Posted on 05/07/2007 5:53:35 AM PDT by bw17
By Associated Press
Monday, May 7, 2007
Greensburg, Kan.— Paramedic Annette Gasten and her German shepherd, Greta, had a grim weekend searching amid the piles of wreckage left by one of the strongest tornadoes to rake across the Plains.
Every business on Greensburg’s main street was demolished and officials estimate as much as 95 percent of the town was destroyed. Tree trunks stood bare, stripped of most of their branches. All the churches were destroyed.
At least eight people in this community of 1,500 were dead, putting the state’s total death toll at 10. No one was found Sunday in the debris.
“Even though I have been to other disasters, this one was a lot worse — the amount of damage,” Gasten said. “It is such a large area that was destroyed that it made it difficult” to search.
Residents were to be allowed back to their homes Monday morning, giving rescuers a better idea of whether any missing residents might be buried under rubble.
Since the tornado hit Friday night, emergency responders have had little indication of how many people in this south-central Kansas town of 1,500 may be safely staying with friends or relatives, rather than in shelters.
Only residents will be allowed back into town. Law enforcement officials will be checking identification and compiling a list of people whose whereabouts still haven’t been determined. Residents must leave by 6 p.m.
Fresh search and rescue dogs will be brought in Monday from Missouri as the hunt for possible survivors and bodies continues across a landscape dotted with mounds of debris, some as deep as 30 feet.
The National Weather Service classified the Friday night tornado as an F-5, the highest category on its scale. The weather service said it had wind estimated at 205 mph, and carved a track 1.7 miles wide and 22 miles long.
The twister is the first classified as an F-5 since May 3, 1999, when a tornado killed 36 people in Oklahoma City on May 3, 1999. It is the first F-5 since the weather service revised its scale this year, in an effort to more comprehensively gauge tornadoes’ damage potential, with less emphasis on wind speed.
The Greensburg twister late Friday was part of a storm front that also spawned tornadoes in parts of Illinois, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Nebraska, though most damage elsewhere was minimal, officials said.
In western Oklahoma, at least eight homes were destroyed, several more were damaged and one person was injured. A woman was trapped when her mobile home was blown off its foundation in Seminole in Seminole County but she was rescued and was shaken but not hurt, said sheriff’s dispatcher Terry Thomason.
Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius said Sunday evening that the state’s response will likely be hampered because much of the equipment usually positioned around the state to respond to emergencies — including tents, trucks and semitrailers — is now in Iraq.
“Not having the National Guard equipment, which used to be positioned in various parts of the state, to bring in immediately is really going to handicap this effort to rebuild,” said Sebelius.
Sharon Watson, a spokeswoman for the adjutant general’s office, which manages state resources during emergencies, acknowledged the strain.
“We are never at 100 percent because we are allocated a certain amount from the National Guard Bureau. With the war, we are much shorter than we would be. We have about 40 percent of what is allocated,” Watson said.
She said the state has a shortage of heavy equipment transport trailers, pallet-sized loading systems, Humvees, dump trucks and other large equipment that would be help move massive amount of debris.
...and Kansas. It’s split.
Kansas City is also a large city in Kansas, adjacent to KCMO.
Don’t forget Lawrence.
Because the crotch protection is not just there to protect the jewels.
What is it with Democrat governors with the first name of Kathleen?
Heck, I’ve been wondering how a dimwitted Democrat became mayor of Salt Lake City, and Utah’s a state that’s at least as red as Kansas.
If a tornado with a 1 mile width and winds of 205 MPH touched down on the plains of Nebraska, traveled 3 miles, and no property was damaged....What would it rank???
EF0.
The Enhanced Fujita scale, just like the Fujita scale before it, is a damage scale. The wind speeds are just estimates that are attached for the purpose of perspective. The enhanced scale was made to give a better estimate of wind speed, but they can't estimate wind speed unless stuff is hit and damaged.
There isn't proper doppler radar coverage to accurately record tornado wind speed...the only time accurate wind measurements are made with tornadoes is when the University of Oklahoma's doppler-on-wheels trucks bracket the storm and get a reading from two close-by doppler radars.
In short, the F-scale is all about damage.
"Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius said Sunday evening that the state’s response will likely be hampered because much of the equipment usually positioned around the state to respond to emergencies — including tents, trucks and semitrailers — is now in Iraq. “Not having the National Guard equipment, which used to be positioned in various parts of the state, to bring in immediately is really going to handicap this effort to rebuild,” said Sebelius."
Hey I seem to recall what happened to another Governor named Kathleen when she tried that same cheap blame-Bush tactic.
"Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco, whose popularity plummeted after two hurricanes devastated south Louisiana less than halfway through her first term, will not seek re-election, according to a letter written by Blanco and obtained by The Associated Press. "Today, I am announcing that, after much thought and prayer, I have decided not to seek re-election as your governor," Blanco said in the letter, provided by a source in the Democratic Party."
This is getting to be the Democratic play book—when a disaster happens, blame the fact that everything isn’t instantenously fixed on Iraq. I joked the other day that it wouldn’t be a hot second before the DemoLoons blamed this on Bush and Iraq. I actually thought at the time I was being facetious!
I don’t like your answer either. But, it’s almost quitting time so I’ll let it lay. Have a good evening. :-)
Will Kansas become a chocolate state?
....house fell on her sister...
Geez guy, have mercy. I was drinking a soda and just about blew soda all over my pc! Ha ha, that is a good one! Best laugh I’ve had all week.
BTW, a tornado in Kansas is a once in a century event. A myth started by the irresponsible hoaxster who wrote “Dorthy and the Wizard of Oz”.
1 monitor wash - N/C
It wasn’t just Kansas City; take a look at the election map, for some reason a little less than 2/3 of the state voted for Sebelius. Hopefully they realize what a mistake it was to vote a dem into office.
You forgot Lawrence
I’m also a women and I agree this is a man job. Women whine to mu__________________________ch.
“I can’t help but think of the two day evac warning the people of New Orleans were given for a comparison.”
80% of the city of New Orleans evacuated before the storm hit.
I saw the clip from the Fox News interview. IIRC she went on to plaintively add, "we governors tried to tell George Bush that this was a problem and he wouldn't listen. It's a homeland security issue." She practically pouted.
(Note to Kathleen: Defense is a homeland security issue, natural disasters are not.)
I sure hope somebody, somewhere follows up on this thing and sets the record straight.
My prayers go out to the good people of Greensburg.
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