Deadly tornado devastates Reading, Kan.

[proud2BlibKansan]

READING, Kan. | A tornado swept through a small eastern Kansas town, killing one person and destroying at least 20 homes, as severe thunderstorms pelted the region with hail that some residents said was the size of baseballs, authorities said early Sunday.

A man was pronounced dead shortly after being taken to Newman Regional Hospital in Emporia, about 20 miles from where the tornado hit Saturday night in Reading, hospital supervisor Deb Gould said. She said two other people were brought in with injuries but she had no further details.

Five people were injured in all, along with the person killed, said Sharon Watson, the spokeswoman for the Kansas Division of Emergency Management. She did not have details on their injuries or know whether all were hospitalized.

About 200 homes were damaged in and around the town of about 250 people, Watson said. The local post office and volunteer fire department were damaged, and all roads in and out of the town have been closed off. Reading is about 50 miles south of Topeka.



Read more: http://www.kansascity.com/2011/05/22/2893308/tornado-kills-man-destroys-20.html#ixzz1N5f7onux

[lunatica]

1. It hit at night. That must be one of the most terrifying things

to go through. At least in the day you have a chance of running away from the twister. At night it must feel like some monster seeking you out. How terrifying.

[proud2BlibKansan]

2. I'm sure they had plenty of warning

Our sirens went off here for over an hour. And we are close to 100 miles from Reading.

[Lochloosa]

3. I was in an F4 that hit at 4:00 am. There was only enough time to throw myself against the wall.

[Shagbark Hickory]

6. Were you hit?

[Lochloosa]

8. It was skipping when it got to me.

My apartment was the old office of a 100 year old lumber yard. Pecky cyprus walls....oak floors with black walnut plugs..anyway
I had to crawl out of the window because of the debris against my door. It set down for good about a mile away and carved a two mile path 1/2 mile wide.

[Shagbark Hickory]

9. Well geez, why dincha say so. Glad you're still around to tell about it, night tornados are a

terrifying thought.
Here in my part of GA, 3-4am seems to be when those storms make it out this way, it never seems to fail. Never mind that they ruin a perfectly good nights sleep, wind noises are amplified since you've just woken up and don't know if it's a tornado or just wind. Don't know if you should head for shelter or what. Turn on the TV trying to find a weather report only to get infomercials.

But you know all about this, I'm sure.

[malaise]

4. Can't imagine anything worse than a night tornado

How sad

[proud2BlibKansan]

5. Now this is sad. A Facebook page looking for survivors:

https://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_167674499960635

[deminks]

7. Found this loop from radar last night showing the "debris ball"

It is visible in frame # 5. Link also has some initial pictures of the damage.

http://www.crh.noaa.gov/news/display_cmsstory.php?wfo=top&storyid=68561&source=0