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.
I understand. I live in NY.
I’m sure the president’s stand on Kyoto caused that tornado, too.
The Iraq war has been going on for 4 years now. The Kansas government has had plenty of time to prepare for this situation. It’s not rocket science..........
Be nice to her. She hasn’t been the same since that house fell on her sister.
You're not in Kansas anymore, Toto.............
They’re not in Kansas any more.....
Another Female Democrat Governor...
...another failed disaster preparedness blame game?
What happened in Kansas is tragic. This country does not need petty politicians turning tragidy into comedy like they did with New Orleans
Gee, Auntie Em, whodda thunk Kansas had tornadoes.
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.
the main purpose of the national guard is defense, not picking up after natural disasters.
I guess since they are now lowering the bar, we are going to now have a lot more F5 tornados. And the Dims can blame it on global warming and/or Bush.
WHy bother preparing for natural disasters yourself when you can just blame everything on Bush?
As a former Kansan, I have a lot of friends there and not a one of them likes this POS they have for a governor. Of course, they are all conservative.
Bank on it.
“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, an OVERABUNDANCE of farm trucks, front end loaders, tractors, hay trailers, etc. etc. not to mention able-bodied men and women.
C’mon...it’s ONE small town.
[no disrespect to those who suffered]
It’s not like this is the ‘FIRST’ nor the last tornado Kansas will see....or am I mistaken....???
“I’m sure the president’s stand on Kyoto caused that tornado, too.”
Actually, if I have bad traffic this morning, it’s Bush’s fault. If I feel tired and find it hard to concentrate, it’s Bush’s fault. If someone treats me poorly today, it’s Bush’s fault. If any of my investments lose money today, it’s Bush’s fault. Everything is Bush’s fault, except anything that can be construed as good of course.
That's very true!........But when you have an agenda to push, who's checking the little details?........
I am a woman, and I agree that this is a man’s job!
People in the western part of the state vote for free handouts.
The new scale is called the Enhanced Fujita Scale. The designations are EF-0 through EF-5. The EF-5 tornadoes have winds of more than 200MPH.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enhanced_Fujita_Scale
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.