Scouts trapped underneath the collapsed chimney.

"I was standing up trying to pull bricks off the kids that were sitting there, and then I couldn't do any more because my hip and leg were hurting so badly," Logsdon told CNN's "American Morning."

He dislocated his hip, sprained his ankle and was gashed in his knee when the tornado struck the shelter.

"We were sitting there watching lightning ... and we saw it [the tornado] come around the end of a bluff toward the entrance of the camp," Logsdon said. "So we flipped on the siren and the youth staff members ran to the assigned shelters."

The adult leader ordered everyone to get under the tables.

"All of a sudden, two seconds later, the tornado was on top of us," Logsdon said. "I know it picked up our adult leader's car and threw it 50 yards, easy."

Camper Ben Karschner said it was over quickly. "Eight seconds, and the tornado passed. That was like the longest eight seconds I've ever had," he told CNN affiliate KETV in Omaha.

Thomas White, an 18-year-old staff member, said he lay on the ground with several of the younger Scouts as the tornado roared through.

"The grace of God helped us for sure," he said.

Logsdon said one of his friends was among the four killed.

"I went back to Little Sioux after I got out of the hospital, and his dad had just found out he died," he said. "He was my staff partner and he was a good kid, and it's a big loss. He was a great kid."

Survivors were receiving trauma and grief counseling, officials said.

"There were some real heroes at the Scout camp," Iowa Gov. Chet Culver said.

Meyer, the public safety commissioner, said 93 campers and 25 staff were at the camp when the storm struck about 6:30 p.m. Wednesday. All have been accounted for, he said, but the 1,800-acre park was still being searched Thursday morning.

The Scouts at the ranch were advanced Scouts between 13 and 18 years old and were there for a week of training, said Lloyd Roitstein, president of the Mid-America Council of Boy Scouts of America. He said all of them were staying in tents and that the site is destroyed.

"All of the buildings are gone; most of the tents are gone; most of the trees are destroyed," Roitstein said. "You've got 1,800 acres of property that are destroyed right now."

The ranch, which has four cabin shelters in addition to camping space, is about 45 miles north of Omaha and 45 miles south of Sioux City, Iowa Iowa Gov. Chet Culver said he was proud of how the Scouts reacted.

"After the tornado hit, these young men responded," Culver told KETV. "They helped their Scouts in need of medical assistance. They essentially set up their own little triage unit -- very inspiring.

"And it's not a surprise," he added. "This is a Scout leadership academy for the best and most outstanding young men."

The storm that struck Kansas State University's campus destroyed a wind erosion lab, damaged several engineering and science buildings and tore the roof off a fraternity house at the school in Manhattan, said Cheryl May, the university's director of media relations.

"Our campus is kind of a mess," she said.

The storm destroyed up to 50 homes and damaged hundreds in Manhattan, said Lt. Kurt Moldrup of the Riley County Police Department.

"We had a lot of damage, but very few injuries," he said.

A man was killed outside Soldier, Kansas -- about 50 miles north of Topeka -- said Sharon Watson, a spokeswoman for the state emergency management agency. His body was found outside his mobile home, she said.

A woman was killed in Chapman, Kansas, her body found in a yard, Watson said.

"The town took a direct hit," she said.

The storm destroyed 60 houses in Chapman, she said. Another 30 suffered major damage, and about 30 received minor damage, she said, citing early estimates from the American Red Cross.

The storms struck as Midwestern states deal with severe flooding along the upper Mississippi River.

Heavy downpours hit the region over the weekend, with more thunderstorms predicted for Thursday morning.
Flooding in the Iowa cities of Des Moines, Waterloo, Cedar Falls and other areas prompted mandatory evacuation orders and sandbagging in the state on Wednesday.

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff is expected to attend a noon news conference with Iowa's Gov. Culver.

Massive Flooding in Midwest kills several and forces evacuation

Fierce weekend storms with tornadoes and heavy rain pounded the Midwest, where at least seven people were killed, many buildings were damaged, and hundreds of people fled their homes because of flooding.

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Rescuers in boats continued to pluck people from rising waters in Indiana yesterday, a day after more than 10 inches of rain deluged much of the state.

In Iowa, pumps and thousands of sandbags were sent to the Iowa City area, where officials fear a reservoir could top a spillway and flood the city of about 63,000 by tomorrow.

The Indiana flooding killed at least one person, a man who drowned in his vehicle about 50 miles south of Indianapolis, the state Department of Homeland Security said. Another person was reported missing after falling off a boat on Mill Creek, about 30 miles southwest of the capital.

In Michigan, two delivery workers for The Grand Rapids Press drowned early yesterday when their car became submerged in a creek that washed out a road near Lake Michigan in Saugatuck Township.

Two other people in the state were killed by falling trees, one man drowned, and a woman died when high winds blew a recreational vehicle on top of her, authorities said.

At least one tornado hit the Omaha area with little to no warning as people slept yesterday morning, damaging several dozen homes and businesses. No major injuries were reported.

Paul Higgins, 87, said the front door blew open and he was knocked down when he checked on the storm about 2:30 a.m. "It was like a fog. So much stuff blowing around," he said.

Higgins said he and his wife sought shelter in their basement, emerging to find a tree against a house across the street and a house missing its roof.

Iowa saw some of its worst flooding in more than a decade, Governor Chet Culver said as he declared a state of emergency in nearly a third of the state's 99 counties.

A levee broke along the Winnebago River in Mason City, and its water treatment plant was shut down.


Officials said water levels on the Iowa River at Iowa City could be like those during the historic floods of 1993, which put much of the state underwater.

In areas of Minnesota near the Iowa border, officials asked residents in the Winnebago Valley to leave. In Wisconsin, houses near the swollen Kickapoo River in La Farge were evacuated.

The Indiana Department of Homeland Security said 23 of the state's 92 counties were declared disasters. Officials said hundreds of people evacuated from houses and hospitals in western Indiana.

In Morgan County, southwest of Indianapolis, about 150 residents were taken out of a flooded nursing home.

Flood waters moving south toward the Ohio River led officials to move more than 250 patients and staff from Columbus Regional Hospital in southern Indiana.

Heavy rains are turning to major flood warnings in North Iowa. Steve O'Niell Director of Cerro Gordo Franklin County Emergency Management tells KIMT News 3 that flooding is becoming a problem in virtually every city in Cerro Gordo County.

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In Mason City, The Winnebago River is at 18.07 feet as of 1:00pm. This exceeds 1933 record river crest of 15.7 feet. It is expected to crest at over 19 feet Sunday afternoon. The water is already flowing over the levies in Mason City and is blocking several streets. This would be a record level for the Winnebago River.

"If you live close to a river or stream, don't wait for someone to tell you to leave, evacuate when necessary" said O'Niell.

East Park in Mason City is under water and a residential area to the northwest of the park along the Winnebago River is flooded. County Road B20 is closed in areas because of high water. Cheslea Creek is overflowing its banks and the Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant in Mason City could flood.

Police and fire officers have evacuated people from Autumn Park Apartments on South Pierce Avenue. Right now, emergency management has set up an evacuation shelter at Holy Family Catholic Church. The Salvation Army is expected to open a shelter in Mason City later Sunday. Flooding is also reported in the Eastbrook area of Mason City and 17th and 19th Streets Northeast. Highway 65 is closed south of Manly due to high water.

Worth, Mitchell and Wright Counties also tell KIMT News 3 that several county roads are washed out. She Wroth County Sheriff tells KIMT News 3 to urge travelers to drive with extreme caution and don't go out on the roads unless absolutely necessary.

Emergency management officials confirm boat rescue operations are under way at Camp of the Woods in Rock Falls. Reports at the scene say several campers are partially submerged by flood waters and rescue personnel are checking the campers and vehicles at the park.

A flood warning continued this morning for the Root River near Houston and affecting Houston County and the south branch of the Root River at Lanesboro affecting Fillmore and Houston County, the National Weather Service said.

Some residents of Houston County, in southeastern Minnesota, were "strongly encouraged" to evacuate to higher ground Sunday night because of flooding and mudslides after heavy weekend rains.

Houston County Emergency Manager Kurt Kuhlers said a voluntary evacuation was under way for some parts of the county. Authorities reported no injuries as of late Sunday.

The river is expected to rise above flood stage this afternoon and crest by around midnight, the weather service said.

The flood warning will remain in effect until flood waters drop below flood stage.

Meanwhile, communities in northern Iowa also were encountering record flooding, particularly along the Upper Iowa River, just south of Houston County.

"They're so high we're unable to get gauge readings," said meteorologist Todd Shea with the National Weather Service in La Crosse, Wis. "They've gone off the scale."

The Houston County Emergency Management Department sent out a civil emergency message containing the evacuation advisory. The weather service continued its flood warning this morning.

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The Houston County Sheriff's Department said Sunday evening that the area had received rain for about 24 hours and expected 10 to 12 more hours of rain into this morning. Several areas were flooded, and many roads were washed out and closed, a dispatcher said.

Mudslides were reported along Hwy. 26 south of Brownsville and on roads south of Spring Grove.

Root River flood warning

Southwestern portions of Houston County had received an unofficial total of 10.1 inches of rain over the weekend, pushing Root River tributaries well beyond flood stage but not yet to unprecedented levels, Shea said.

"Last August we saw pretty historic flash flooding across southeast Minnesota into southern Wisconsin," Shea said. "I don't know if this is an exact duplicate, but it's kind of in a similar nature."

Houston was one of seven southeastern Minnesota counties declared federal disaster areas after flash floods in August. Seven people died in the flooding, which also destroyed or heavily damaged 1,500 homes.

The trouble this time, however, is not flash floods but rather unusually swollen rivers, Shea said.

Kuhlers said temporary shelters were set up at the city auditorium in Caledonia and at the community center in Brownsville. As of Sunday evening, 55 people had gone to the Caledonia auditorium and six people had reported to the center in Brownsville.

John Allen, a Red Cross official, said that most of the evacuees were campers and that many people found rides to area houses.

A flash-flood watch for southeastern Minnesota, northeastern Iowa and west-central Wisconsin was expected to remain in effect until midnight Sunday.

Gov. Tim Pawlenty planned to tour the flooded area in Houston County today with Sheriff Doug Ely, as well as view last week's storm damage in Hubbard County.

Tornado's Explode over Kearney Nebraska

Tornadoes exploded over central Nebraska late Thursday afternoon, causing extensive damage in Kearney.

The storms destroyed the sprawling Expo Building at the Buffalo County Fairgrounds, home of rodeos and demolition derbies. Copeland Hall at the University of Nebraska at Kearney lost its roof.

At least 50 to 60 houses were reported damaged and more reports were pouring in.


There were no immediate reports of serious injuries, authorities said.

Much of Kearney, with a population of nearly 30,000, was without electricity. More than 1,400 customers in Aurora and York also were in the dark. Interstate 80 between Aurora and York was closed Thursday evening due to downed power lines.

Several cars from a Union Pacific train derailed.

Gov. Dave Heineman declared a state of emergency. He plans to visit Kearney in a National Guard helicopter this morning.

Later storms also hit western Iowa, where a Monona County sheriff's deputy spotted a tornado that touched down briefly about a mile east of Turin, Iowa, about 7:15 p.m.

Dave Roseberry, manager of the Kearney fairgrounds, said the Expo Building was destroyed.

"It's completely gone," he said.

Adam Eickman and fiancee Stacy Ostdiek, both 25, said they watched from the basement of a neighbor's residence as the tornado flattened their small apartment building.

"I'll never forget that sound, you could hear it doing all kinds of damage," Eickman said. "It was scary and I'm still shaken. Everything is a blur right now."

Ostdiek said debris swirled everywhere.

"We heard the windows shattering in the basement apartment and that's when we knew it wasn't going to be good," he said.

Kelly Barnes watched from his basement apartment as a car parked next to his spun around and landed on his Buick.

"The wind hit suddenly and then it was all over," he said. "It only lasted eight to 10 seconds, but that's all it took to destroy everything. Everything just turned black. Sand and dirt were flying everywhere. It was very eerie."

Carroll Sheldon, who lives on a hill in northeast Kearney, watched from the deck on his house as the storm gathered about 15 miles southwest of town. He saw four or five funnel clouds form.

The funnels "formed and formed, and then they sort of blended together when they came toward town. Then the wind and rain hit and you couldn't see anything," Sheldon said.

He estimated winds at 100 mph.

Several semi-trailer trucks overturned on I-80.

Mark Becker, a Nebraska Public Power District spokesman, said a power line wrapped around a toppled semi. Officials told the driver to stay inside the truck until the line could be de-energized.

Darren Lewis, the emergency management director for Buffalo County, said the northeast area of Kearney appeared to sustain the most damage. The UNK campus is in west Kearney.

Laura Larsen, 22, who recently graduated from UNK and lives nearby, said the roof was missing from a building in the Stratford apartments in the northeast part of town. The clubhouse roof collapsed, and cars were piled on one another in the parking lot.

At the fairgrounds, Roseberry and co-worker Marc Zelzany were inside the Expo Building when the storm demolished it. Neither man was hurt.

Wind took Roseberry's pickup and threw it into the building. "A corner of the building is laying on the truck now," he said.

Tornado researchers expect the 2008 tornado season to join 1998, 1974 and 1953 as among the busiest and deadliest years the country has seen.

The number of tornadoes so far in 2008 - 1,191 - is nearly double what it was for the same period in 2007, said Harold Brooks, a researcher with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Severe Storms Laboratory in Norman, Okla.

At this time in 2007, 659 tornadoes had been reported. In the past 10 years, the average number of tornadoes has been 1,254.

Tornadoes in 2008 also have proved to be deadlier than those in previous years - 111 people already had died this year from U.S. tornadoes as of Sunday. By the end of May 2007, 74 people had been killed by U.S. tornadoes.

7 People Die in Iowa Tornado centered around HUGO and PARKERSBURG

Seven people died in tornadoes that blew through the Midwestern United States on Sunday, with six reported dead in Iowa and a toddler in Minnesota, authorities said Monday.

Authorities in Iowa had reported that seven people died in Sunday's storm but lowered that total to six on Monday, said Bret Voorhees, a spokesman for the Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management.

A tornado touched down at about 6 p.m. Sunday in the north-central Iowa town of Parkersburg before moving 10 miles east to New Hartford, Voorhees said.

Spotters also reported a tornado near Dunkerton -- about 40 miles east of Parkersburg -- that they said caused considerable damage and flung debris as the storm moved at 23 mph. Marble-size hail fell in Waterloo, where authorities reported significant damage to homes, trees and power lines.

"Early reports indicate that these communities have suffered severe and widespread damage, and I plan to visit the region very soon to offer my support to those affected," Iowa Gov. Chet Culver said in a statement. He declared disaster areas in three counties.

Meanwhile, a Minnesota twister killed a 2-year-old and seriously injured nine others -- including another child -- in suburban Minneapolis-St. Paul.

The tornado struck Hugo, about 25 miles north of the Twin Cities, destroying 50 homes and damaging another 150, city manager Mike Ericson said.

The National Weather Service confirmed the tornado in Hugo that touched down just after 5:30 p.m. Sunday, and authorities reported twisters in nearby Coon Rapids and Blaine.

Video footage from the scene showed chairs, televisions, shingles and other debris tossed into the streets of Hugo. Nickel-size hail and larger pelted the suburb.
Sgt. Rick Boone of the Coon Rapids Police Department said a twister cut through the middle of town, downing trees and causing minor damage to several homes. No fatalities or injuries were immediately reported.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty planned to meet with local authorities Monday afternoon and tour the affected areas. Also Sunday, authorities in Moore County, Texas, reported sightings of three twisters.

On Saturday, tornadoes formed over northern Oklahoma, skipping across the rural landscape and severely damaging a hog farm about an hour northwest of Oklahoma City. There were no reports of injuries, officials said. However, two people were found dead Saturday in south-central Kansas in a car accident that authorities said a tornado caused.

As a storm roared over his head, shaking his house and sending the family belongings flying all over the place, all Jason Akins could do was put his arms over his wife, two sons and two neighbor kids and hope for the best.

"I was worried something was going to fall on us," said Akins, a Hugo resident who went from a carefree Sunday barbecue to holding on for dear life in his basement in a matter of seconds.

Akins' house was severely damaged when severe thunderstorms packing large hail and a possible tornado swept through the small St. Paul suburb, killing at least one person and destroying dozens more homes during a devastating tear through the north metro area.

A 2-year-old child was killed and the child's sibling was critically injured and taken to Regions Hospital in St. Paul, Washington County Sheriff Bill Hutton said. The children's parents also were hospitalized with injuries sustained in the family home.

At least eight others were injured and taken to area hospitals and some community residents who were out of town for the long holiday weekend will be coming home to a disaster zone.

Town officials said they were confident that Hugo will be declared a disaster zone after Gov. Tim Pawlenty surveys the damage Monday. City Administrator Mike Ericson said municipal department heads planned to meet Monday morning to make cleanup plans, and an emergency City Council meeting was scheduled.

The two-storm system started in the northwest corner of the metro area, pelting Monticello, Albertville and Maple Lake with baseball-sized hail that shattered windows and car windshields. Rolling one right after the other, the first storm front carried a tornado through Coon Rapids that sent trees toppling into houses and power lines crashing to the ground. The second storm dumped more heavy hail and drenching rain on the landscape just minutes behind the first.

The Hugo area appeared to be the hardest hit, with homes wiped out and debris scattered throughout neighborhood. Residents reported a tornado in the area, but the National Weather Service was waiting on damage reports before confirming that.

"It certainly looks awfully likely," meteorologist Todd Krause said.

Twenty more residents were initially listed as missing, but most of them were out of town at the time of the storms. When Akins, his wife Georgia and the four children emerged from the basement of his home, they saw a neighbor's house completely leveled and the washing machine in the Akins' front yard.

The top level of Hugo Public Works Director Chris Petree's home was completely ripped off and the storm lifted his house off the foundation and slammed it back to the ground as the family huddled in the basement.

"All you hear is glass breaking and wood tearing and breaking in half," Petree said. "I put my daughter down first, my wife on top of her and then I bear-hugged on top of them."

Through it all, Petree's wife kept screaming for the family dog to join them, but it would not follow. Once the storms passed, the family returned to ground level and were joined by one happy pooch about 15 minutes later.

Hugo Mayor Fran Miron estimated about 50 homes were destroyed. Another 300 to 400 homes were evacuated because of safety concerns created by downed power lines and leaky gas lines. The American Red Cross set up a shelter for displaced families at a local elementary school, but most were able to find friends and family to stay with, spokeswoman Courtney Johnson said.

"It's horrible," Hugo City Administrator Mike Ericson said. "The citizens are very shook and scared."

Emergency crews descended on the scene to help the injured and assess the damage. Sen. Norm Coleman planned to visit the area Monday morning and Gov. Tim Pawlenty was scheduled to assess the damage on Monday afternoon.

Power has been restored to most of those who lost it during Sunday's severe storms.

Xcel Energy spokeswoman Patti Nystuen says fewer than 700 customers are without power in the east Twin Cities area, including the hardest hit city of Hugo.

And fewer than 80 customers remain without electricity in the west metro area.

Nystuen says about 20,000 lost power Sunday during the worst of it.

Crews are expected to restore power on Monday to the remaining customers affected by the storms.

Temperatures reached into the 80s during the day and mixed with cooler temperatures higher up in the air to create "an unstable atmosphere," Krause said. Forecasts called for cooler temperatures and calmer weather on Monday as the cleanup effort gets under way.

About 100 people have died in U.S. twisters so far this year, the worst toll in a decade, according to the weather service, and the danger has not passed yet. Tornado season typically peaks in the spring and early summer, then again in the late fall.

The Red Cross is accepting financial donations to help the victims of the Hugo tornado and other local disasters. Anyone who is interested can call 612-460-3700.

The city of Hugo is also looking for people to assist with the clean-up effort. If you're interested in volunteering call the Hugo City Hall at 651-761-6300.

More than a dozen tornadoes cause injuries, damage across western and central Kansas

Forecasters said Saturday that at least a dozen tornadoes spun across western and central Kansas a day earlier, destroying numerous homes, downing trees and injuring several people.

The National Weather Service in Dodge City said there were at least 10 twisters that touched down in central Kansas, while the Goodland office reported seven or eight in the western part of the state.

At least four people were hurt in Stafford County, including one person who was taken to a Wichita hospital with serious injuries, said Sharon Watson, spokeswoman for the Kansas Adjutant General's Department.

Meanwhile in Colorado, where a large tornado devastated the northern farm town of Windsor, residents were expected to return to their homes in an area of town that officials had earlier deemed unsafe following Thursday's twister.

Natural gas leaks and the threat of explosions had kept hundreds of residents from their homes on Friday.

Officials were meeting with residents to plan their return, incident management team spokesman Dan Hatlestad said. "With no power, it may be an unpleasant place to live, but it's up to the homeowners," Hatlestad said.

The tornado, with wind speeds between 111 mph to 165 mph, tore through a 35-mile stretch of northern Colorado, killing one person and injuring dozens. It tipped 15 rail cars off the tracks in Windsor, about 70 miles north of Denver.

In Kansas, the weather service sent out survey teams Saturday morning to determine the size of the twisters. Ed Berry, science operations officer in the Dodge City office, said many of the twisters appear to be significant in size.

In Stafford County, at least seven homes suffered major damage, along with damage to several other structures, power lines and trees, Watson said Saturday.

A man in Gove County suffered minor injuries after his car was blown across Interstate 70 into a ditch, according to George Lies, emergency management director for Logan and Gove Counties.

Lies said two tornadoes hit in Gove County, with at least a dozen homes sustaining major damage.

One twister was on the ground south of Quinter, went back into the clouds as it went over the town, then dropped back down on the other side, damaging four rural houses.

Portions of Kansas also have been hit hard by flooding, with as much as 8 inches of rain falling in a 48-hour period, according to Chris Foltz, meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Goodland.

Update on Colorado TORNADO - 1 Dead, Dozens Injured in Possible Class 5

Residents awoke Friday to find debris-strewn neighborhoods, houses torn to pieces and trees stripped bare of their spring leaves after a tornado swept through northern Colorado, killing one person and injuring dozens.

The twister skipped through several towns in Weld County on Thursday, damaging or destroying dozens of homes, businesses, dairies and farms. The storm system pelted the region with golf-ball-size hail, swept vehicles off roads and tipped 15 rail cars off the tracks in Windsor, a farm town about 70 miles north of Denver.

"I dreamed about it last night and I was really groggy, so I thought it had just been a dream. But then I looked outside and I saw that it was real," said Ellen Jenkins, 45, who was sitting in a nearly empty coffee shop.

Jenkins said her home suffered only minor damage to a fence and a couple of trees, but some neighbors lost roofs.

Thirteen people were treated at hospitals, and more than 100 others received medical attention for minor injuries at a Windsor community center, said Jim Shires, a spokesman for emergency responders.

No one is believed to be trapped or missing, he said.

Gov. Bill Ritter toured the area and declared a local state of emergency, but an inventory of damaged homes had to wait until daylight Friday. Federal, state and local officials were assembling damage assessment teams overnight.

Severe storms, some including tornadoes, also ripped through parts of Wyoming, Kansas, Oklahoma and California on Thursday. In northwestern Oklahoma, a truck ran off a road that had been washed away by heavy rain, killing a 14-year-old boy, state troopers said Friday.

Heavy equipment cleared trees, utility poles, and mangled wood and metal from the streets of the east Windsor neighborhood where the most damage occurred. Police enforced an overnight curfew to deter looting and ensure residents' safety in case of natural gas leaks, while officers with search dogs went door to door to look for anyone missing.

Resident Loree Wilkinson, 39, and her children, ages 6 and 9, huddled in a basement and prayed as the tornado passed overhead. She said her youngest child, Kazden, prayed: "Please don't let me die because I just graduated from kindergarten."

The large storm cloud descended nearly without warning, touching down near Platteville, about 50 miles north of Denver. Over the next hour, it moved northwest past several towns along a 35-mile-long track and into Wyoming.

Oscar Michael Manchester, 52, was killed at a campground west of Greeley, about 60 miles north of Denver, said Weld County Deputy Coroner Chris Robillard. Pete Ambrose, caretaker at the Missile Park campground, said Manchester was in a recreational vehicle that was destroyed by the storm.

Nine people were hospitalized with various injuries at the Medical Center of the Rockies in Loveland, spokesman Alex Stuessie said. In Greeley, four people were treated for minor injuries at North Colorado Medical Center, administrative representative Laurie Hamit said.

The Red Cross served food to about 130 people in Windsor who were displaced by the storm, but by nightfall only one family was staying at a shelter at a fairground outside town.

The tornado overturned 15 railroad cars and destroyed a lumber car on the Great Western Railway of Colorado, said Mike Ogburn, managing director of Denver-based Omnitrax Inc., which manages the railroad. Fourteen of the overturned cars were tankers, but they were empty.

The twister toppled tractor-trailers across Highway 85 and cut power to 60,000 customers. Electricity was restored to all but 15,000 early Friday.

"We can't find poles, wires, transformers" where the tornado went through, Xcel spokesman Mark Stutz said Friday. "Stuff is gone. There's nothing there."

The utility also responded to a handful of natural gas leaks at homes that were ripped off their foundations, spokesman Tom Henley said.

Jim Kalina, a National Weather Service meteorologist, said two or three major storm cells affected the area and officials were trying to confirm how many tornadoes touched down.

Weld County is known as a prolific tornado spawning ground, with about seven typically reported there each year, according to the weather service.

In Kansas, early reports indicated that about 10 tornadoes passed through the western part of the state Thursday evening, said Scott Mentzer, a weather service meteorologist in Goodland.

He said a few barely touched down, but a couple moved along 30 to 50 miles on the ground in Sheridan and Decatur counties. Authorities said the tornadoes destroyed one home and damaged several others.

Officials were trying to verify whether a tornado touched down in Laramie, Wyo., where a storm packing strong winds damaged several buildings, overturned vehicles and knocked out power Thursday afternoon.

Later, a tornado touched down in a rural area near the town of Burns, Wyo., about 10 miles east of Cheyenne, said Rob Cleveland, director of Laramie County Emergency Management. The storm did minor damage to two homes and destroyed a barn, but there were no injuries, Cleveland said.

Elsewhere, a storm system that lashed Southern California on Thursday unleashed mudslides in wildfire-scarred canyons, spawned at least two tornadoes and dusted mountains and even low-lying communities with snow and hail.

Powerful wind or a funnel cloud toppled a tractor-trailer and freight cars, said Riverside County fire spokeswoman Jody Hageman.

California Highway Patrol Officer Alex Santos was watching the wild weather from a highway overpass in Moreno Valley, about 60 miles east of Los Angeles, when he saw two tornadoes closing in.

"There was so much dust you couldn't see. Next thing I know I see this big rig getting toppled over," Santos said. He said the driver had to be cut free from the cab and suffered head and back injuries.

About 100 people have died in U.S. twisters so far this year, the worst toll in a decade, according to the weather service, and the danger has not passed yet. Tornado season typically peaks in the spring and early summer, then again in the late fall.

Large TORNADO Hits DENVER COLORADO - Flips Trucks and destroys homes

In this month of what appears to be TORNADO's Everywhere, another TORNADO has hit ground, this time in DENVER COLORADO

Authorities say a large TORNADO has touched down in northern Colorado, overturning trucks and damaging buildings.

No injuries were immediately reported. The twister touched down Thursday about 50 miles north of Denver.

Weld County sheriff's spokeswoman Margie Martinez says two tractor-trailer rigs overturned about 10 miles southeast of Windsor, and electricity was knocked out to some customers in nearby Greeley.

The tornado is moving northwest toward Fort Collins, a city of 130,000 people.

Hundreds of Homes in GA Destroyed by a series of Mothers Day Tornado's

Hundreds of homeowners will be cleaning up Monday in Clayton, Douglas and Carroll counties after at least a half-dozen twisters raked the state Sunday, including three in metro Atlanta.

In the hard-hit neighborhoods of northeast Clayton, dozens of county prison inmates were brought in to help as work began in earnest.

Huge blue tarps flapped in the breeze on the roofs of houses in the Stagecoach Village subdivision Monday morning as the inmates filled several dump trucks parked along the streets.

Several private contractors were also in the area, starting repairs on some of the damaged homes.

The storms left a Mother's Day nightmare of hundreds of damaged homes and downed trees, tens of thousands of families without electricity, and at least one reported death, in Dublin, in Middle Georgia.

By 8:30 a.m. Monday, about 1,600 metro Atlanta customers and 43,000 statewide still were without electricity. At the height of the outages, 253,000 Georgia Power customers were in the dark. Georgia Power spokesman Jeff Wilson said the utility had 980 people, including crews from Alabama Power, working to restore electricity.

The utility initially said it would have all power in the Atlanta area restored Sunday night, but later had to back off from that promise. High winds late Sunday had Georgia Power crews "going in circles," said Wilson. "We get one [area] fixed, and another goes down."

Winds gusting to 30 mph and higher continued to plague repair crews at daybreak Monday.

"As long as the wind is high, we'll continue to see outages," Wilson said.

Monday morning's high winds toppled trees onto several roads, blocking Riverside Drive and Johnson Ferry Road in north Fulton County during the early stages of the rush hour.

West of Atlanta, school officials in Carroll County canceled classes on Monday because of storm damage. Faculty and staff were asked to report at regular times, according to the school system's Web site.

Nationally, at least 22 people were killed in three states over the weekend as tornadoes tore across the Plains and the South. At least 15 died in southwestern Missouri, and at least six were killed in Picher, Okla.

On Sunday afternoon in Duluth, a woman died when high winds that blew in on the heels of the storm caused the top of a tree to snap and fall on her as she was walking shortly before 5 p.m. in the Chatelaine Park Apartments.

Gov. Sonny Perdue declared a state of emergency in Bibb, Carroll, Douglas, Jefferson, Johnson and Laurens counties.

The storm touched 19 Georgia counties, but hit an area from Clayton County south to Macon the hardest.

About three miles south-southwest of Dublin, an unidentified man in his early 50s was killed and his wife sustained "very critical" injuries when a twister destroyed a double-wide mobile home, the National Weather Service reported. The couple's two children also were hurt but were expected to live.

At Macon State College, roofs were sheared on two of its campus buildings, and the tree canopy was devastated, said Bill Weaver, a college spokesman. Part of the gymnasium's roof was blown off, damaging adjacent tennis courts. Roofing materials were stripped from the student life center, leaving bare plywood.

Weaver estimated that 70 percent of the trees on campus were snapped off or uprooted. "We had a lot of pine trees on the campus. It's really going to change the landscape of the campus, unfortunately," he said.

Most of the college's 6,500 students were not attending classes this month, and the buildings were unoccupied when the tornado came through, Weaver said.

At the University of West Georgia in Carrollton, which lost about 100 trees and sustained mostly roof and door damage to five buildings, the storm hit one day after four commencement ceremonies. None of the school's 10,500 students were on campus Sunday morning, spokeswoman Lisa Ledbetter said.

"This is the first time we've had such widespread damage," said Glenn Allen, spokesman for state Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine, who is sending representatives to affected areas today and hopes to have damage estimates by day's end.

In Clayton County, officials reported 173 homes damaged, 43 of them uninhabitable. In Carroll County, authorities placed the number of damaged homes at more than 100 along a line of up to 35 miles that stretched northeast from Bowdon.

Fulton reported only a handful of damaged homes but numerous downed trees and power lines. In Douglas County, downed trees closes some roads and damage was reported early Sunday to homes and cars in two subdivisions, including St. Andrews Country Club.

As he left Waco, Texas, on Sunday, President Bush said, "We send our prayers to those who lost their lives, the families of those who lost their lives.... The federal government will be moving hard to help. I'll be in touch with the governors to offer all the federal assistance we can."

Bush had been at his ranch this weekend for the wedding of his daughter, Jenna.

The president later called Perdue to offer his condolences and to talk about Georgia's needs for recovery.

The Weather Service reported the following tornado touchdowns:

-- Carroll and Douglas counties - two tornadoes, 4:10 a.m.

-- Clayton, Henry, Rockdale and Newton counties, 5:10 a.m.

-- Bibb and Twiggs counties, 5:50 a.m.

-- Laurens County, 6:36 a.m.

-- Toombs County, 7:25 a.m.

Additional tornadoes may have struck Fulton County, along with Johnson, Treutlen and Troup counties, the Weather Service said.

Residents in the hard-hit subdivisions in the Stagecoach, Panola and Rex roads area of Ellenwood in Clayton figured out early on what it took the Weather Service most of the day to determine.

"It was not the wind. There's no way. It had to be a tornado," said Mila Freeman, whose family is staying with relatives after their home was among the severely damaged in Ellenwood's Stagecoach Village subdivision.

Neighbor Jennifer Barker said she was awakened by "the worst sound I've ever heard."

"I couldn't move from where I was. I didn't know what to do. It was horrible."

Her home took a relatively minor hit, with damage to shingles and siding. Like many residents, she focused on the lack of injuries.

"It may not be the Mother's Day you wanted, but we have a lot to be thankful for," Barker said. "We're still alive."

More Deaths in the Oklahoma / Missouri TORNADO as Search dogs sniff for the dead and living

PICHER, Oklahoma (AP) - Crews and search dogs hunted Sunday for survivors or bodies in the piles of debris left after a tornado rumbled through the depressed mining town of Picher, Oklahoma, a day earlier and killed at least seven people. The same storm system left at least 15 other people dead in Missouri
and Georgia. Officials held out hope that they would not find any more bodies in Picher, once a bustling mining center of 20,000 that dwindled to about 800 people as families fled lead pollution here.
Residents said the tornado created a surreal scene as it moved through Picher late Saturday afternoon, injuring 150 people, overturning cars, throwing mattresses and twisted metal high into the canopy of trees.
«I swear I could see cars floating,» said Herman Hernandez, 68. «And there was a roar, louder and louder.
The same storm system then moved into southwest Missouri, where tornadoes killed at least 14 others. The storms moved eastward; On Sunday, storms in Georgia killed at least one person.
In Seneca, Missouri, about 20 miles (32 kilometers) southeast of Picher near the Oklahoma border, crews on Sunday combed farm fields looking for bodies and survivors, the state emergency management spokeswoman said.
«We are finding more unfortunately,» Susie Stonner said, refering to the bodies.
Jane Lant was sorting through the debris of her bridal shop about 10 miles (16 kilometers) north of Seneca. A body wrapped in blue tarp lay next to the shop. Her husband's feed store and a home across the road were also destroyed.
Lant said they were thankful that the store had closed an hour before the twister hit.
«We would have had people in here at 6 when it hit,» she said.
In Picher, some homes were reduced to their foundations, others lost several walls. In one home, the tornado knocked down a bedroom wall, but left clothes hanging neatly in a closet. A Best Western hotel sign was blown miles (kilometers) before coming to rest against a post.
The towering piles of mining waste, or chat, had debris from the flattened homes scattered onto them by the storms. Cars were overturned and dogs roamed freely.
Frank Geasland, Ottawa County's emergency manager said, a government-sponsored buyout of homes in the town left some residences vacant, and this may have prevented a greater loss of life.
The tornador was the deadliest in Oklahoma since a May 3, 1999 twister that killed 44 people in the Oklahoma City area.
The National Weather Service estimated that at least eight tornadoes had been spawned in Oklahoma along six storm tracks. Three teams were dispatched to assess damage, meteorologist Steve Amburn said.
On Sunday, storms rumbled across Georgia, killing at least one person in Dublin, about 120 miles (193 kilometers) southeast of Atlanta, authorities said. Weather officials had not yet confirmed whether the storms produced any tornadoes.
Georgia Power officials say at least 80,000 residents are without electricity across the state, mostly concentrated in the metro Atlanta area and the Macon area.

At least 14 people were killed after severe storms spawned tornadoes and high winds across sections of southwestern Missouri, state emergency management officials said.
Ten of the dead were killed when a tornado struck near Seneca.
Television footage showed some destroyed outbuildings and damaged homes west of McAlester and near Haywood. At a glass plant southwest of McAlester, the storm apparently picked up a trailer and slammed it on top of garbage bins.
In storm-weary Arkansas, a tornado collapsed a home and a business, and there were reports of a few people trapped in buildings, said Weather Service meteorologist John Robinson.
Tornadoes killed 13 people in Arkansas on Feb. 5, and another seven were killed in an outbreak May 2. In between was freezing weather, persistent rain and river flooding that damaged residences and has slowed farmers in their planting.

Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry visits the area around Picher, Oklahoma, today after tornadoes raked the area, killing seven people there and at least 12 more in neighboring Missouri.

Several people are missing and dozens of people are reported hurt, some seriously. An Oklahoma Highway Patrol lieutenant says some homes were leveled down to the foundation. A county emergency official says it looks like a bomb went off.

Saturday's tornado tore up a 20-block swath of the depressed mining town. It had already been designated a federal superfund site due to lead pollution, and over the years, many townspeople have taken federal buyouts and pulled up stakes. Across the border in southwestern Missouri, at least 12 people were killed in severe storms that spawned tornadoes and high winds. Ten of the those died in a tornado that touched down near Seneca, about 20 miles from Picher.

Three Tornado's rip through Suffolk in Southeastern Virginia

Three tornadoes swept through central and southeastern Virginia on Monday, injuring about 200 people and damaging dozens of homes and businesses, officials said.

The city of Suffolk in the southeastern part of the state was hardest hit by the late afternoon storms, said Virginia Department of Emergency Management spokeswoman Laura Southard. She said earlier reports of a fatality in linked to the severe weather were incorrect.

Injuries and damage were also reported in Colonial Heights in central Virginia, Southard said.

The National Weather Service (NWS) said three confirmed tornadoes plowed through the region.

"One of the tornadoes hit the Lawrenceville area in Brunswick County," said NWS meteorologist Brian Hurley. "The second tornado developed to the north of Colonial Heights ... The other more significant tornado occurred in the city of Suffolk."

Television pictures showed extensive property damage -- flattened homes, and lawns and streets covered in piles of debris and toppled trees.

"There are trees down everywhere and I've seen a half-dozen vehicles flipped over," Richard Hicks of Suffolk told the Virginian-Pilot newspaper.

Another witness in Suffolk, Robert Brinkley, told the newspaper: "There are tops blown off the roofs of many, many houses."

More than 3,000 Dominion Virginia Power customers were without service, most in scattered outages throughout the southeastern part of the state, the newspaper said.

Virginia Gov. Timothy Kaine declared a statewide emergency to coordinate the state's response to what his office said was widespread damage in the wake of storms.


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At least 200 were injured in Suffolk where a twister destroyed several homes and businesses, said Bob Spieldenner of the Virginia Department of Emergency Management.

The storm hit the 138-bed Sentara Obici Hospital, though Spieldenner said the facility was still operational and accepting patients.

A second tornado struck Colonial Heights -- about 60 miles northwest, near Richmond -- injuring at least 18 people, he said.

A third twister damaged several homes near Lawrenceville, about 70 miles south of Richmond, said Bryan Jackson, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, which confirmed all three tornadoes.

Gov. Tim Kaine declared a Virginia-wide state of emergency as hazardous weather continued through the central part of the state.

The Suffolk twister touched down just before 4 p.m. ET and plowed its way east into Norfolk, damaging scores of homes, stores and cars and downing dozens of trees and power lines, Jackson said.

Video footage from the scene showed roofs torn off homes, cars flipped over, trees snapped in two and a caved-in section of a newly constructed shopping center.

Furniture, fences and mounds of other debris were tossed in streets, parking lots and lawns.
A tornado warning over the area remained in effect Monday evening.

Jeff Judkins, the city's emergency management coordinator, said there also were reports of people trapped inside cars. It's the worst damage he's seen in the area, he said.

An emergency shelter will be established by Monday night, Suffolk spokeswoman Dana Woodson said.

Officials initially reported a fatality, but later determined that it was unrelated to the storm, she said.

Tornado wreaks Havok in Little Rock Arkansas

Arkansas' capital city, Little Rock and its suburbs were struck by a powerful tornado on Thursday. The high winds left parts of the city in ruin and injured an uncertain number of people.

The tornado passed right over the National Weather Service’s North Little Rock office. Employees of the service were forced to seek refuge into a bunker, where they stayed for a couple of minutes until the tornado passed over.

"We went into our shelter," said John Lewis, a forecaster with the NWS at the North Little Rock Airport. "We could hear it ... go by."

The service said some people were hurt at a Benton trailer park. An older woman was injured and treated by paramedics outside her Cammack Village home.

The city’s airport was also severely damaged. The twister wrecked a hangar as well as some airplanes. Most of the small- and medium-size planes were flipped over onto their wings.

"There's pretty extensive damage in the Little Rock area," said Lewis.

According to the National Weather Service the high winds destroyed a dealership and a mobile home park near Benton, a town near Little Rock. The high winds downed power lines and trees in the area

After wreaking havoc into the city, the twister moved to Little Rock suburban area.

Police and firefighters were very vigilant and checked on almost every resident of the small 1,000 people community. They reportedly offered medical assistance to an elderly woman. Fortunately, she didn’t suffer serious injuries.

Susann Walters, a 55-year-old local, said he sought shelter in the closet and took her two dogs inside as the tornado approached her home.

"It was probably 30-45 seconds," she said. "It was quick."

The tornado also struck a Hurricane Lake Mobile Home Park in Saline County and caused at least 50 mobile homes to catch fire, KARK-TV reported.

Reports of the agency show that there was also a second storm that hit the same areas as the first one, but wasn’t as powerful. Another storm formed south of Hot Springs and went in the same direction as the other two.

Rescuers search for bodies in Deadly Atlanta Tornado

At least 20 homes in Atlanta's historic Cabbagetown neighborhood were flattened by a tornado that ripped through downtown Atlanta on Friday night, a spokeswoman for the mayor said.

Firefighters fear there could be people dead inside the ruins of a collapsed loft complex in the same neighborhood, the spokeswoman said.

There have been no deaths confirmed from the tornado, but at least 15 people were treated at two hospitals. Most of the injuries were minor cuts, scrapes and bruises, officials said.

The Fulton Cotton Mill Lofts, just east of downtown Atlanta, collapsed in a "pancake fashion," Atlanta Fire Chief Kelvin Cochran said early Saturday.

The tornado that ripped through the heart of the city damaged the roof of the Georgia Dome during a college basketball game, shattered windows and ripped roofs from buildings before continuing into several residential neighborhoods.

The building that houses CNN was at the epicenter of the storm -- sitting next to the dome and hotels where thousands of basketball fans attending the Southeastern Conference tournament were at least temporarily displaced. Watch coverage of damage to CNN Center »

"It was actually in overtime, and the game was getting exciting, and I thought people from the Alabama side were hitting the bleachers trying to get some noise going," said Lucas Shields, who was attending the game between Mississippi State and the University of Alabama.

"All of a sudden the TV went out, the overhead clock stopped working, and you hear that distinctive noise of a train."

Timothy Wood, 30, of Cumming, Georgia, took refuge from rain at Philips Arena. "First thing I saw were cups then I saw larger objects -- like parts of Philips Arena were coming off and being blown into the street," Wood said.

Police closed several streets in the vicinity of CNN Center because of glass and other debris from the storm. The storm tracked from the northwest side of the city to the southeast, demolishing buildings and downing trees that crushed cars and ripped through the roofs of homes.

At the Fulton Cotton Mill Lofts, damage was extensive.

Mahsud Olufani, an Atlanta painter and sculptor with a studio in one of the other buildings, said he rushed to his studio when he saw news of the damage.

"It looks like a bomb went off, it looks like World War III," he said. "It's a disaster area."

The converted lofts also were the site of a massive 1999 fire, during which a dramatic helicopter rescue was televised worldwide.

In the neighborhood of East Atlanta, resident Cameron Beasley said he could see four or five homes with storm damage, including trees knocked through their roofs, and several cars crushed by downed trees.

"Something really fierce came down," said Beasley, who said he and his wife ran with their two children into their basement about 15 seconds before the storm hit. "It was just crushing cars, crushing houses."

The National Weather Service had issued a tornado warning for the area, in effect until 10 p.m. The storm came through at about 9:45 p.m.

Inside CNN Center, water poured through damage in the ceiling into the building's atrium. Glass shattered, and parts of the building filled with dust.

Virtually all of the windows facing Centennial Olympic Park on the Omni Hotel, which is attached to CNN Center, were shattered, leaving curtains flapping in the darkened windows. Visitors to the hotel were evacuated to the facility's exhibition hall at street level. Watch survey of damage to Omni Hotel »

Windows also were shattered in the CNN.com newsroom, with staffers saying that there was a computer missing -- apparently sucked through one of the windows. CNN's library was also damaged. See photos of the damage inside »

Outside the building, debris littered the streets and billboards collapsed onto parked cars. Centennial Olympic Park was also severely damaged.

Next door at the Georgia Dome, the Alabama-Mississippi State game was halted. The storm visibly rippled the ceiling of the dome and caused some damage, video of the arena showed. Scaffolding holding the facility's scoreboard swayed 15 minutes after the storm hit.

The game resumed about an hour later, but a later game between Kentucky and Georgia was postponed.

Joe Bryson, 28, of Cumming, Georgia, was outside when the winds hit.

"When it started to drizzle a little bit, everyone got under some shelter, watching things develop. It started to pick up a bit. When the metal barriers fell over and started skidding along the ground that's when everyone started -- not panicking -- but going inside.

"I saw two fellas who were running to come to shelter and they were getting pushed from the back [by the wind]. They got knocked down but got right back up and followed everyone inside," Bryson said.

Catherine Niehaus, an iReporter, was inside the Georgia Dome when she said the roof split, scaffolding slipped and the scoreboard started to sway.

Slabs of metal and insulation material smothered the streets outside. Cars and emergency vehicles were scattered among the debris as hundreds of people, many of them attending the Southeastern Conference basketball tournament, wandered around talking on cell phones.

Heaps of bricks and sheetrock were pushed up against cars. Streets signs were bent in half.

At the neighboring Georgia World Congress Center, the storm blew down a wall, allowing water to pool ankle deep inside the building.

Further east, heavy damage was reported near Grady Memorial Hospital.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the most recent downtown tornado in the United States hit Jacksonville, Florida, August 12, 2004. There were no deaths.

According to the NOAA, the deadliest tornado to hit a downtown area in the 20th century was May 11, 1953, when 114 people were killed in Waco, Texas.

Although downtown tornadoes are rare, it's a misconception they can't happen, according to The Tornado Project, a company that gathers and compiles tornado information. "That more 'cities' aren't struck by tornadoes is probably more coincidence than anything else," according to the project's Web site.

"There are very few 'big cities' with skyscrapers in Tornado Alley. In fact, there are only a dozen, and one of them, St. Louis, Missouri, has a long history of tornadoes in its central area."

Death Toll rises in Deadly Southern USA tornado

Feb. 6 (Bloomberg) -- Tornadoes swept through Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky and Illinois late yesterday, killing at least 47 people and causing a deadly explosion at a natural-gas pipeline near Nashville before heading east.

The ``extremely dangerous'' twisters, spawned by unseasonably warm temperatures, prompted the first high-risk weather alert issued in February in 10 years, AccuWeather.com said. Heavy rain, damaging winds and hail are possible from the Carolinas to southern New Jersey today, AccuWeather said.

``Tornadoes in February, especially this many and this strong, is a rare event,'' Buddy Rogers, spokesman for the Kentucky Emergency Management Office, said by phone. ``We have seven deaths, and if we're fortunate that number won't rise.''

The twisters first struck in the late afternoon, killing 24 people in Tennessee, 13 in Arkansas, seven in Kentucky and three in Alabama, the Associated Press reported, citing emergency officials. Authorities were searching for any other victims, including in the wreckage at a Sears mall store in Memphis, Tennessee, where the roof collapsed, the newswire said.

About a fifth of Arkansas's counties reported storm-related damage from floods, tornadoes and wind, said spokeswoman Renee Preslar of the state Emergency Management Department. At least four tornadoes touched down in the state.

Pump Blast

The number of deaths following the blast at a Columbia Gulf Transmission Co. pumping station wasn't immediately known, a spokeswoman for the sheriff's office in Trousdale County, Tennessee, said today. The fire was put out early today and gas flows may be diverted around the damaged pumping station, Kelly Merritt, a spokesman for Houston-based Columbia Gulf Transmission, said in a phone interview.

Snow last night fell from the central Plains to southern Lake Michigan, Accuweather said, and was forecast to move into New York and New England. Atwood, Kansas, had 10 inches (25 centimeters) as of 4 a.m. local time. Bethany, Missouri, picked up 6 inches, and winds and white-out conditions threatened motorists, the private weather forecaster said.

Tornado Survival and recovery tips

How quickly must I react to a tornado warning?
A tornado warning means a funnel cloud has been detected and you should take cover immediately.

Where should I take shelter?
The safest place to be during a tornado is underground—for example, in a basement. If you can't get to a basement, seek shelter in an interior hallway or small interior room with no windows, like a bathroom or a closet.

If I'm away from my home, what should I do?
If you're away from home when a tornado strikes, the same basic rules of survival apply: Remain calm and get to the lowest level possible, away from windows and free-span roofs.

If I'm in my car, what should I do?
If you're in an automobile when a warning is issued, you should get out of your vehicle and lie down in a low area away from your car, with your hands covering your head and neck.

Can a mobile home provide sufficient shelter?
Not necessarily. If you live in a mobile or manufactured home, even one with tiedowns, you should seek shelter elsewhere at the first sign of severe weather. Make arrangements in advance to go to a community shelter or stay with a friend or relative. As a last resort, go outside and lie flat on the ground with your hands over your head and neck.

If you must seek shelter outdoors, be alert for flash floods that often accompany tornadoes.

TORNADO! The very word strikes fear in many people. While a tornado is perhaps nature's most destructive storm, deaths and injuries can be prevented. By following Tornado Safety Rules, lives can be saved and injuries prevented.

Warning the public of severe thunderstorms and tornadoes is the National Weather Service's (NWS) most important job. To help the public prepare for tornado situations, the NWS has adopted a WATCH and WARNING program.

TORNADO WATCH: This means that conditions are favorable for tornado development. This is the time to prepare. You should keep alert by listening to NOAA Weather Radio, or the commercial media for the latest weather information.

TORNADO WARNING: This means a tornado has been sighted or indicated by radar. People in the path of the storm should take immediate life saving action.

IN SCHOOLS, HOSPITALS, FACTORIES, SHOPPING CENTERS AND OTHER PUBLIC PLACES: Move to designated shelter areas. Interior hallways on the lowest level are usually best. Stay away from windows and out of auditoriums, gymnasiums, or other structures with large free span roofs.

IN VEHICLES: Do not try to outrun a tornado. Abandon your vehicle and hide in a nearby ditch or depression and cover your head.

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Tornado Myths

MYTH: Areas near rivers, lakes and mountains are safe from tornadoes.
FACT: No place is safe from tornadoes. They can cross rivers, travel up mountains, and roar through valleys.
MYTH: Low pressure with a tornado causes buildings to "explode" as the tornado passes overhead.
FACT: Violent winds and debris slamming into buildings cause most damage.
MYTH: Windows should be opened before a tornado to equalize pressure and minimize damage.
FACT: Opening windows allows damaging winds to enter the structure. Leave the windows alone; instead immediately go to a safe place.

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TORNADO SAFETY

IN ANY BUILDING
Basement is the safest place
Avoid windows and chimneys
Hide under furniture or stairwells
Cover your head
 
IN A HOME
Seek lowest level
Central section
Hide under furniture or stairwells
Avoid windows and chimneys
Cover your head
 
IN AN APARTMENT
Lowest level
Central portion of home Small room, closet or hallway
Avoid exterior walls and windows
Cover your head
IN AN OFFICE BUILDING
Seek lowest level, if available
Central portion of building Small room, closet or hallway
Avoid exterior walls and windows
Cover your head
IN A MOBILE HOME / TRAILER
Evacuation is a must ; mobile homes CANNOT withstand the force of even a small tornado
If there is time, seek shelter in a nearby permanent building
If not available, head for a low spot such as a ditch or ravine
Cover your head

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Tornado Awareness

Tornadoes are relatively short-lived local storms.They are composed of violently rotating columns of air that descend in the familiar funnel shape from thunderstorm cloud systems. The weather conditions that tend to generate Tornadoes are unseasonably warm and humid earth surface air, cold air at middle atmospheric levels, and strong upper-level jet stream winds. Tornadoes can occur anywhere in the United States during any month of the year. However, the Great Plains and Gulf Coast States experience the largest number of Tornadoes. The greatest frequency of Tornadoes occur in April, May and June.

The destructive path of a tornado averages about 250 yards in width and 15 miles in length. In extreme conditions, a tornado may travel more than 300 miles and leave a path of total destruction more than a mile wide. Tornadoes will travel up to 70 mph, with wind speeds approaching 400 mph within the tornado's center. Tornadoes usually travel from a westerly direction to an easterly direction.

Signs and Warnings
Tornadoes develop during severe thunderstorms. While not all thunderstorms create Tornadoes, the potential is there. During violent weather, keep tuned to a local television or radio station for tornado reports.
If you are outside and see a funnel-shaped cloud with obvious rotating motion, it may be a tornado. As a tornado develops, it will produce a loud roar that grows louder as the funnel cloud touches the ground. When nearby, a tornado has a loud sound comparable to the combined roars of several jet engines.
The National Severe Storms Forecast Center in Kansas City issues tornado watches. Local National Weather Service offices issue tornado warnings. Local officials may sound sirens in a tornado warning.
A tornado watch indicates that conditions are right for a tornado to develop and the sky should be watched.
A tornado warning indicates a tornado has been sighted or is spotted on radar. Warnings will give the location of the tornado and the area immediately affected by the warning.

Immediate Dangers
The immediate threat from Tornadoes is danger to life and damage to property from violently whirling winds and debris hurled through the air by winds.

Long-Term Dangers
Long-term risks include the possibility of building collapse, fallen trees and power lines, broken gas lines, broken sewer and water mains, and the outbreak of fires. Agricultural crops and industries may be damaged or destroyed.

Preparedness
The best preparation for a tornado is to designate a safe place in or around your home as a tornado shelter. Tornado shelters are safest if they are underground. A storm cellar or basement away from windows offers the best protection.
If neither of these is available, plan to find shelter under heavy furniture or mattresses near an inside wall of your house on the ground floor. Get under solid furniture or cover yourselves with mattresses pulled off the bed.
Plan tornado drills with your family so everyone knows what to do.
Know the location of the designated shelter where you work or go to school.
Plan to evacuate your manufactured (mobile) home.
Make an inventory of your household furnishing and other possessions.
Supplement the written inventory with photographs or video. Keep inventories and pictures in a safe deposit box or some other safe place away from the premises.

Response
If you have a storm cellar or shelter, go to it immediately with your family. If no shelter is available, go to your basement and get under a heavy work bench or stairs. Do not position yourself directly underneath heavy appliances on the floor above you.

If your home has no basement, stay in the center of the house away from the windows or in a small room on the ground floor that is away from outside walls. Take cover under solid furniture or mattresses.  Protect your head.

In mobile homes or vehicles, leave and take shelter in a substantial structure. If there is no nearby shelter, lie flat in the nearest ditch or ravine with your hands shielding your head.

In any large building, such as an office or department store, avoid all large, poorly supported roofs.

Go to the basement or to an inner hallway on a lower floor.

Do not drive. You are safer in a home or basement shelter than in a car.

If you are driving in a city and spot a tornado, get out of your car and go to a nearby building.

If you are driving in open country, drive at a right angle away from the tornado's path if you can safely do so. Do not try to outrun the storm. If you cannot avoid the tornado, get out of your car.

Lie flat in the nearest depression, such as a ditch, culvert or ravine. Protect your head and stay low to the ground.

Recovery
After a tornado passes, keep tuned to the local radio or TV station to get an all-clear signal before leaving your shelter. Sometimes more than one tornado will develop during a violent storm.

Be alert to fire hazards such as broken electric wires or damaged electrical equipment, gas or oil leaks, or smoldering piles of wet hay or feed. Report broken utility lines to appropriate authorities.

Have damage to your property assessed by your insurance company.