At least 9 dead after tornado in US central state Kansas

GREENSBURG, Kansas: Rescuers raced Saturday through the wreckage from a giant tornado that killed at least eight people and left little standing in this southwest Kansas town beyond the local pub.

Forecasters issued a fresh tornado warning Saturday evening in the region, where Friday's weather was blamed for nine deaths, a figure authorities feared could rise.

City Administrator Steve Hewitt estimated 95 percent of the town of 1,500 was destroyed and predicted rescue efforts could take days as survivors could be trapped in basements and under rubble.

Among the only structures that survived was the Bar H Tavern, the town's only bar. It was briefly converted into a morgue.

Survivors of the storm picked over the remnants of their homes and possessions, still dazed by the twister's strength and scope. The town was a nightmare of splintered homes and smashed vehicles, the air redolent with the smell of sap from trees stripped of bark.

"We want everybody to know, and I plead to the American people as well as the people here in Kansas, this is a huge catastrophe that has happened to our small town," Hewitt said during a news conference. "All my downtown is gone. My home is gone. My staff's homes are gone. And we've got to find a way to get this to work and come to work every day and get this thing back on its feet. It's going to be tough."

Residents said they heard the tornado warning sirens — a common feature of towns in "Tornado Alley" in the central U.S. — about 20 minutes before the storm hit.

National Weather Service meteorologist Larry Ruthi said the path of damage was 1.4 miles (2.3 kilometers) wide, estimating it would be classified a "upper F-4 or an F-5" tornado, the strongest possible.

Jose Peraza said he was driving his oil rig into town when he heard the siren and driving hail started pounding the area. He pulled over and hid with several other people in a convenience store freezer.

He said the storm ripped the side off the freezer, and when he came out he found the twister had thrown his truck — weighed down by 40,000 pounds (18,000 kilograms) of oil — "like nothing."

The dead included eight in Kiowa County, where Greensburg is located, and one in nearby Stafford County, said Sharon Watson, a spokeswoman for the Kansas Adjutant General's Department.

"We continue to find folks and this will go on for a good couple days — the rescue itself," Hewitt said. "I mean, the debris is just unbelievable. Even if you are in a basement, I mean your home is collapsed, and we've got to find a way to get to you."

Gov. Kathleen Sebelius declared a disaster emergency for Kiowa County, said her spokeswoman Nicole Corcoran. The state sent 40 National Guard soldiers to help.

The White House said President George W. Bush was briefed on the situation. Federal Emergency Management Agency spokeswoman Dawn Kinsey said FEMA was preparing to help once Kansas officials request assistance.

Rescuers pulled about 30 people from the basement of a partially collapsed hospital early Saturday, but most of them had minor injuries, Watson said.

Scores of injured people were sent to hospitals as far away as Wichita, 110 miles (175 kilometers) away.

The storm front spawned tornadoes along a line stretching northeast from Greensburg through central Kansas. Three small tornadoes touched down in rural southwestern Illinois, but no damage was reported. Two more struck in Oklahoma and another in South Dakota, damaging some structures, officials said.

Yet another tornado struck Saturday in central Nebraska, damaging outbuildings and power lines, officials said.

No injuries were reported in any of those states.