Family Life

04.16.12 | Bob Price

A state emergency official says a sixth person has died -- in addition to the two men and three children who were killed when the storm hit the community in the early hours yesterday. The town manager says 89 homes and 13 businesses were also destroyed.

When the tornado shrouded in darkness hit Woodward early Sunday, many residents relied on TV to warn them of impending devastation. Others learned of the monster twister from neighbors or calls from relatives.

One backup they couldn't count on was the town's 20 outdoor tornado sirens, which were knocked out by lightning.

It was part of a storm system that stretched from Texas to Minnesota, spinning off more than 120 twisters.

The National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma, took the unusual step of warning people more than 24 hours in advance of a possible "high-end, life-threatening event."

In the end, only the Woodward tornado proved fatal. Residents and officials in hard-hit areas of Kansas, Iowa and elsewhere credited the urgent warnings with saving lives.

The National Weather Service says three tornadoes were spotted in two Minnesota counties but no damage or injuries are reported.

Meanwhile, residents in Iowa are sifting through the wreckage of their homes after tornadoes crashed into several communities.

In the western Iowa town of Thurman, piles of toppled trees lined the streets in front of homes with missing walls and roofs. No serious injuries were reported.