Storms leave trail of death and damage
Howling winds kill at least nine in U.S.
KANSAS CITY, MO. – A powerful storm system tore through parts of the Midwest on Wednesday, killing at least nine people and leaving pockets of devastation across several states.
Howling winds tore off roofs, downed power lines, tossed mobile homes and sent people to the hospital from Kansas to Kentucky. The storm system continued to cause problems as it pushed farther east and north.
The damage appeared to be most significant in Harrisburg, a small city in southern Illinois, where at least six people were killed, according to a spokesperson for the Illinois Emergency Management Agency.
“Everything in the path was completely wiped out, just destroyed,” said Nick Sumner, who ran for cover after waking to tornado sirens.
“It’s indescribable. It’s surreal. Nothing I’ve ever seen before.
“It’s something you’d see on a movie. Complete devastation.”
The storm system, which originated from the Rocky Mountains, also killed at least three people in southern Missouri, according to state officials.
A trailer park in Buffalo, Mo., a small community just north of Springfield, suffered a direct hit just after midnight. The dozen trailers were scattered and splintered, many with their startled residents still inside. One person was killed and another 13 were injured, some seriously.
“It looks more like a war zone than a tornado path,” said Lt. Dana Egan of the Dallas County Sheriff ’s Office, who described the scene.
Two deaths were reported elsewhere in Missouri, in Cassville and in Puxico, where Judy Richard, 59, the owner of a local convenience store, said that her cousin’s house, about 11 kilometres away, was destroyed.
“Their house looks like a bunch of matchsticks out there,” she said.
Branson, Mo., a popular tourist draw known for its country-themed shows, also was hit by the storm, which damaged some of the city’s signature venues as it moved up the main drag, according to The Associated Press. The Skaggs Regional Medical center in branson reported that 37 people were treated for injuries starting at 2 a.m.
The storm system hit earlier in Harveyville, Kan., where a tornado carved a narrow path through the community Tuesday night, injuring several people, destroying about a dozen homes and erasing the familiar profile of the Harveyville United Methodist Church.
“My wife looked up, and the church wasn’t there,” Rev. Dennis Irwin said. “It was almost surreal. You’re expecting to see this beautiful white church, and it’s a pile of rubble. It didn’t look real. I kept thinking it didn’t really happen, but I’m starting to realize that it is real.”