Large Tornado Has Hit The Capitol Of Illinois

NWS

[silentknight]

A large tornado has moved through Illinois and has just hit the City of Springfield. Spotters reported a large tornado moved through the city. Damage is being reported. Emergency responders are being called in from surrounding areas.

NWS reports that this was a large wedge tornado.

[stlnative]

Thanks...

I am heart broken over the news that is coming out now for Missouri.

A couple in their early 60's were killed in Renick MO (Randolph County MO). Their teenage daughter survived but her back was broke in 2 places. Unfortunately they lived in a mobile home and their is nothing left of it. 2 other elderly people where killed in the same town.

It looks like Springfield IL came out ok with no deaths.

I have never seen Missouri get hit with so many tornadoes before in such a wide area over the state.

Tons of headlines here and photos...

http://www.ksdk.com

[stlnative]

WHERE IS TORNADO ALLEY?
http://www.tornadochaser.net/tornalley.html

[jeffers]

Well, right now anyway, tornado alley runs from Birmingham, Alabama (40K tops, no rotation) to Harrisburg Pennsylvania, (active TVS), with important stops in Chattanooga, Tennessee,(35K, in rotation) and Lexington, Kentucky, (40 K in rotation).

Yesterday it ran from Eastern Kansas to SE of Chicago.

Traditionally the alley runs from Lubbock, Texas through Kansas City and on to Indianapolis.

[stlnative]

March 13, 2006, 6:30PM
At Least 10 Die in Midwest Tornadoes

RENICK, Mo. — Homeowners across the Midwest were aghast Monday at nature's fury after a barrage of tornadoes, hail and rain left 10 people dead and destroyed or damaged hundreds of homes.

"It's just amazing how devastating it is," said Mayor Tim Davlin of the Illinois capital of Springfield, which nevertheless escaped with no deaths or serious injuries. "It looks like the pictures we saw a couple months ago after Katrina."

~snip~

More here...
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/nation/3720852.html

[jwalburg]

I clicked on your link and got Russ Feingold condemning the president.

[stlnative]

well you better try again as the link still brings up the tornado story for me

[Prophet in the wilderness]

I heard they put their school buses to good use to evacate people from hurricanes by leaving parked to get flooded.sarcasm

[Prophet in the wilderness]

Seriously though, to be realistic, there is really no " SAFE PLACE TO LIVE " on earth, that is naturally speaking.
In the next 200 or so years, the east coast and the gulf of Mexico is threaten by the mountain/volcano on that Island near Africa if it were to erupted and fall into the ocean and we would be hit by a tsunami that would make the December/Christmas tsunami that happened in 2004 look like a pebble in a pond wave.
The gulf coast and Florida got their hurricanes/sinkholes, Charleston South Carolina got their hurricanes and earthquakes.
Texas/New Mexico got their fire ants and illegals coming in form Mexico.
California got their earthquakes, rare bad storms, rare hurricanes, mudslides, and fruitcakes.
the Northwest got their Liberals.
So, really, there is really no safe place to live, you just got to make the best of it, and try to survive.

[MinuteGal]

Where's FEMA? Where's Bush? Where's Chertoff? Where's Waldo?

Will the survivors be put up in hotels? Or a cruise ship? I haven't heard one word of federal relief efforts.

Impeach the President!

Leni

[tiggy_the_tigger_girl]

I live in Springfield and was huddled in my basement last night with my family. Luckily I was semi-away from the damage, but I could hear the twister when it got a bit closer than I would have liked. I just moved to springfield from jacksonville in September and personally I find the school's tornado education appalling! In Jacksonville they have a drill about every two weeks in tornado season. They tell you what to pack in a bag to put in your basement. Everyone packs such a bag and throws it in the basement! My sisters' elementary school doesn't do any of that education here! And these idiotic residents of springfield were out and about IN THEIR CARS right in the eye of the storm, which every idiot knows is RIGHT BEFORE THE TORNADO WILL HIT YOU AND DESTROY EVERYTHING!!! grr. Makes me mad! My favorite restraunts have all been blown to pieces, but the mall stands. My basement windows almost blew in on us!

Does anyone know what this twister rated on the Fujita scale? I know its not really a complete tell all scale, but it'd be nice to know so I can freak out the kids in my highschool class with actual numbers. They're scared to death of tornados. Funny, that. While my friends were calling everyone and freaking out, I was sitting on my front porch documenting cloud developement in my notebook and watching channel 17 to track the storm system and predicting its path and all that jazz. Sorry, I'm a tornado freak. Love em! The schools here baffle me though. In Jacksonville, two years ago, a tornado hit the night before the third to last day of school. We were in school the next morning for the awards ceremony. Half the town had damage of some sort, but there we were. Here, some power lines go down and they run around in circles flapping their hands and screaming. My school, Ursuline Academy. No damage. We could be in school studying for our upcoming midterms! But no. We're at home. Not that I don't appreciate the time off, its wonderful. But it just.....baffles me! Well this is the end of my wonderous rant.

Reports indicate that around 10 people in the surrounding area are dead, and people were being airlifted into Memorial Hospital last night. (I live down the road, I watched the medicopters.) Any information, and the radio stations would love for yall to call it in. WTAX.com has pictures!

If yall are religious, pray for the subdivision of Jerome. Some houses are completley DEMOLISHED.

Thanks for yalls time
Tiggy

[freepersup]

Welcome aboard the freeper express-

I live in Lincoln, and traveled down your way tonight to see a relative in Memorial hospital. I came in on Clear Lake. The stop lights were out at the intersection of Dirksen and Clear Lake. Dirksen was blocked off to thru traffic. Tornado damage of trees and a few utility poles evident on Clear Lake coming into downtown Spr., mostly near / west of the seafood house.

I too am a tornado buff... I used to have the most intense vivid dreams involving tornadoes... until I chased one or two... then the dreams stopped. I must have satisfied some internal need... {:0) Springfield dodged a bullet, in a sense. Yes there was damage, but it could have been magnitudes worse. One man was reported missing, from a home that was completely destroyed by the tornado. Any updates?

[abishai]

WTAX says that there were two tornadoes. The one coming in from the west was an F2. While it was in town it spawned off another tornado, so we had two tornadoes! I live here in Grandview and we finally got power around noon.

I didn't get any major damage, but unfortunately all my ice cream melted.

[SaltyJoe]

[AndrewC]

Gotta get new glasses. I thought the sidebar said "Large Tomato".