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Thunderstorms, Tornadoes Rip Through Midwest

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The Associated Press

Published: May 11, 2008

Updated: 05/11/2008 12:55 am

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Thunderstorms and tornadoes tore across the nation's heartland Saturday evening, killing at least 16 people, mangling buildings and trapping people in the rubble of their homes in areas still reeling from other recent bouts with severe weather.

A twister killed at least six people Saturday in the northeast Oklahoma town of Picher and left widespread destruction, authorities said.

The death toll could go higher, said Oklahoma Emergency Management spokeswoman Michelann Ooten. The tornado caused major damage in a 20-block area, she said.

At least 10 people died in southwest Missouri after the storms plowed through, the National Weather Service said. Three people died after a tornado hit near Seneca in Newton County, said meteorologist Bill Davis.

In southeast Oklahoma, tornadoes also were reported near McAlester and Haywood in Pittsburg County and in rural Pushmataha County.
Television footage showed some destroyed outbuildings and damaged homes west of McAlester and near Haywood. At a glass plant southwest of McAlester, the storm apparently picked up a trailer and slammed it down on garbage bins.

In Arkansas, a tornado damaged buildings and pulled down trees in Stuttgart.

The storms remained active into the evening, with watches and warnings abundant across a wide swath of the Plains and South.

Tornadoes killed 13 people Feb. 5 and another seven were killed in an outbreak May 2. In between was freezing weather, persistent rain and river flooding.

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